As part of the deal, South Korean defense company Hanwha is also to make investments in Estonia's defense industry, expected to bring in €40–60 million to Estonia over the next decade.

The Chunmoos are expected in-country within two years and the deal also includes operational and training support.

The Ministry of Defense announced in October the plans to acquire Chunmoo rocket launchers to enhance deep strike capabilities, which would give Estonia options to strike an adversary deep within its own territory, and based on the lessons drawn from the war in Ukraine.

Additional units, as well as the six already on order, may also be added in the future, and Chunmoo's range capabilities may also be boosted.

"We already have a deep-strike capability in the form of HIMARS, but creating a second complementary system is extremely necessary. Chunmoo's range is up to 300 kilometers, and they are working to extend it further to 500 kilometers," Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform) told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

While the lengthy delivery times in the defense sector have been a concern for some time, according to Pevkur, Estonia's procurements have largely stayed on schedule, even as there have been some individual delays.

One such delay concerns another system, the medium-range air infrared imaging system tail/thrust vector-controlled (IRIS-T), due to arrive in April.

"Under the original plan, it could have arrived by the end of this year, but since there is a war going on in Ukraine, the German government asked whether we could grant our system quickly to the Ukrainians and then take an additional half-year delay, and we agreed, as the Ukrainians need it more right now," Pevkur explained.

While Chunmoo and HIMARS, particularly when firing MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, are similar in range, a major difference lies in launcher system types, Billy Boo Hwan Lee, head of the precision-guided munitions business at Hanwha, told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

"Compared to HIMARS, there's only one pod. We're using two pods. It means we are to double capacity. We are using, for example, on the left side, an 80-kilometer, and on the right side, 290-kilometer-range missiles. We are also using dual-use. It means we are providing faster operational capability," Hwan Lee said.

Meelis Laanemets, head of the division fire support section, also noted Chunmoo's greater firepower, which makes it heavier. "At the same time, HIMARS is much lighter and has high strategic mobility," Laanemets said.

Training on the two systems is broadly similar, and missile artillery personnel should eventually be bilingual in both systems, Laanemets noted.

South Korean personnel are also assisting with Chunmoo training.

Poland is another customer of Chunmoo, and the company has upped its output to meet demand.

"We had to change and transfer our current processing line, to add to our double capacity. We have on-time delivery capability. In the case of Poland, we delivered more than one thousand missiles in one year," Hwan Lee added.

Estonia already procured K9 self-propelled howitzers from Hanwha Aerospace, with 36 units expected by the end of next year. The country is expanding its defense capabilities by spending over €10 billion between 2026 and 2029 on air defense, deep-strike systems, and ammunition. A proposal has also been made to Hanwha to establish a service and spare parts center in Estonia. Additionally, Estonia plans a defense industry park near Pärnu, with South Korean involvement in local component production and ammunition manufacturing.

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