Croatia buys South Korean rocket artillery after HIMARS purchase from the US — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Croatia approved acquisition of 18 K239 Chunmoo multiple-rocket launchers from South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace, valued at approximately €544.1 million ($631.9 million)
- Hanwha Aerospace will supply launchers, ammunition and accompanying equipment, with deliveries to the Croatian military scheduled for 2026 to 2029
- Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Anušić cited relatively short delivery times of 24 to 36 months, better availability, lower prices and openness to industrial cooperation as reasons for choosing the South Korean system
- Poland, Estonia and Norway have also ordered the Chunmoo system, which is considered an alternative to Lockheed Martin's M142 HIMARS
- The South Korean launchers will replace Croatia's outdated Yugoslavia-made M-92 Vulkan and Soviet-designed GRAD BM-21 systems
- Hanwha's Polish partner WB Group will deliver a command-and-control system to connect all components into a single operational unit
- Croatia purchased eight HIMARS launchers from the United States in December 2024 for approximately $351 million, making the Chunmoo deal its second major Western-aligned procurement in recent years
Why it matters: Croatia's €544.1 million Chunmoo buy positions the South Korean system as a faster, cheaper alternative to US HIMARS, with 24-36 month delivery and industrial cooperation cited as decisive factors. Hanwha Aerospace now counts Croatia alongside Poland, Estonia and Norway as European customers explicitly seeking alternatives to Lockheed Martin.
Ask SkimNews
