Article body
Hanwha Aerospace Co., a South Korean defense firm, signed a deal on Thursday to export 18 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems to Croatia in an arms contract worth approximately 640 billion won ($477 million), according to the state arms procurement agency.
The 410 million-euro contract marks the first major arms deal between the two countries, opening up avenues for greater partnership beyond arms exports, such as industrial cooperation and military logistics support, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration stated in a release.
Croatia has become the fourth European country to acquire the Chunmoo system, following Poland, Estonia, and Norway. The Chunmoo rocket launchers are a major South Korean artillery system designed primarily to counter North Korea's long-range artillery and multiple rocket launchers. They have an operational range of up to 80 kilometers and are capable of executing both targeted precision strikes and cluster attacks to eliminate enemy targets over a wide area.
The signing ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, among other officials from both governments and Hanwha. "The Chunmoo system will significantly boost Croatia's defense capability and serve as an opportunity to expand and further deepen cooperation between our two countries in the defense and security domains," Ahn stated during the ceremony.
Separately, Ahn and Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anusic signed a memorandum of understanding on defense partnership, which will provide an institutional framework for the two countries to advance defense ties through regular working-level dialogue and other channels, according to Seoul's defense ministry.