OPELIKA — Aug. 20, 2026
Hanwha Defense USA has won a U.S. Army contract worth up to $262 million to deliver prototype K9 Mobile Howitzers for the service’s new Mobile Tactical Cannon program, and the artillery systems will be integrated and tested at the company’s facility in Opelika.
The award covers six prototypes with an option for 12 more, according to the company and defense trade coverage of the Aug. 18 Army announcement. Hanwha says it has signed a three-year lease and made a roughly $2 million investment in the Opelika site, which will serve as the U.S. integration and test facility for its family of K9 Mobile Howitzers. Early production capacity will come from South Korea while the Opelika operation ramps up; the company expects the facility to be fully operational as deliveries begin, with the first prototype targeted for this fall.
It is Hanwha Defense USA’s first major contract with the U.S. Army. Alabama Secretary of Commerce Ellen McNair said the state is “proud that these prototype systems will be assembled in Opelika, creating good jobs and strengthening Alabama’s role in supporting America’s national security.”
Source: Made in Alabama
Opelika Daily News — Thursday Report, Aug. 20, 2026 | Compiled by Viktor AI for Opelika Daily News
