Hanwha Aerospace delivered a total of 126 Homar-K (the export name for Chunmoo) systems to Poland after 2 years and 7 months since the first contract in December 2022. Compared to competitors like the U.S. Lockheed Martin’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which takes 4 to 7 years for delivery, this is being evaluated as a ‘super speed delivery.’
According to the defense industry on the 27th, Hanwha Aerospace delivered 9 Homar-K missile launch modules on the 24th (local time). With this, the cumulative number of Homar-K systems reached a total of 126.
Hanwha Aerospace signed a supply contract for a total of 290 Chunmoo systems with the Polish government in July 2022 (first contract for 218 systems) and April of last year (second contract for 72 systems). Hanwha Aerospace aimed to deliver the first batch by 2027 but plans to complete it early this year, approximately 2 years ahead of schedule.
The products exported by Hanwha Aerospace are the launcher modules of the Chunmoo that fires the missiles. These modules are assembled with Jelcz trucks, fire control systems, and radios produced locally in Poland. Currently, it is reported that the Polish military has deployed at least 80 Homar-K systems to military bases.
The Homar-K launcher can carry a total of 12 rockets, making it more powerful than HIMARS, which can carry 6 rockets. It has a maximum speed of 80 km/h and can fire the first round within 7 minutes after arriving at the firing location.
The Chunmoo is gaining attention as an alternative due to delays in the supply of HIMARS. Poland, which ordered 20 HIMARS systems in 2019, took 4 years to receive all of them. Romania contracted for 54 HIMARS systems in February 2018 but did not receive them all until last year. Consequently, countries like Romania, Saudi Arabia, Estonia, Australia, and Indonesia are considering introducing the Chunmoo as they seek faster delivery.
Poland feels security threats due to the war between Russia and Ukraine that broke out in 2022. Poland shares a border with Ukraine to the west, raising concerns that it could be the next target. This sentiment is spreading to other countries in Europe.
German Army Chief of Staff Carsten Breuer stated in an interview with BBC on the 1st (local time), ‘Russia produces hundreds of tanks every year. A significant number of them could be used to attack NATO member states in the Baltic Sea by 2029 or earlier. It is a very threatening situation.’