Hanwha Aerospace has started building a European manufacturing hub in Romania to produce K9 self-propelled howitzers and K10 ammunition resupply vehicles.
The new facility, named H-ACE (Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence) Europe, will be located in Petrești.
It will cover roughly 181,000 square meters (1.9 million square feet) and will feature advanced assembly lines, testing and validation facilities, and a 1,751-meter (5,744-foot) driving test track.
Hanwha plans to provide full life-cycle support, including assembly, integration, testing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul, aiming to raise local production to 80 percent through Romanian industrial participation.
Construction of H-ACE Europe follows a 2024 contract in which Romania ordered 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 vehicles.
With the new facility, Hanwha expects to expand its European footprint, develop infantry fighting vehicles, long-range precision strike systems, and unmanned ground vehicles, while integrating more than 30 Romanian industrial partners into global supply chains.
Defense Manufacturing Investments in Romania
Romania has attracted several defense manufacturing investments by foreign companies in recent years, reflecting broader efforts to expand its domestic industry.
In 2022, German firm Rheinmetall opened a facility near Bucharest to assemble K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers under a contract with the armed forces.
That plant includes integration and sustainment capabilities designed to support hundreds of vehicles over their lifecycle and bolster Romania’s mechanized forces.
The year after, Elbit Systems entered into a partnership with Romanian state-owned Romarm to create an artillery production facility, which will facilitate technological transfer, specifically in the production, assembly, and integration of 155mm ATMOS advanced mobile howitzers.
The facility aims to boost sovereign artillery production, generate employment opportunities, and position Romania as a regional artillery hub.
