China, Korea go head to head at IDEX in self-propelled howitzer market

A newly received Korean K9 Thunder howitzer is pictured ahead a military exercise at the training range in Torun, Poland, Feb. 23, 2023. AFP-Yonhap

• Published Feb 20, 2025 2:17 PM KST
• Updated Feb 20, 2025 2:17 PM KST

Competition between China and Korea is heating up for sales of self-propelled howitzers, with defense contractors from both countries putting their latest versions front and center at one of the world's biggest weapons shows.

China's Norinco is offering the public a look at its SH16A 155mm self-propelled howitzer at the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi this week.

The event in the United Arab Emirates is the first time the howitzer has gone on show outside China since its debut at the Zhuhai Airshow in November.

A few meters away, Korea's Hanwha Aerospace is showing the latest version of its K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer fitted with a Korean engine for the first time. Earlier models had German engines.

Self-propelled howitzers are playing a bigger role in conflicts between official and non-state forces, particularly in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia shelled Iran-backed Houthi rebels with the weapons, including Norinco's PLZ-45, during the Yemeni civil war in 2015.

Israel has also reportedly used American M109 self-propelled howitzers against Hamas during the war in Gaza.

They have also been used in Ukraine where they are proving more cost- effective than aircraft and missiles, and offer long-range precision firepower and mobility to fend off drones.

The new Chinese model at IDEX reportedly has a greater payload and mobility, as well as an unmanned turret that allows all operational processes — deployment, loading, firing, and withdrawal — to be done outside the vehicle. It also has a laser ignition system that offers more stable and synchronized firing.

The 155mm-calibre weapon is understood to be standard in Nato. As part of the communist bloc, China was reluctant to produce Nato-standard 155mm artillery until the late 1980s but caliber plays an important role in the export of artillery as it also determines the type of ammunition used. Changing the caliber of an existing weapon would require the military to replace all its artillery shells.

China's showcase of the Nato-standard howitzer represents Beijing's attempts to ramp up its exports of the weapon to the Middle East, even among countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are aligned with the U.S.

The Middle East market has long been the target of China's howitzer exports and the PLZ-45, one of China's earliest 155mm models, has been exported to Algeria, Ethiopia, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

But China is not the only one keen to carve out a bigger share of the market.

Korea's K9 is among the most widely sold artillery in the world with more than 1,800 units in service in 11 countries, including Turkey and Egypt. It has over 50 percent of the global artillery market.

Jeff Sung, Hanwha Aerospace's communications director, said the addition of Korean engines to the K9 would improve price competitiveness, "speeding up" howitzer sales.

He said the K9 was gaining attention "all across the Middle East" with its advantages such as convenient and simple operability, "top class" firepower and mobility, lower cost than European models and adaptation into various terrains and climates.

"China is very strong in the defense industry but when looking at the 155mm self-propelled artillery market, I guess China probably will be concerned a lot about the K9," Sung said.

"China is [friendly] to many countries politically and diplomatically, so they may be able to sell a lot in those countries. However, I think we are still very unrivalled in this field."

IDEX started on Monday and closes on Friday. About 1,565 companies from 65 countries around the world, including 59 Chinese firms, are taking part.

Read the full story at SCMP.