South Korean K9 artillery arrives in Poland as defence modernisation accelerates

Poland has received an additional shipment of K9 self-propelled artillery systems from South Korea, according to the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces.

"A batch of K9 artillery units from South Korea has been delivered to Poland. This is another step in the systematic modernisation of our armed forces and increasing the country's defence capability," stated the Polish General Staff in a post on social network X, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media sources.

The exact number of howitzers in this shipment was not disclosed.

In July 2022, the previous Polish government finalized an agreement with South Korea for the delivery of 688 K9 howitzers and 288 K239 Chunmoo Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS).

Poland is projected to allocate 4.12% of its GDP to defence this year, the highest proportion among NATO members and more than twice the alliance's recommended 2%. According to NATO’s latest estimates, this marks an increase from last year’s defence spending of 3.92% of GDP, which also ranked as the highest among member states. Compared to a decade ago, Poland's defence budget has more than doubled.

Following Poland, the highest defence spenders by GDP share in NATO this year include Estonia (3.43%), the United States (3.38%), Latvia (3.15%), and Greece (3.08%). On the lower end of the scale are Spain (1.28%), Slovenia (1.29%), Luxembourg (1.29%), and Belgium (1.30%), where NATO is headquartered.

Poland's defence spending surge comes in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The former Law and Justice (PiS) government committed to raising spending to 4% of GDP, a commitment that remains under the new ruling coalition, which took office in December.

In absolute terms, Poland's defence expenditure for 2024 is estimated at $35 billion, making it the fifth-largest in NATO after the United States ($968 billion), Germany ($98 billion), the United Kingdom ($82 billion), and France ($64 billion).

NATO's data, adjusted to constant 2015 prices for comparability over time, shows Poland's defence budget has grown from approximately $8.5 billion in 2014 to $27 billion in 2023.

The PiS government’s extensive military procurement campaign involved contracts for tanks, self-propelled howitzers, combat aircraft, rocket artillery systems, and air defence systems, largely sourced from the United States and South Korea. Although the new administration has pledged to reassess some of these agreements, it continues to prioritize national security, including a planned investment of 10 billion zloty to strengthen Poland's eastern border. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has also urged other EU nations to increase their defence budgets.

Poland is also leading in equipment expenditure within NATO, dedicating 51.1% of its defence budget to procurement, more than double NATO's guideline of 20%.

By Tamilla Hasanova