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15h ago

U.S. Army Accepts First Hanwha XM1776 Mobile Howitzer Prototype

The delivery begins accelerated testing and U.S. onshoring for a wheeled 155mm system the Army aims to have ready by 2031, signaling a shift from towed to self‑propelled artillery.

Hanwha’s K9 Mobile Howitzer can fire 155mm artillery rounds nearly twice as far as the Army’s current M777.
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This photo captured from Hanwha Defense USA's social media account shows company executives and military officials at a naming ceremony for the XM1776, the U.S. version of Hanwha Aerospace's K9 self-propelled howitzer, held at the Association of the U.S. Army's 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington on Oct. 12, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • The Army accepted its first Hanwha-built Mobile Tactical Cannon prototype, formally designated XM1776, on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, at the Association of the United States Army conference.
  • The prototype was procured through a four-year Other Transaction Authority prototyping agreement worth up to about $263 million that covers up to 18 systems for rapid prototyping, testing, and Soldier experimentation.
  • Hanwha says the Army has ordered nine prototypes with an option for nine more, while earlier contract language called for six accelerated prototypes with options for 12 additional systems.
  • The XM1776 is a wheeled variant derived from Hanwha’s K9 family that offers greater range, higher burst rates and an automated loader that lets crew operate from inside the vehicle, improving shoot‑and‑scoot survivability compared with the towed M777.
  • Hanwha is opening a U.S. integration and test site in Opelika, Alabama, testing and Soldier evaluations are imminent, and the Army is running parallel efforts for a tracked MTC variant and propulsion work to extend 155mm range toward long‑range targets.