Hanwha Aerospace has been selected to develop prototypes for a U.S. Army program to introduce wheeled self-propelled artillery systems, paving the way for a potential contract worth up to 10 trillion won ($7.1 billion), the company said Wednesday. The deal marks the first time a Korean defense company has secured a U.S. military program involving a complete weapons system, a significant milestone for Korea's defense industry as it seeks to expand exports to the world's largest defense market. According to Hanwha Aerospace, its U.S. subsidiary, Hanwha Defense USA, has signed an agreement with the U.S. Army to supply six prototype systems for the Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program, with an option for 12 additional systems. The Army awarded the firm-fixed-price agreement through a competitive process under its Other Transaction Authority, a procurement mechanism designed to accelerate the development and acquisition of innovative defense capabilities. The agreement has a total cumulative value of $262.9 million, including $100.3 million for the initial award. The Army plans to conduct rap