This truly awesome and impressive artillery live fire video shows a total of 18 ultra powerful South Korean K9 Thunder Self Propelled Artillery howitzers in action during a mass live fire exercise.
The video features the simultaneous firing of the artillery and the impacts on a mountain aswell.
The K9 Thunder is a South Korean self-propelled 155 mm howitzer designed and developed by the Agency for Defense Development and Samsung Aerospace Industries for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and is now manufactured by Hanwha Defense.
K9 howitzers operate in groups with the K10 automatic ammunition resupply vehicle variant. The entire K9 fleet operated by the ROK Armed Forces is now undergoing upgrades to K9A1 standard, and a further development of a K9A2 variant is in process.
In 1980s, the ROK Armed Forces came in need of new artillery system to contest North Korean equipment. The armed forces operated M107 self-propelled gun and K55 self-propelled howitzer; however, they had shorter firing range compared to M-1978 Koksan and were outnumbered by various North Korean artillery. With the success of designing and manufacturing KH-178 and KH-179 towed artillery, and experience gained by license producing K55 (KM109A2), the Ministry of Defense ordered to develop new system that has longer firing range, faster firing rate, and high mobility. The development started in 1989 and was led by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Samsung Aerospace Industries (now Hanwha Defense).
The ADD first offered upgrades on existing K55, inspired by the United States' M109 Howitzer Improvement Program (HIP), but was rejected by the Republic of Korea Army. As a result, the ADD determined to create new weapon system and worked on conceptual model till 1991. Early concept requested by the military includes river crossing capability and installation of M61 Vulcan as anti-air weapon, which were removed due to unnecessity for such long-range weapon.
In 1992, the Ground System Division of United Defense LP (now BAE Systems Land and Armaments) invited members of the ADD for its first M109A6 Paladin release ceremony and expressed interest in participating Korea's self-propelled howitzer program by upgrading K55 to Paladin standard, which was rejected by South Korea.
By late 1990s, internal review showed localization of 107 out of 235 (45.5%) technologies required to build the artillery. After the review, South Korea decided to continue developing domestic main system, main gun, 155 mm ammunition, fire control system, structure, and autoloader. On the other hand, engine, transmission, and INS were chosen to be imported from foreign partners, and license produce hydropneumatic suspension to boost up localization by 70%. The engineers faced biggest challenge on designing main gun and suspension due to lack of experience; while licensing the K55, its main gun was brought as finished product and suspension was produced under knowledge base from the United States.
The turret servo electrohydraulic system is a derive from that of K1 MBT. Automatic fire control system enabled rapid aiming, faster shooting, and improvement to accuracy.
Originally, Air-Log hydropneumatic suspension, which was being used for British AS-90, was chosen for test for license produce, but failed to absorb shock from much bigger 52 caliber gun. Later, South Korea developed domestic hydropneumatic suspension and sold to Britain.
The contract for the K9 artillery system was awarded to Samsung Aerospace Industries on 22 December 1998. The first vehicle was rolled out on 17 December 1999, and was fielded to the Republic of Korea Marine Corps in Yeonpyeongdo.
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Credits: South Korean Ministry of Defence
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