Poland: to diversify its military equipment, Warsaw signs with South Korea
The South Korean FA-50 supersonic fighter.
© Korean Aerospace Industries
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Faced with the war on its borders, Poland is seeking to renew part of its military equipment while diversifying its sources of armaments.
After the 32 helicopters purchased from the Italian Leonardo in July, Warsaw signed a series of framework contracts for the delivery and production of heavy military equipment with South Korea.
These are battle tanks, howitzers and planes.
Poland will be the first European country to use the FA-50, the South Korean flagship aircraft.
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The 48 copies of the FA-50, produced by
the South Korean
in cooperation with the American Lockheed Martin, should join the Polish fleet this year.
These aircraft are notably intended to replace the Soviet-designed MIG-29s still used by the Polish army, but aging.
They will join the American-made F-16s and F-35s already ordered by Warsaw.
Add to that a thousand K2 battle tanks, as well as 650 howitzers.
Deliveries will continue until 2026. The amount of the contract has not been disclosed.
The South Korean press speaks of 14 billion dollars.
The bill would have doubled
since the war in Ukraine.
“
We are learning lessons from what is happening in Ukraine
e” invaded by Russia, explained to the press the Polish Minister of Defense Mariusz Blaszczak, after the signing of the contracts with representatives of the groups Korea Aerospace Industries and Hyundai.
Time is running out, the Polish army must be equipped
,” he added.
The KAI company, in which the South Korean state is the majority shareholder, sees in this cooperation the possibility of entering the European market with its FA-50.
The group plans to gradually transfer the production of this aircraft to Poland.
The Korean already sees this country as a regional hub for its production in Europe.
"
We will start by producing parts in Poland and, after reaching the order targets, we are thinking of expanding
" the group's activities in this country, Korea Aerospace Industries President Hyunho Ahn told the PAP news agency.
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Defense
Poland
Ukraine
South Korea