Hanwha Aerospace and the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) have reached their third agreement expanding Norway’s K9 VIDAR artillery fleet, confirming an order for 24 additional self-propelled howitzers that will bring the Scandinavian nation’s total to 52 vehicles. The signing, held in Oslo and witnessed by top officials from both sides — including Hanwha’s president and Norway’s army and procurement leadership — caps a long-running cooperation that began with a major acquisition in 2017. According to the contract timeline, all systems will be delivered by 2027 and will come equipped with enhanced communications suites designed to link the K9s into Norway’s national combat management infrastructure. The package also contains an Integrated Logistics Support element: training programs, repair and maintenance modules, and collaboration with Norwegian industry to cultivate sustainment capabilities domestically. Norway’s adoption of the K9 platform has been steady: the initial order included 24 K9s and six K10 resupply vehicles, delivered on schedule by 2020, with the first operational battery standing up in Setermoen at the start of 2021. Subsequent option exercises added a small number of K9 and K10 systems, and by 2025 some 28 howitzers and 14 ammunition vehicles were fielded. The new contract, which follows a government announcement in April 2025 and was formalized in September, builds out Norway’s medium-to-long-range fires capability at a time of heightened attention on territorial defense in Europe. Financially, the purchase was reported to be worth roughly $534 million and demonstrates Norway’s long-term investment in modern artillery solutions that feature high shoot-and-scoot mobility, digital fire control integration, and partnership with industry for lifecycle support. The deal also highlights the global reach of South Korea’s defense industrial base, as Hanwha continues to secure export orders while working closely with customers to embed training and maintenance ecosystems in the buyer nation.
