A still shows a K9 howitzer during President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's inspection of the 4th Armoured Division. (Egyptian Presidency)
The Egyptian Army displayed a 155 mm K9 self-propelled howitzer and its associated K10 ammunition vehicle for the first time during an inspection of the 4th Armoured Division by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on 25 October.
The president's office released a video of the event, which was held at a location that could be identified as an inspection ground about 40 km northwest of Suez. Labelled as a K9 A1EGY, the single howitzer was towed past the viewing stand on a trailer after other artillery systems that are in service with the Egyptian military. It did not have unit markings on it like the vehicles that are in service.
The 4th Armoured Division's self-propelled howitzer units were formed up for inspection with their M109 guns. The division also has M1A1 tanks and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, making it one of Egypt's best-equipped formations.
The Egyptian military announced in February 2022 that it had signed a contract under which K9s would be produced jointly by South Korea's Hanwha Defense and Egyptian companies. Hanwha Defense said Egypt would receive an initial batch of K9s made in South Korea from 2024, with the rest being locally produced.
Egyptian Minister of State for Military Production Mohamed Ahmed Morsi said in June 2022 that K9 production was expected to begin in 2023 and that 67% of the components would eventually be produced locally.
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