On July 27 in Warsaw, with the participation of the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers, Minister of National Defense, Mr. Mariusz Błaszczak, framework agreements were concluded related to the acquisition of tanks, tracked self-propelled howitzers and light combat aircraft from the Republic of Korea.
The Polish side is the Armaments Agency, representing the State Treasury, while the Korean side has three entities, i.e. Hyundai Rotem – responsible for the supply of K2 tanks, Hanwha Defense – responsible for the supply of K9 family self-propelled howitzers and Korean Aerospace Industries – responsible for the deliveries FA-50 family aircraft.
The adopted method of contracting contracts is related to the implementation of individual projects divided into stages, which is also related to the wide scope of technology transfer and the establishment of industrial potential in the territory of the Republic of Poland. It will also make it possible to optimize the procurement of military equipment being the subject of framework agreements, 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 it with modern military equipment.
The contracting of individual executive contracts will be carried out in a coordinated manner and will be adjusted to the individual stages of advancement of the implemented projects. This will enable, among others achieving the synergy effect resulting from the close cooperation of all participants involved in the implementation of the programs, in particular the military side and industrial parties from Poland and the Republic of Korea.
The subject of the framework agreement concluded with Hyundai Rotem is the acquisition of a total of 1,000 K2 tanks and its polonized development version K2PL along with accompanying vehicles, i.e. technical support vehicles, engineering support vehicles and accompanying bridges as well as other elements based on Polish solutions, as well as a training and logistics package. , spare ammunition and the manufacturer’s technical support.
The training package includes simulator equipment and personnel training in South Korea and Poland, including training on K2 tanks in cooperation with the Army of the Republic of Korea. The contractor will also provide service support in Poland from the arrival of the first tanks. The agreement also provides for the transfer of technology, as a result of which industrial capabilities in the field of armored technology will be established, which will allow for the acquisition of service competences in the first stage and the final launch of the production of K2PL tanks in Poland, and thus the polonization of the supply chains of spare parts.
The delivery dates for the first 180 K2 tanks are planned for 2022-2025, while the delivery of 820 K2PL tanks will start in 2026 and production in Poland will start in the same year. From 2026, it is also planned to standardize the configuration of the first 180 K2 tanks to the K2PL standard. In the longer term, it is planned to develop a new generation tank as part of Polish-South Korean cooperation.
The K2 Black Panther is a Generation 3+ South Korean Main Battle Tank. Its main armament is a 120mm smoothbore cannon with an autoloader that can use the latest types of ammunition. The auxiliary armament is a 7.62 mm machine gun and a 12.7 mm large-caliber machine gun (WKM). The tank’s advanced fire control system ensures high effectiveness of fire at long distances.
The armor of the K2 tank already in the standard configuration, which can be additionally supplemented by active protection systems such as soft kill (VIRSS) and hard kill (KAPS), ensures high ballistic and anti-mine resistance. The drive is a 1500 HP diesel engine with automatic gearbox, which ensures high speed and mobility in all terrains. The tank is characterized by a relatively low weight of 55 tons and the use of a hydropneumatic suspension.
All the contracted K2 tanks will be equipped with a communication system compatible with that used by the Polish Armed Forces, as well as with the BMS battlefield management system, compatible with the system with which the M1A2 ABRAMS tanks will be equipped. Changes to the configuration provided for the K2PL version of the tank will include armor reinforcement, retrofitting with an omnidirectional observation system and an active ASOP vehicle protection system, the possibility of using programmable ammunition from a different source and the Polish 12.7 mm WKM.
The subject of the framework agreement concluded with Hanwha Defense is the acquisition of a total of 672 K9A1 self-propelled howitzers and its polonized development version of the K9PL (based on ready-made technologies obtained as a result of work on the K9A2 howitzers) along with accompanying vehicles, i.e. K10 ammunition vehicles and K11 command vehicles and Polish elements , as well as a training and logistics package, spare ammunition and technical support of the manufacturer.
The training package includes simulator equipment and staff training in Poland. The contractor will also provide service support in Poland from the moment the first K9A1 self-propelled howitzers arrive. The agreement also provides for a technology transfer, as a result of which the existing industrial capabilities in the field of barrel artillery technology will be maintained and developed, which will allow for the acquisition of service competences in the first stage and the target launch of the production of K9PL howitzers in Poland, and thus the polonization of spare parts supply chains.
The delivery dates of the first 48 K9A1 howitzers were planned in the years 2022-2023, while the deliveries of 624 K9PL howitzers will start in 2024, of which the production of howitzers in Poland is planned for 2026. It is also planned to standardize the configuration of the first 48 K9A1 howitzers to the standard K9PL. In the longer term, it is planned to develop a new generation self-propelled howitzer in Polish-South Korean cooperation.
The K9 Thunder is a South Korean tracked self-propelled howitzer. Its main armament is a 155 mm gun with a length of 52 caliber, which, depending on the type of ammunition, ensures precise firing at distances of over 40 km. The auxiliary armament is a 12.7 mm large-caliber machine gun. K9 armor provides protection against small arms and artillery fragments. The drive is a 1000 HP diesel engine with automatic gearbox, which ensures high speed and mobility on any terrain. The mass of the howitzer is 47 tons.
A number of improvements have been introduced in the K9A1 version. The main emphasis was placed on increasing the effectiveness and range of the fire to 54 km, improving situational awareness and increasing the comfort of the crew’s work. The K9A2, on the other hand, is the latest variant, currently under development, which, as a result of the use of the automated loading system, will have an increased rate of fire from 6-8 rounds per minute to 9-10 rounds per minute, which will also reduce the crew from 5 to 3 people. The K9A2 howitzer, which is the target base for the polonized K9PL howitzer, will also be equipped with an electric turret drive system (instead of the electro-hydraulic one), an automatic fire extinguishing system, a remotely controlled weapon module, air conditioning, composite (rubber) tracks, and will have increased ballistic and anti-mine resistance.
It is worth mentioning that the K9A1 howitzers contracted under the first stage will be equipped with Polish communication systems from the very beginning, and will also be included in the integrated combat management system TOPAZ.
The subject of the framework agreement concluded with Korean Aerospace Industries is the acquisition of a total of 48 FA-50 aircraft and their polonized development version FA-50PL along with a training and logistics package, ammunition reserves and technical support of the manufacturer.
The training package includes simulator equipment and pilot training, first in South Korea, and then in Poland. The contract also provides for a technology transfer, as a result of which the FA-50PL aircraft service center will be built in Poland, with the planned launch date in 2026.
The delivery of the first 12 FA-50 Block 10 aircraft is planned for the second half of 2023, while the deliveries of 36 FA-50PLs will start in 2025 and will be carried out within 2-3 years.
The FA-50 Fighting Eagle is a South Korean light combat aircraft equipped with advanced imaging and control systems, as well as modern avionics and fire control radar. It is armed with a 20 mm cannon and a wide range of overhead air weapons, including AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles, as well as several types of aerial bombs of various types. It is powered by an afterburner turbofan engine with a thrust of 22,000 lb (98 kN). The top speed is Mach 1.5 (1,837.5 km / h). The operational range of the aircraft is 1,800 km and its maximum ceiling is 14.6 km. The curb weight of the aircraft is 6.47 tons, with a maximum take-off weight of 12.3 tons, which allows you to carry weapons weighing up to 4.5 tons.