Croatia to Buy 18 K239 Chunmoo Rocket Launchers for €435M

Croatia is preparing to acquire 18 K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems, adding a second long-range rocket platform alongside eight US-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems already under contract. The planned purchase signals a broader shift in Croatian land warfare capabilities: Zagreb is building a dual-source precision fires force that combines US and South Korean systems rather than relying on a single launcher and ammunition supply chain.

The Croatian government is scheduled to consider the acquisition at its September 4 session. The official agenda lists the procurement of Chunmoo self-propelled rocket launchers with supporting equipment and systems, together with authorization for financial commitments for the associated rockets from 2027 through 2029. 

Croatian media reported on September 3 that the package covers 18 launchers and associated rockets for €435.2 million excluding VAT. Most of the equipment is expected to arrive in 2028, with the remainder following by 2029. 

The decision would give Croatia something more consequential than a simple replacement for its aging 122 mm rocket artillery.

Combined with the eight HIMARS systems already ordered from the United States, Chunmoo would give the Croatian Armed Forces a 26-launcher modern rocket artillery fleet built around two separate supply chains and multiple classes of guided ammunition.

Chunmoo changes Croatia's HIMARS equation

Croatia approved its HIMARS acquisition in December 2024. The US package includes eight M142 launchers and M30A2 and M31A2 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System ammunition, with the Croatian Ministry of Defense describing the acquisition as a new capability for effective rocket strikes at medium and long ranges. 

The US notification listed 24 M30A2 rocket pods and 24 M31A2 rocket pods. Each standard pod contains six rockets, giving Croatia a substantial initial stock of guided ammunition for its HIMARS force. 

Adding Chunmoo changes the structure of that future force.

Instead of expanding the HIMARS fleet alone, Croatia appears to be separating its rocket artillery requirements across US and South Korean systems. HIMARS provides a NATO-standard precision fires capability with a mature multinational user base, while Chunmoo provides access to another family of guided rockets and longer-range missiles.

Croatian reporting indicates that the planned Chunmoo package will include ammunition ranging from approximately 30 km to more than 300 km. The exact number and mix of missiles have not been publicly disclosed. 

If the reported ammunition package is confirmed by the government, the most significant element will therefore not be the additional 18 launchers. It will be Croatia's ability to extend land-based precision fires far beyond the range of the GMLRS ammunition currently associated with its HIMARS procurement.

Zagreb is diversifying its missile supply chain

The combination of HIMARS and Chunmoo also addresses an industrial problem exposed across NATO since 2022: ammunition availability matters as much as launcher numbers.

Croatia's existing HIMARS acquisition ties part of its future long-range fires capability to the US Foreign Military Sales system and the American GMLRS ammunition supply chain.

Chunmoo opens a second channel through South Korea and an increasingly Europeanized supply network.

Hanwha Aerospace has been expanding the Chunmoo ecosystem in Europe, particularly through Poland. The company has also pursued European production of guided rockets with Polish industry as demand for long-range fires increases across NATO. 

Croatia is expected to bring another Polish company into its program.

According to Croatian reporting, WB Group would provide the command-and-control component for the Croatian Chunmoo fleet. That would add a Central European integration layer to a system built by South Korea and operated by a NATO member in Southeast Europe. 

The approach mirrors a wider trend in European procurement. Poland has built its long-range fires force around both HIMARS and its localized Homar-K version of Chunmoo, while Estonia has also selected both families of systems.

Norway selected Chunmoo for its long-range precision fires requirement in 2026, ordering 16 launchers after evaluating competing options. Delivery speed and access to longer-range ammunition were among the factors behind Oslo's decision. 

Croatia would extend that trend into Southeast Europe.

26 modern launchers reshape Croatian land forces

The scale of the planned fleet is notable for a military of Croatia's size.

Eight HIMARS and 18 Chunmoo systems would provide 26 modern wheeled rocket launchers once both programs reach operational service.

The two acquisitions together also represent a major financial commitment. Croatia's government previously approved obligations of approximately €262.2 million excluding applicable VAT for the HIMARS procurement, while the reported Chunmoo package is valued at €435.2 million excluding VAT. 

That puts the launcher programs alone at roughly €697 million before applicable VAT, although their scope and included ammunition packages differ and the figures should not be treated as a direct unit-cost comparison.

The more important change is operational.

Croatia's existing BM-21 Grad and M92 Vulkan systems belong to an older generation of 122 mm multiple rocket launchers. Replacing that layer with HIMARS and Chunmoo moves Croatian artillery toward guided, networked and substantially longer-range fires.

It also changes what the Croatian Army can contribute to NATO.

A force built around 26 modern launchers could support alliance operations beyond Croatia's national requirements, particularly if Zagreb maintains adequate ammunition stocks, targeting capabilities, intelligence support and trained crews.

Launchers alone do not create a deep-strike capability. Sensors, targeting data, command-and-control networks, communications and sustained missile inventories determine whether long-range fires can be employed effectively.

The reported involvement of WB Group therefore deserves almost as much attention as the launcher selection itself.

Croatia joins Europe's shift toward South Korean missiles

The Croatian decision would also represent another expansion of South Korea's position in the European defense market.

Hanwha Aerospace has already established Chunmoo as a European competitor to US long-range rocket artillery through major contracts with Poland and subsequent orders elsewhere in NATO.

Norway signed a contract worth approximately $922 million with Hanwha Aerospace in February 2026 for Chunmoo launchers, missiles and associated support. Hanwha has also outlined plans for guided-rocket production in Poland, further reducing the distinction between a South Korean system and a European defense-industrial supply chain. 

For Croatia, that industrial geography matters.

The country is not abandoning the United States as a missile supplier. It is adding South Korea while potentially integrating Polish command-and-control technology.

That creates a future Croatian rocket force with American, South Korean and European components.

This is the more significant strategic angle behind the planned purchase.

Croatia is moving from aging short-range rocket artillery toward a diversified precision-fires architecture in a single modernization cycle. HIMARS establishes the US-linked layer, while Chunmoo potentially adds greater launcher capacity, another ammunition family and access to strikes beyond 300 km if the reported missile configuration receives final approval.

The September 4 government decision should clarify the financial structure of the program. Further contract details will be needed to establish the exact ammunition mix, delivery schedule and configuration of Croatia's 18 systems.

How many K239 Chunmoo systems is Croatia buying?

Croatian reporting indicates that the government plans to acquire 18 K239 Chunmoo launchers with associated rockets for €435.2 million excluding VAT. The Croatian government's September 4 agenda officially confirms that a Chunmoo procurement decision and associated rocket financing are scheduled for consideration. 

Is Croatia replacing HIMARS with Chunmoo?

No. Croatia has already contracted eight M142 HIMARS launchers from the United States. Chunmoo would create an additional rocket artillery capability, giving the Croatian Armed Forces a future fleet of 26 modern launchers across the two systems. 

How far can Croatia's Chunmoo missiles reach?

Croatian reporting indicates that the planned ammunition package covers ranges from approximately 30 km to more than 300 km. The Croatian government has not yet publicly released the detailed missile inventory, so the exact types and quantities should remain unconfirmed until official documentation or the contract provides them. 

Why would Croatia operate both HIMARS and Chunmoo?

Operating both gives Croatia access to separate US and South Korean ammunition ecosystems while increasing launcher numbers and potentially adding longer-range strike options. The tradeoff is greater complexity in training, maintenance, logistics and ammunition management.