Poland, South Korea hold talks on joint production of tanks, howitzers

Polish President Andrzej Duda has said that Poland plans to build more than 800 tanks and 600 self-propelled howitzers together with South Korea.

“Negotiations on cooperation between military enterprises of both countries, aimed at the construction of 820 more K2PL tanks, more than 600 K9PL self-propelled howitzers, and the production of missiles for Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) in Poland,” President Duda told PAP.

He noted that “Poland has greatly developed cooperation with South Korea, primarily in the field of arms production over the past two years”.

“Poland ordered 180 K2 tanks, 48 K9 self-propelled howitzers, 218 K239 Chunmoo MLRS and 48 FA-50 light aircraft for its army from South Korea,” the Polish president added.

“Besides our traditional military ally, the US, with which we are now implementing huge, historic, military projects, such as the WISLA air defence system with the Patriot air defence system, we are also cooperating with South Korea,” Duda said, emphasising that cooperation with Seoul means “very modern technologies, very fast delivery – the latest tanks, MLRS, aircraft."

In turn, President of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) Sebastian Chwalek told the PAP agency that “preliminary conditions for the K2PL and K9PL tanks have already been agreed upon” and that a key element of cooperation between Warsaw and Seoul “is the transfer of modern technologies”.

He noted that the first Polish versions of Korean tanks, K2PL, will be produced in Poland in 2026.

Chwalek said that the “Polonization” of the tanks will include additional weapons, such as heavy machine guns, guided turret systems, as well as optoelectronics, communications systems and battle management systems made in Poland.