A still photo of the K9 A1 EGY howitzer during a military exercise, taken from a video posted by the Egyptian Armed Forces Spokesperson
The update came during a Tuesday meeting between Minister of State for Military Production Mohamed Salah El-Din Mostafa and Bang Guck-cheol, head of the Current Capabilities Programme Agency at South Korea’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), on the sidelines of the Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX 2025).
The talks highlighted the continued expansion of the Egyptian–South Korean defence partnership, which both sides say is supported at the highest political levels.
According to the ministry, Minister Mostafa described the new manufacturing line as a strategic step toward localizing advanced defence industries and deepening high-tech cooperation with Seoul. He said the discussions reflected a shared desire to advance a long-term industrial partnership, noting recent high-level exchanges between the two countries.
He praised the strong presence of South Korean companies at EDEX 2025 and said he was keen to explore further areas of cooperation.
Guck-cheol, for his part, commended the ministry’s exhibits and its focus on innovation, research, and industrial localization. He highlighted the engineering and manufacturing capabilities of Egypt’s military production companies and expressed hope that this year’s exhibition would yield new agreements with South Korean firms. He also noted the strong organization of EDEX 2025, saying Korean companies prioritise participating due to the exhibition’s global profile.
Egypt and South Korea have significantly expanded their defence-industrial cooperation over the past three years, driven by shared strategic interests and efforts to localize advanced manufacturing.
A key milestone was Egypt’s decision to acquire and locally produce the K9 self-propelled howitzer, making it the first African and Middle Eastern country to operate and co-manufacture the system.
In February 2022, Egypt signed a major agreement with Hanwha Aerospace to procure K9 howitzers and establish local production capabilities within the Ministry of Military Production’s factories. The deal, estimated at more than $1.6 billion, includes technology transfer, training, and a dedicated production line for the customized K9 A1 EGY variant.
The K9 Thunder, produced by Hanwha under DAPA oversight, is widely used by NATO and Asian militaries. The Egyptian version incorporates local subsystems and manufacturing inputs.
The new production line aligns with Egypt’s strategic goal of boosting defence self-sufficiency, expanding export capacity, and integrating advanced manufacturing technology into the domestic industry.
EDEX has become one of the region’s major defence exhibitions, with more than 450 companies from over 40 countries participating in the 2025 edition. South Korea remains one of the event’s strongest Asian contributors, viewing Egypt as a strategic market and potential regional hub for defence technology.
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