Poland has signed a $2.6 billion contract with South Korea to buy 150 more K9 self-propelled howitzers, the government in Warsaw announced on Friday, Reuters and Agerpres reported.

According to the agreement signed with the South Korean company Hanwha Defense, six K9 howitzers will be delivered in 2025, and the rest, from the K9PL version, which will be manufactured in Poland, in 2026-2027. The contract also includes a training and logistical package, as well as the provision of a significant supply of 155 mm shells.

This contract is in addition to Poland’s already concluded purchase of 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers, some of which will be produced in the K9PL version in Poland, where the infrastructure for maintenance, repair and modernization will also be created. this equipment.

• Poland buys K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers from South Korea

A neighboring country and a strong supporter of Ukraine in the war with Russia, Poland will allocate 4% of GDP to defense this year, that is, twice more than the 2% required by NATO.

Poland concluded contracts for the mass purchase of weapons

Since the beginning of this war, Poland has concluded numerous contracts for massive weapons purchases, especially with the United States and South Korea. Under one of these contracts, Washington in late August approved the sale of 96 Apache attack helicopters to the Polish army for $12 billion.

Other major US arms contracts were signed for 32 F-35 fighter jets, 366 Abrams tanks and Patriot anti-aircraft systems.

In South Korea, the Polish army will purchase about a thousand K2 Black Panther tanks, 50 FA-50 fighters and 288 K239 multiple rocket launchers.

Poland also signed a contract worth about 2.2 billion euros for the purchase of anti-aircraft missiles with the British division of the European arms manufacturer MBDA, as well as a contract worth about 1.4 billion euros for four Norwegian Kongsberg anti-ship missile systems.