South Korea has signed a deal to export K9 self-propelled howitzers to Egypt.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration(DAPA) said on Tuesday that Hanwha Defense, the Korean manufacturer, and Egypt’s defense ministry signed the deal that day in Cairo.
It also marks the country’s first export of the weapon to Africa, with Egypt becoming the ninth country, including South Korea, to adopt the K9. The two trillion-won contract is the largest K9 export deal to date.
The DAPA said that the deal is the fruit of negotiations between Hanwha and the defense ministry of Egypt that continued for over ten years.
It added that President Moon Jae-in’s summit talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi last month helped create momentum for the conclusion of the deal.
Korea’s arms procurement agency and Egypt’s defense ministry also signed a memorandum of understanding in Cairo on bilateral cooperation in defense research and development.