Croatia signs for 18 Chunmoo K239 launchers worth €435.2m
Hanwha will deliver 18 Chunmoo K239 launchers by 2029; WB Electronics to provide C2 integration and technology cooperation is planned.
Croatia signed contracts on 10 September 2026 with South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace to buy 18 self-propelled Chunmoo K239 multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) worth €435.2 million excluding VAT, the defence minister announced at a ceremony where the deals were finalised.
New strike capability and industrial links
According to the agreement, Hanwha Aerospace must deliver the launchers by 2029. The Croatian government highlighted the system's ability to fire rockets of different calibres, its operational flexibility, strong firepower and very short reaction time.
The purchase will be complemented by a separate contract with the Polish company WB Electronics to provide and integrate a command-and-control system for the launchers. The Croatian authorities said the Chunmoo complements already-ordered HIMARS systems, will extend range and firepower, diversify supply lines and bolster deterrence.
“Together with the Rafales it will be the strike and most powerful force of the Croatian Army,” Defence Minister Ivan Anušić said at the signing. He stressed the deal is not a one-way buyer–seller relationship and that the Croatian company Končar will take part in project implementation.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the new weaponry gives Croatia capabilities it does not currently have and never had before. The government also noted that Norway, Estonia and Poland have already acquired the Chunmoo launchers, with Poland producing rockets for the system.
Bu-Hwan Lee, chairman of Hanwha, said the company wants “to continue and deepen cooperation with Croatia” and will “focus on transfer of technology and knowledge,” calling Croatia a “long-term partner.” South Korea’s defence minister, An Gyu-bek, described the sale as being “carefully followed” at home and as the “culmination” of cooperation between the two countries. A memorandum of understanding between the Croatian and South Korean Ministries of Defence was also signed in Zagreb.
Photo: press material from the event
