Hanwha Unveils ‘Built with Europe’ Manufacturing Strategy at NATO Ankara Forum

South Korean defense manufacturer Hanwha Aerospace announced a fundamental shift in its European strategy on July 8, 2026, at the NATO Defence Industry Forum in Ankara. The company is moving away from a direct-export model toward what it calls a “Built with Europe, for Europe” approach, centered on localized manufacturing.

The new strategy rests on regional joint ventures, technology transfers and domestic assembly hubs established across Europe. Jacek Cyrek, President and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace Europe, told the forum that deterrence and resilience now depend not simply on deliveries, but on trusted industrial relationships able to produce, repair, modernize and sustain equipment over time.

Concrete progress in Poland and Romania

Hanwha’s largest European program runs with Poland, where a framework agreement covering up to 672 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers has already seen 218 units delivered by the end of 2025, alongside local component manufacturing and sustainment support built into the deal.

In Romania, a contract signed in 2024 worth roughly 1.3 trillion won covers 54 K9 Tunet howitzers and 36 K10 ammunition resupply vehicles. The 180,000-square-metre H-ACE Europe facility under construction at Petrești stands as one of the clearest signs of the company’s growing local manufacturing footprint.

Expanding presence in the Nordic region

Norway, Finland and Estonia already operate K9 howitzers. Norway expanded its inventory in January 2026 with an order for 16 K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, featuring a range capability of 500 kilometres.

A proposed framework for Korea-NATO cooperation

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung used the forum to propose a “Korea-NATO Defence Industry Partnership 2.0,” a framework intended to move beyond the traditional buyer-seller relationship toward joint research, co-development and co-production. Hanwha’s European strategy is seen as one of the first concrete industrial expressions of that broader political framework.

Sources: Based on Army Recognition’s July 8, 2026 coverage of the NATO Defence Industry Forum and official statements from Hanwha Aerospace. Image credit: Hanwha official press office, showing the K9 self-propelled howitzer and K10 ammunition resupply vehicle.