September the 4th, 2026 – Croatia is set to purchase a powerful Korean rocket system, with the first talks between the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia (MORH) and the South Korean Ministry of Defence on military cooperation actually having begun a year ago.
The government will adopt a decision on the purchase of 18 self-propelled multiple rocket launchers Chunmoo K239, with the accompanying rockets, for 435.2 million euros excluding VAT. As Krešimir Žabec learns for Jutarnji list, with this system Croatia will obtain rockets with a range from 30 to more than 300 kilometres, including ballistic missiles for deterrence.
procurement details
It’s currently expected that Defence Minister Ivan Anušić will soon sign a contract with the South Korean company Hanwha Aerospace. Cooperation will also be contracted with the Polish company WB Group, which will install the command-and-control system (C2). Poslovni reports that according to available information, 85 percent of the contracted system will be delivered by 2028. Payment is planned in the period from 2026 to 2029. As touched on above, the first talks between MORH and the South Korean Ministry of Defence on military cooperation actually began a year ago. Back at the end of 2024, Croatia contracted the purchase of eight HIMARS systems with the United States, but the US, due to the needs of its own army, suspended the delivery of 300-kilometre-range rockets to allies, while a sales ban applies to those with a range of 500 kilometres.
Because of this, Croatia opted for a solution that has already been chosen by Poland, Norway and Estonia. Compared with HIMARS, Chunmoo also offers twice the firepower because it has two rocket containers with a total of 12 rockets, while HIMARS has one with six. Support for the purchase was also given by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and President Zoran Milanović. Two months ago in Ankara, after the NATO summit, Milanović announced the acquisition of new armaments as a response to Serbia’s purchase of the Israeli PULS system. “We will have to counter that as a state in some way, by equipping ourselves with something similar,” he said at the time.
training and the technical parts
The Chunmoo K239 system consists of a mobile launcher on a truck, a fire-control system and a communication system. Its key advantage is the possibility of using different types of rockets from standardised modular containers. It is the only operational system of this type that can simultaneously use rockets of different calibres on the same launcher.
The commander in the field can thus at any moment fire a rocket adapted to the mission, without the need for modifications. For example, four 280 mm rockets can be placed in one container, and six guided 239 mm rockets in the other. If the most powerful ballistic missile CTM-290 of 600 mm calibre, with a range greater than 300 kilometres, is used, one such projectile is placed in one container. Its trajectory after launch reaches an altitude of between 25 and 40 kilometres before diving towards the target.
The rate of fire depends on the calibre. The system can fire 12 guided 239 mm rockets in less than a minute. The entire system is operated by a three-member crew. The contract covers the launchers and rockets, logistical support and training lasting six weeks. 100 soldiers will be needed to operate all 18 launchers. The largest part of the system will be delivered in 2028, and at this moment it is a secret where it will be stationed within the ranks of the Croatian Army.
