Hanwha Aerospace breaks ground on armoured vehicle plant in Romania
South Korean defence group Hanwha Aerospace has broken ground on a new armoured vehicle production facility in Romania, marking the company’s first manufacturing site in Europe.
The new facility, named Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) Europe, is located in Petrești, Dâmbovița County.
According to the company, the site will cover approximately 181,055 square metres and include assembly lines, performance and validation testing facilities, a 1,751-metre driving test track and dedicated R&D laboratories. The plant is intended to support the full lifecycle of land systems, from development and production to sustainment, a press release reads.
H-ACE Europe will initially support local production of the K9 self-propelled Howitzer and the K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle. Hanwha Aerospace states that the facility will provide assembly, integration, testing and lifecycle support capabilities, with a target of achieving up to 80% localisation through participation of Romanian industry.
In July 2024, Hanwha Aerospace signed a contract with Romania for the supply of 54 K9 self-propelled Howitzers and 36 K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicles.
The company states that the site may in the future be expanded to support additional land systems, including infantry fighting vehicles, long-range precision strike systems and multi-purpose unmanned ground vehicles. Hanwha Aerospace Romania estimates that a potential expansion linked to an infantry fighting vehicle programme could create up to 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Hanwha Aerospace says it is currently cooperating with more than 30 Romanian partners as part of its localisation strategy. Hanwha Aerospace Romania was established in 2025 as a Romanian subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace to support industrial cooperation, localisation and defence capability development in Romania and across Europe.
