Overview
- The U.S. Army announced Tuesday that it awarded Hanwha Defense USA an Other Transaction agreement to deliver six accelerated Mobile Tactical Cannon prototypes with an option for 12 more.
- The initial firm‑fixed‑price action is about $100.3 million and the total agreement has a face value cited at roughly $262.9 million for up to 18 wheeled 155mm self‑propelled howitzers.
- Hanwha will establish a Phase I integration and test site in Opelika, Alabama, to localize assembly, testing and sustainment work and create an initial U.S. industrial footprint.
- Soldiers will run multi‑year operational experiments with the prototypes to assess performance, reliability, sustainment and compatibility with U.S. 155mm munitions, and those results will guide any decision to field MTC to replace some M777 towed guns.
- The award reflects a shift away from large, internally developed cannon programs toward mature, mobile foreign designs; industry estimates suggest much larger future buys but the Army has not set final procurement quantities.