On November 4 in Warsaw, with the participation of the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers, Minister of National Defense, Mr. Mariusz Błaszczak, an executive agreement was concluded related to the acquisition of K239 CHUNMOO MLRS from the Republic of Korea.
The subject of the first executive contract, worth USD 3.55 billion net, concluded between the State Treasury – the Armaments Agency and the Korean entity Hanwha Aerospace, is the delivery of 218 CHUNMOO K239 multiple rocket launcher modules along with logistics and training packages, ammunition reserve, including several thousand missiles and the manufacturer’s technical support.
The delivery dates are planned for the years 2023-2027, and the deliveries of the first 18 CHUNMOO K239 launchers, integrated with Polish JELCZ vehicles, communication systems and the Polish integrated combat management system TOPAZ, together with ammunition, will be completed in 2023. Importantly, the delivery in the assumed date of the above military equipment will also enable the achievement of basic combat readiness by the first battery K239 CHUNMOO by the end of 2023.
The training package provides for the training of technical staff both in Korea and in Poland, while the logistics package includes, among others diagnostic equipment and spare parts stock. The contractor will also provide service support in Poland from the moment the first CHUNMOO K239 launchers arrive.
The adopted method of contracting executive contracts is related to the implementation of the entire project, including the acquisition of a total of 288 CHUNMOO launcher modules, divided into stages, which is also related to the planned, wide scope of technology transfer and the establishment of industrial potential in the territory of the Republic of Poland. This will allow for the optimal management of the entire program, and in particular, will enable the rapid achievement, already in the first stage, of the operational capabilities required by the Polish Armed Forces by supplying modern military equipment.
The K239 CHUNMOO is a South Korean Multiple Rocket Launcher System (K-MRLS) capable of firing several different guided or unguided missiles. The launcher is equipped with two rocket pods that can hold several types of rockets. Each container holds, depending on the ammunition used: 6 guided missiles of 239 mm caliber with a range of 80 km, or 1 guided tactical rocket of 600 mm caliber with a range of 290 km. The existing solutions also include containers for: 20 unguided 131 mm K33 rockets with a range of 36 km, 6 unguided 230 mm KM6A2 rockets (identical to those previously used in the American M270 MLRS) with a range of 45 km, or 2 400 mm guided missiles with a range exceeding 200 km. The cartridges can be loaded with different types of rockets.