K9 thunder howitzers: Egypt boosts coastal defense arsenal
Egypt, like Poland, has opted to purchase K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers from South Korea. Besides their standard application, they will also serve as coastal anti-ship artillery. Here's how they are utilised in this mode.
The Hanwha Aerospace company has announced the achievement of the capability to combat surface ships and the development of its own 746 kW diesel engine, which will enable the export of K9 Thunder howitzers to markets previously inaccessible due to potential sales blockades by Germany. This has been made possible by the use of the MTU engine in the produced self-propelled howitzers.
In the video below from the tests, you can see how the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer successfully hits a surface ship. This ability can be particularly useful in repelling sea landings.
K9 Thunder — a South Korean export success
In February 2022, Egypt ordered about 200 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers for an amount of £1.4 billion. The first units will be manufactured in Korea, but the majority will be built in Egypt with the involvement of the local industry.
The ordered units are the K9A1 Thunder, a modernisation of the K9 Thunder, produced since 1999. It is a design weighing approximately 47,000 kilograms based on a tracked chassis, equipped with a turret housing a 155 mm calibre gun with a barrel length of 52 calibres. This allows for firing up to six shots per minute and firing three shots in MRSI mode.
This type of weaponry has now become standard in NATO, allowing attacks on targets at distances from 30 to 31 kilometres using the simplest shells like DM121. On the other hand, using slightly more expensive shells with a gas generator increases this distance to about 40 to 41 kilometres.
Targets can also be hit at a range of 50 to 60 kilometres using shells with a rocket booster like the M549A1. Even unguided ammunition, coupled with a good ballistic computer based on radar data, can be sufficiently accurate.
Laser-beam guided shells — pinpoint precision even against moving targets
When using, for instance, Vulcano GLR guided shells, it is possible to strike objects from a distance of up to 81 kilometres with pinpoint accuracy if the variant with a laser beam-guided head is utilised.
This type is particularly useful as, in cooperation with drones, it permits striking with pinpoint precision even against moving targets. In Egypt's case, M712 Copperhead rounds will most likely be employed.
These are Cold War-era shells with a shaped charge warhead and nearly 7 kilograms of explosive material. Their range for older guns was a maximum of 16 kilometres, but with guns possessing a barrel length of 52 calibres, the maximum flight range increased to 31 kilometres. This allows for effectively eliminating, for example, landing forces before they reach the shore.
