11 August 2023
South Korean self-propelled howitzers made their Australian debut at Exercise Talisman Sabre, ahead of the planned construction of the Australian-variant AS9 Huntsman in Victoria late next year.
Alongside the US HIMARS, the K9 made an impressive display at the firepower demonstration held at Shoalwater Bay Training Area on July 22.
Gunners could finally see the future direction of their corps up close.
Gunner Max Hood, of 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, said while it was the first time they’d seen the tracked howitzer, they had already begun practising drills based around self-propelled artillery.
“We’re moving away from the traditional gun line towards operating on our own with less camouflage and concealment,” Gunner Hood said.
“We drop, shoot and get out of there to avoid counter battery.”
30 AS9 Huntsmen and 15 AS10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicles will be built in Victoria.
The K9 has an effective rang of 40km, a capacity of 48 rounds and fires 6-8 rounds a minute, including three-round bursts.
A further 104 rounds can be transported with the K10 resupply vehicle.
The Huntsman and AS10 are expected to provide similar capabilities.
In another first for Australia’s largest military exercise, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces also brought the K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system to Queensland for Talisman Sabre.
South Korean Marine Corps Artillery Commander Major Kim Donju said their involvement demonstrated the strength and capability of Korean Marine Corps equipment and “improved the capability of joint operations of multinational forces”.
Ties between the two nations continue to grow after the government announced South Korean company Hanwah, which manufactures the K9 and Chunmoo MLRS, was awarded a contract to build Army’s new Redback infantry fighting vehicles.
Hanwah is set to deliver 129 IFVs under Land400 Phase 3, which will be constructed in Geelong.
