Hanwha Aerospace has officially broken ground on a new armoured vehicle production facility in Petrești, Dâmbovița County, marking a significant step in the company’s long-term expansion into Europe and Romania’s effort to strengthen its domestic defence manufacturing base.
The new facility, named the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE) Europe, will serve as the company’s first production site on the continent. The plant is designed to anchor Hanwha Aerospace’s long-term partnership with Romania while supporting the country’s broader ambitions to enhance its role within the European and NATO defence industrial ecosystem.
Senior Romanian officials attended the groundbreaking ceremony, including Presidential Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy Marius-Gabriel Lazurca, Vice Prime Minister Barna Tanczos, Minister of Economy Ambrozie-Irineu Darău, and Dâmbovița County Council President Corneliu Ştefan. Yong-chul Lee, Minister of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, was also present.
Jae-il Son, President and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, described the project as more than a construction milestone.
“Today’s groundbreaking represents more than the construction of a production facility. It is the foundation for Hanwha Aerospace Romania’s evolution into a truly Romanian defence company and a strategic platform for long-term defence cooperation between our two countries,” Son said.
He added that the site is expected to become a core European production hub for land systems, supported by technology transfer and close cooperation with local industry. “We are committed to integrating Romania as a key pillar of the global defence supply chain,” he said.
Strategic Industrial Investment
The Petrești facility will cover approximately 181,055 square metres. It will include advanced assembly lines, performance and validation testing facilities, a 1,751-metre driving test track, and dedicated research and development laboratories. The site is designed to support the full lifecycle of land systems, from development and production to sustainment.
Initially, H-ACE Europe will focus on the local production of the K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer and the K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle. The facility will provide assembly, integration, testing and lifecycle support, with a localisation target of up to 80 percent through participation by Romanian industry.
Over time, the site could expand to support additional advanced 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 a future infantry fighting vehicle programme could generate up to 2,000 direct and indirect jobs, contributing to local employment and strengthening Romania’s industrial base.
Long-Term Localisation Strategy
Beyond production, Hanwha Aerospace is working with more than 30 Romanian industry partners as part of its long-term localisation strategy. The company said it aims to support skills development, technology transfer and the integration of Romanian firms into its global supply chain.
Son emphasized that the company’s vision extends beyond equipment supply.
“Hanwha Aerospace is committed to working alongside Romania so that it can grow not only as a buyer, but as a producer, seller and exporter within the global defence market. ‘Made in Romania’ will be at the heart of our approach,” he said.
In July 2024, Hanwha Aerospace signed a contract with Romania to supply 54 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K10 ammunition resupply vehicles. With the deal, Romania became the tenth member of the K9 User Club and the sixth NATO member state to operate the 155mm/52-calibre K9 system.
