South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace announced on Wednesday the signing of an approximately $1 billion contract with Romania’s National Defense Ministry to supply 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers (SPH) and 36 K10 ammunition resupply vehicles (ARV), a release informs.

Romania becomes the 10th country to operate the 155 mm/52-caliber K9 SPH, and the sixth NATO member state to use the K9 after Turkey, Poland, Norway, Finland and Estonia. After Norway and Australia, Romania will also be the third global operator of the K10, which enables a fully automated re-supplying capability to maximize the efficiency of artillery forces.

“This contract involves not only artillery vehicles, but also supporting vehicles and ammunition, representing Hanwha Aerospace’s capability to provide a complete package of advanced defense solutions, based on its high level of technological expertise and world-leading production capacity,” said Hanwha Aerospace president and CEO Jaeil Son in the release.

Under the contract, Hanwha will deliver the vehicles in stages over the next five years, with the first delivery due by early 2027. Most of the vehicles are to be manufactured in Romania with an extensive involvement of local suppliers.

“Hanwha Aerospace is committed to maximizing benefits to the Romanian defense industry through various types of localization programs, which include local production of defense equipment, local employment, technology transfer, and the establishment of a Center of Excellence for MRO operations in a new greenfield facility in Romania,” said Hanwha Aerospace Europe vice-president Peter Bae.