Indra Group and South Korean Hanwha Aerospace, a subsidiary of Hanwha Group, have signed a binding memorandum of understanding for the development of advanced self-propelled artillery systems adapted to the needs of the Spanish Armed Forces. The agreement contemplates providing Spain with its own design and manufacturing capabilities for tracked land platforms.
Boost to technological sovereignty and the defense industry
The alliance between the Spanish company and the South Korean group, one of the largest in the sector globally, includes a high technological transfer that will allow Spain to strengthen its strategic autonomy and position itself among European countries with its own capacity to design, develop, and manufacture this type of system.
The agreement, signed at Indra's headquarters in Madrid, also establishes a bilateral collaboration that strengthens the entire Spanish defense sector, while allowing Hanwha to incorporate technologies developed by Indra into its vehicles.
"Real sovereignty and autonomy"
The president of Indra, Ángel Escribano, has indicated that this alliance will allow offering the Armed Forces “real sovereignty and autonomy” throughout the entire life cycle of a new family of terrestrial platforms. For his part, the CEO, José Vicente de los Mozos, has highlighted the company's role as an industrial engine to place Spanish industry “at the highest level” and lead European defense programs.
From Hanwha Aerospace, its president and CEO, Jaeil Son, has emphasized that the collaboration will allow Spain to be endowed with sovereign defense capabilities by combining its artillery experience with Indra's industrial capacity.
Industrial investment and job creation
The development of the project will involve an investment of 130 million euros to reinforce Indra's plant in Gijón with new industrial capabilities and advanced machinery, as well as the creation of a new integration facility.
The volume of activity foreseen contemplates the , , within the framework of the programs in which Indra Land Vehicles participates.
A new family of vehicles for the Army
The system to be developed will include a tracked artillery vehicle —128 units—, ammunition resupply systems —120 units—, command and control vehicles —11 units—, and recovery vehicles —21 units—. All of them are part of the tracked ATP system defined in the Special Modernization Program that Indra is developing in UTE with EM&E Group.
Indra will manufacture in Spain the structures of the vehicles and will integrate its own systems such as the mission system, 360º vision, battle management (BMS), and communications. It will also design and produce the command post systems, including CBRN equipment and automatic fire and explosion protection systems.
The general director of Indra Land Vehicles, Frank Torres, has highlighted that the agreement will allow to develop its own family of vehicles with commercial potential, while reinforcing industrial capabilities and technological autonomy.
The project starts from the K9 platform from Hanwha, on which Indra will design its own barge with design authority and integration of national systems.
The new platforms will incorporate high levels of automation, which will allow greater cadence and precision in indirect fire with reduced crews.
A platform already implemented in NATO
The K9 family of vehicles has already been adopted by several European NATO countries, including Norway, Poland, Finland, Romania, and Estonia, which consolidates its position as one of the most advanced solutions in the field of self-propelled artillery.