Poland to Purchase with K-Defense Package Deal

About 30 K-2 Black Panther tanks and 10 K-200 armored vehicles were deployed in this training.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Poland is set to purchase a package deal of Korea's leading defense products: the FA-50 light attack aircraft, K2 tank, and K9 self-propelled howitzer. Poland plans to sign a framework agreement with South Korea within this month and establish a long-term export contract. The framework refers to a specific contract for weapon imports based on Poland's mid- to long-term military power plans, which is more concrete than a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

To finalize this contract, officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration visited Poland last February, and in May, Mariusz Błaszczak, Poland's Minister of National Defence, personally visited South Korea to tour local factories of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Hanwha Defense, and Hyundai Rotem.

The biggest beneficiary of the framework contract with Poland is the K2 tank. Poland is requesting an initial urgent supply of 180 units (by 2025), 480 units with performance upgrades (by 2030), and 340 units for follow-up projects (after 2031). This is the largest volume in the history of tank exports, with a contract value exceeding 10 trillion KRW. The K9 self-propelled howitzer is also significant; Poland has requested delivery of 670 units by 2030, amounting to about 6 trillion KRW. Including the FA-50 light attack aircraft, the industry expects exports to approach 40 trillion KRW.

Poland's active pursuit of domestically produced tanks is due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Although Belarus serves as a buffer zone between Russia and Poland, Poland, as a frontline country, suffers from intense war fears.

Relations with neighboring Germany are also strained, as Poland endured numerous atrocities by Nazi Germany during World War II. German containment remains. European countries have launched the MGCS (Main Ground Combat System) project to develop a common next-generation tank. Germany aimed to replace the Leopard 2 series, and France the Leclerc series. Poland, which had been using German tanks, wanted to participate in this project, but Germany refused. Germany was displeased with Poland using tanks equivalent to its own. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel deepened the rift by criticizing Polish President Andrzej Duda and the ruling party as a dictatorship and human rights oppressors.

Industry experts evaluate that targeting gaps in the European market will make achieving this year's defense export goal of 10 billion USD feasible. South Korea is expected to enter the world's top five in the international defense market, standing alongside traditional defense powers such as the United States, Russia, France, and Germany.

In particular, expectations are high for the conclusion of export deals such as Norway's next-generation tank project (worth 1.7 billion USD) by the end of this year, Australia's next-generation armored vehicle (Redback, valued between 5 to 7.5 billion USD), and FA-50 light attack aircraft exports to Malaysia and Colombia (totaling over 1.7 billion USD).