As part of the biggest military export deal in its history, South Korea agreed to sell Poland about 1,000 K2 tanks, as well as 648 self-propelled howitzers and 48 FA-50 fighter jets, while the governments of Seoul and Warsaw expressed hope. for more security. cooperation.

The deal was signed on July 27 and the transaction value is around 20 trillion won (15 billion euros. – Red.), although the exact amount has not yet been agreed, as negotiations continue on the licensed production of tanks and howitzers in Poland.

However, the first batch of 180 K2 tanks are scheduled to be delivered to the Polish military this year, and analysts say they more than made up for the 240 Soviet-style combat vehicles Poland has already supplied to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion.

“We want peace, so we must prepare for war. The Polish armed forces must be so strong that the aggressor cannot decide to attack,” Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said at the ceremony. contract signing. The politician pointed out that Korean weapons were the most suitable for Poland “taking into account the technology, price and time required for their development”. This agreement is “only the first stage of cooperation between the two countries”, added Blaschak.

What is driving South Korean defense exports?

South Korea sold $7 billion worth of weapons last year, a record for the country. This year, that figure should reach US$ 10 billion.

The government and defense manufacturers are interested in increasing foreign sales to generate funds that can be used to develop more advanced weapons and strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading weapons manufacturers.

KAI T-50 is significantly cheaper than Americans

In turn, foreign countries consider South Korean military equipment to be reliable and technologically advanced, but not as expensive as systems developed by other countries, in particular the United States. For example, the KAI T-50 fighter (another name for the FA-50) will likely cost around $30 million, which is significantly cheaper than the American F-35 (at least $77 million in the base configuration) . Red.).

Full details of the deal with Poland have not been released, but the purchase of such a lot is expected to give Warsaw the opportunity to maneuver around the final price.

The deal also includes lucrative licenses to manufacture tanks and howitzers in Poland, while Korea Aerospace Industries hopes to set up a maintenance and repair facility in Poland. It also intends to open an FA-50 pilot training school to show the aircraft to more potential buyers in Europe.

weapons record

Being close to North Korea, a warlike nuclear-armed neighbor, South Korean developers have earned a good reputation for the quality of the weapons they produce.

The K2 Black Panther tank weighs 54 tons, has a 120 mm autoloading main gun, composite armor and built-in missile defense systems. Maximum off-road speed is 50 kilometers per hour, cruising range is 450 kilometers. The possibility of acquiring tanks, which are the base of the South Korean armed forces, is being considered by Norway and Egypt.

The K9 Thunder is a self-propelled howitzer with a range of up to 40 km and a rate of fire of up to eight rounds per minute. It weighs 47 tonnes and has already been sold to Estonia, Norway, Poland, Turkey, Finland, Australia and India.

K9 Thunder – the best-selling South Korean artillery system

Finally, Poland is acquiring the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic jet fighter aircraft, jointly developed by Korea Aerospace Industries and Lockheed Martin of the United States. Although not the most modern fighter, it can carry out combat, reconnaissance and training tasks, and its top speed is 1,837 kilometers per hour.

Exceptional quality and competitive price

The first FA-50 aircraft are expected to arrive in Poland in early 2023. According to Blaszczak, they will replace the fleet of Russian-made MiG fighter jets in the Polish Air Force, for which it is currently impossible to obtain spare parts.

“The quality and competitiveness of South Korea’s defense companies is exceptional, and the Polish government clearly recognizes this,” said Park Jung-won, a law professor at South Korea’s Dankuk University.

“Our country has faced so many military problems over the years that the weapons our army uses must be very good. Poland considers them, in fact, field-tested,” he said.

While the Seoul government is certainly sympathetic to Ukraine’s plight, Park Joon Won said it cannot directly supply lethal weapons to Kyiv. The best thing in this case is to replenish and renew the reserves of a neighbor who has already come to the aid of Ukraine.

A new leader in defense exports?

To date, South Korean combat aircraft – both planes and helicopters – are operated by the Philippines, Iraq, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, Senegal and Peru. Interest in some of them is shown by Argentina, Malaysia, Colombia and India.

Warships and submarines launched from South Korean shipyards serve in the Thai, Philippine and New Zealand navies, while tankers were built for the armed forces of Great Britain and Norway.

The K9 Thunder is the best-selling South Korean land artillery system. It was purchased in India, Australia, Egypt and Norway. Several other countries are interested in acquiring these weapons, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Romania, and the United Kingdom.

The K2 tank has also been sold to Oman and serves as the basis for the Turkish Altay tank, and Australia is testing a variant of the K21 infantry fighting vehicle, with Canberra aiming to buy at least 450 units to replace its aging armored vehicles. It is not the most advanced machine in the world, but it is competitive in price and of good quality.

For those countries that constantly have to compromise between cost and efficiency, South Korean weapons are considered a good choice.