Hanwha, US Army name US version of K9 howitzer XM1776
Summary
Hanwha Defense USA and the U.S. Army designated the American version of Hanwha’s K9 self-propelled howitzer as the XM1776 Mobile Tactical Cannon in Washington on Tuesday. The wheeled 155-millimeter system is intended to replace the Army’s aging M777 towed howitzers and improve mobility and long-range precision fires. The Army ordered nine prototypes, with an option for nine more, while Hanwha is establishing an integration and testing facility in Alabama.
Key Facts
- The XM1776 naming ceremony was held at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition.
- Hanwha Defense USA was selected in August to provide prototypes based on a wheeled variant of the K9 Thunder artillery system.
- Hanwha Defense USA plans to meet with more than 70 existing and potential U.S. suppliers to localize its supply chain and expand the U.S. artillery industrial base.
- Hanwha said more than 2,500 K9 howitzers have been deployed worldwide.
Hanwha Defense USA executives and military officials pose for a photo at a naming ceremony for the XM1776, the U.S. version of Hanwha Aerospace's K9 self-propelled howitzer, held at the Association of the U.S. Army's 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, Oct. 12. Courtesy of Hanwha Defense USA
WASHINGTON — Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA) and the U.S. Army have officially designated the American version of Hanwha's K9 self-propelled howitzer as the XM1776 Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC), the company has announced.
According to HDUSA, a U.S. subsidiary of South Korean defense giant Hanwha Aerospace Co., the company held a naming ceremony for the XM1776 at the Association of the U.S. Army's (AUSA) 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition on Tuesday in Washington.
In August, HDUSA was selected to provide prototypes based on a wheeled variant of the best-selling K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery system for the MTC program, which aims to develop a highly mobile 155-millimeter artillery system to replace the Army's aging M777 towed howitzers.
HDUSA also announced that the U.S. Army has ordered a total of nine prototype XM1776 systems, with an option for nine additional units.
The XM1776 is a wheeled artillery system designed to support the U.S. Army's modernization efforts, including improvements in mobility and long-range precision fires capabilities.
"The XM1776 Mobile Tactical Cannon represents the launch of the U.S. Army's new long-range precision fires modernization effort and its powerful partnership with HDUSA to produce this system at speed and scale," said Mike Smith, HDUSA's chief operating officer.
Hanwha said it is establishing an integration and testing facility in Opelika, Alabama, for the XM1776 and its family of K9 howitzers.
The company said it plans to meet with more than 70 existing and potential U.S. suppliers as part of efforts to localize its supply chain and expand the U.S. artillery industrial base.
More than 2,500 K9 howitzers have been deployed worldwide, according to the company, which is seeking to leverage its global production experience to strengthen U.S. artillery manufacturing capabilities.
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