Hanwha Defense USA is setting up an integration and test facility for its K9 Mobile Howitzers in Opelika, Alabama.
The company will invest more than $2m in the US artillery supply chain to boost the nation’s combat vehicle industrial base.
Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA), a subsidiary of Hanwha Group, is setting up an integration and test facility for its K9 mobile howitzers in Opelika, Alabama.
The site, according to the group’s statement on 4 May 2026, will function as the primary US location for the assembly and evaluation of the K9 family of artillery systems.
As part of this development, HDUSA has entered into a three-year lease, committing over $2m to strengthen the US artillery supply chain.
The move also aims to bolster the domestic industrial base for combat vehicles and position the company as a long-term “artillery modernisation partner” for the US Army.
The decision to localise production in Alabama aligns with Hanwha’s submission of the K9 Mobile Howitzer (K9MH) to the US Army’s Mobile Tactical Cannon Request for Prototype Proposal (RPP).
In conjunction with this submission, HDUSA is proposing a 155mm artillery system that is already available and can be deployed on an accelerated timeline to support the Army’s modernisation and long-range precision fire goals.
Work at the Opelika site will initially create around 40 jobs. The company intends to develop a local production and supply chain process, introducing advanced manufacturing techniques and defence technology to the region.
HDUSA is also planning future expansion phases and potential new locations as the US presence grows.
The firm emphasised its commitment to developing a local workforce capable of sustaining long-term operations and integrating future technologies.
HDUSA chief operating officer Mike Smith said: “Hanwha has selected Opelika, Alabama, to serve as the hub of this first phase of our US artillery systems localisation strategy.
“We’re committed to rapid prototyping and production ramp-up through US partnerships as well as creating local production jobs in Alabama, ensuring resilient domestic supply chains, and working with local community and educational institutions, including nearby engineering students.”
The Opelika facility announcement follows the US Army’s decision in January this year to award HDUSA an enhanced use lease for a possible production site at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas.
At that time, the company pledged around $1.3bn to establish a new manufacturing facility.
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