Poland buying Korean made MLRS, continuing Seoul spending spree

WARSAW — Poland on Wednesday accepted the first batch of its new South Korean-made tanks and howitzers at a ceremony in Seoul, while signing yet another weapons deal with local industry — after key Polish officials were blocked from attending due to what seems to be a power play by China.

The Polish government delegation, led by Mariusz Błaszczak, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, planned to make the visit on Oct. 17, to participate in the delivery ceremony for the first K2 Black Panther tanks and K9A1 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, and sign a new K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery system supply contract. According to Poland’s official statement, the trip was cancelled because of technical malfunction of the aircraft.

But Polish website onet.pl, citing the Korean television station SBS News and the Yonhap agency, said the visit was canceled after the Chinese government refused to allow a Polish aircraft to pass through Chinese airspace.

“The round-trip times would be too long for Polish government planes,” an anonymous government official told SBS News. The broadcaster believes China’s blocking of the flight may be related to Poland’s favorable policy towards Taiwan, including a recent agreement between the countries to set up a working group on semiconductors.

While Błaszczak would not make it, two days later on Oct. 19 the ceremony did happen, attended by personnel from the Polish embassy in Seoul.

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According to the spokesman of the Polish Armaments Agency, Lt. Col. Krzysztof Płatek, 10 K2s and 24 K9A1s will be delivered to Poland later this year, which will allow the start of staff training in Poland.

Black Panthers will be equipped with Korean engines and German gears, while the Thunders will be equipped with German engines and American gears as well as some Polish components, including the integrated Topaz combat management system.

The first K2 tanks will be delivered to Morąg, where the 20th Bartoszyce Mechanized Brigade is based. In turn, in Ostróda, an additional tank battalion will be created, subordinated to this brigade. Ultimately, the 16th Division is planned to consist of four brigades, as it is planned to transform into a part of the 11th Masurian Artillery Regiment, which will also receive the first batch of K9A1 howitzers. (Currently, the 16th Division consists of seven units: 9th Armored Cavalry Brigade, 15th Mechanized Brigade, 20th Mechanized Brigade, 11th Artillery Regiment, 15th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, 16th Logistics Regiment and 9th Command Battalion.)

Poland’s MND signed executive contracts for the supply of K2 Black Panther tanks and K9A1 Thunder self-propelled howitzers on August 26 this year. For 180 K2 tanks in the Korean configuration, together with the ammunition, training and logistics package, Poland will pay approximately PLN 16 billion ($3.26 billion), with deliveries to be completed by 2025. And the cost of purchasing 212 K9A1 howitzers together with the ammunition, training and logistics package will be approximately PLN 11.4 billion ($2.32 billion), with deliveries coming until 2026.

Agreement For K239 Chunmoo MLRS

The same day as the ceremony in Seoul, a framework agreement was inked between Poland and South Korea on delivery of 288 K239 Chunmoo K-MLRS (Korean Multiple Launch Rocket System) units, designed by South Korea’s Hanwha, to the Polish Land Forces.

Deputy Minister of Defense for Force and Resource Management of the Republic of Korea Dongjoon Yoo Lim and Deputy Minister of the Defense Purchase Planning Agency Il Sung were joined by Błaszczak to sign the agreement — with the Polish minister directly tying the decision to buy Korean to a lack of production availability from the US.

“In 2019, an agreement with the United States to acquire the HIMARS for the Polish Armed Forces was signed. The delivery of this equipment is scheduled for the next year. We submitted an inquiry for larger deliveries, but unfortunately due to limited industrial capabilities, it will not be possible for the equipment to be delivered in a satisfactory timeframe. Therefore, we started talks with South Korea, our reliable partner, which resulted in the signing of a framework contract for the delivery of K239 Chunmoo today,” Błaszczak stated during the ceremony.

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“Chunmoo have very similar characteristics to the HIMARS. It is a very good weapon, it is very good equipment, and I think that our joint Polish-Korean success is that the first Chunmoo squadron will be delivered to Poland next year. Our next success is that this Chunmoo squadron will be built on Polish Jelcz trucks, that are being built by the Polish Armaments Group. It will also be equipped with Polish communications and the battlefield management system, which will ensure that it will be operational also next year,” he added.

According to Płatek, the armaments spokesman, the first squadron of 18 Chunmoo, on Jelcz truck chassis and equipped with Topaz system, will be delivered to Poland in 2023 and will be subordinated to the 18th Mechanized Division, to be equipped with Abrams tanks.

The delivery date of the remaining launchers was not disclosed. Along with the K239s, in the first stage of the program a supply of ammunition will also be purchased, which will cover a total of several thousand 239mm guided rockets (having a range of about 80 km) and 600mm KTSSM-II tactical ballistic missiles (having a range of approximately 290km). Ultimately, both types of ammunition are to be produced in Poland. The purchase of support vehicles, including command and ammunition vehicles, and technology transfer is also planned.

The agreement on the Chunmoo continues the sudden, and shockingly large, spending from Warsaw on South Korean produced weaponry. Since late July, Poland has inked agreements to purchase 1,000 K2 tanks, 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers, and 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft, along with the MLRS announcement today.