Seoul signed the largest-ever arms deal in its history with Warsaw last year
Poland’s plan to produce South Korean weapons on its soil is moving forward, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has said. People will be able to appreciate their capabilities during a joint exercise near the Russian border in September, he added.
The production plan was brought up on Thursday during a joint press conference with Blaszczak’s South Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, after the two officials held talks. Warsaw has already purchased billions of dollars’ worth of arms from Seoul. Manufacturing systems in Poland will be part of the “second phase” of military cooperation for the two nations, the Polish minister said.
Poland has procured Korean K2 tanks, Thunder K9 howitzers, training and combat FA-50 fighter jets and K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems. Some examples have already arrived and were demonstrated to the public during a military parade in mid-August, the Polish minister noted.
The weapons will be put on display again in September, when a joint Polish-Korean military exercise dubbed ‘Autumn Fire’ will kick off, the official added.
The drill will take place in the city of Orzysz, some 60 km from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, and will involve some 1,000 troops and 70 pieces of military hardware, according to a preview given earlier this week by the Polish command. A static exhibition showcasing the equipment used by the army, including that purchased from foreign nations, will be part of the event.
Like many other European states, Poland has depleted some of its arms stockpiles to support the Ukrainian army against Russia, and is purchasing replacement hardware. South Korea, which has declined to aid Kiev militarily, has nevertheless marketed its products to other buyers on the continent.
The arms deal struck with Warsaw last year is worth $13.7 billion and is the biggest ever for South Korea. The weapons that Poland wants produced on its soil as part of the arrangement are K2 tanks and K9 howitzers.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, Poland and the Baltic states urged Russian ally Belarus to oust the troops of private military company Wagner Group, which Minsk agreed to host two months ago.
President Alexander Lukashenko reacted on Thursday, stating that those nations should stop deploying foreign troops on their soil. Otherwise their demands sound “unreasonable and stupid,” he said.
