Seoul, Sep 27 (IANS): South Korea has produced the first homegrown engine for the country's K9 self-propelled howitzer after a yearslong development project, the state arms procurement agency said Friday.

The move comes after the country began the 32.16 billion won (US$24.5 million) project in 2021, involving STX Engine Co., Hanwha Aerospace Co. and others, as part of efforts to reduce reliance on foreign defence parts, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), reported Yonhap news agency.

The K9, produced by Hanwha Aerospace, has been powered by a German MTU engine, built by STX Engine under a license.

DAPA said the homegrown engine will be more cost-efficient and have improved performance. It is also expected to help efforts to export the K9 as it would not need to undergo extra approval procedures required for components of foreign origin.

The K9 has been exported to various countries, including Australia, Egypt, India, Norway and Poland.

Nine countries -- Australia, Norway, Finland, Estonia, India, Turkey, Egypt and Poland -- are currently on contract for the K9 howitzer.

According to the company, the platform requires three crew members, has a “fully automatic” ammunition handling system and an autoloader able to fire nine rounds per minute beyond the 40-km range.

The K9 is a 155mm/52 calibre self-propelled howitzer. It can carry up to 48 projectiles and can fire six rounds per minute with a range of 60km (37 miles). Since its introduction in 1999, the K9 has become one of the South Korean defence industry’s biggest exports, accounting for over half of howitzer orders worldwide.