Industry deal moves Poland closer to acquiring South Korean artillery system

SEOUL — Polish Armaments Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean agency Hyundai Rotem to develop and manufacture the K2PL tank for Poland’s navy, through the Eurosatory protection expo in Paris this week.

Amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Poland is accelerating efforts to accumulate South Korean protection tools, trying to make the most of the Asian nation’s mass manufacturing capability and lenient coverage towards know-how transfers. The NATO member shares a border with Ukraine in addition to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

Along with the K2PL, which is a Polish model of the Black Panther most important battle tank in service with the South Korean Military, Poland is in talks with Hyundai Rotem to purchase a whole lot of K2 Black Panther tanks for its Military, based on to authorities and business sources with information of the discussions.

Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak mentioned throughout a June 13 assembly with navy management his weapons want listing, which incorporates Korean most important battle tanks, self-propelled weapons and infantry combating autos. The minister had visited the Asian nation in late Might to debate the availability of South Korean fight autos and fighter jets.

“Why is Korean tools confirmed? As a result of Korea has the problem of its northern neighbour, who additionally conducts aggressive coverage, so our activity is to equip the Polish Armed Forces with trendy tools,” Blaszczak stated in a information launch posted on-line by his ministry.

Armed with a 120mm/55-caliber smoothbore gun and an autoloader, the 56-ton K2 Black Panther can fireplace as much as 10 rounds per minute and options lively safety methods. The tank is powered by a 1,500-horsepower diesel engine and a completely computerized transmission, and it may possibly attain speeds of 70 kph (44 mph) and might keep speeds as much as 53 kph (33 mph) in off-road situations.

Hyundai Rotem displayed a scale mannequin of the K2PL at Eurosatory. Pictures of the mannequin present the Polish variant has a bigger chassis than the Black Panther and options an extra seventh roadwheel.

The K9 self-propelled howitzer, developed by Hanwha Protection, can also be part of Warsaw’s arms want listing. Poland signed a contract earlier this month to export greater than 50 155mm Krab howitzers to Ukraine, following the supply of 18 secondhand Krabs to the war-torn nation. Polish each day Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reported the deal covers about 60 howitzers and is valued at about 3 billion zlotys (U.S. $700 million).

In 2016, Poland ordered 120 Krabs, that are primarily based on the K9 Thunder chassis. Polish Armaments Group subsidiary Huta Stalowa Wola manufactures the Krab by placing the British AS-90M Braveheart turret onto the K9 chassis.

A Polish Military delegation visited the K9 manufacturing plant in addition to a South Korean Military unit working the artillery methods earlier this month to debate the acquisition of the K9 to fill the hole left by the Krab export.

A number of choices are on the desk, together with offering all the K9 system, simply delivering the K9 chassis, or exporting a package deal of K9 howitzers and K10 computerized ammunition resupply autos.

“Hanwha Protection has a robust partnership with the Polish protection business on the profitable Krab mission,” Jeff Sung, a spokesman for Hanwha Protection, advised Protection Information. He wouldn’t touch upon the main points of discussions between Seoul and Warsaw concerning the emergency provide of K9 howitzers.

The spokesman famous that 9 nations — South Korea, Turkey, Poland, India, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Australia and Egypt — have ordered the K9 howitzer.

The NATO-compatible platform has a firing vary exceeding 40 kilometers (25 miles) with typical 155mm ammunition. Outfitted with an computerized fireplace management system, the howitzer can fireplace six rounds per minute constantly for 3 minutes.

Powered by a 1,000-horsepower diesel engine, the 47-ton car can transfer as quick as 67 kph. The gun was primarily designed to fulfill the tactical idea of “shoot and scoot” — or firing at a goal, then rapidly transferring to a different location to keep away from responsive fireplace.

As for the infantry combating car, Poland is pondering choices to purchase Hanwha Protection’s K21, which is in service with the South Korean Military.

The 25-ton amphibious armored combating car is provided with a 40mm cannon and a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, in addition to anti-tank guided missiles. It additionally options cross-country maneuverability with an in-arm suspension unit and a complicated battlefield administration system for sharing real-time battlefield info.

Poland can also be eyeing the next-generation Redback, which is competing for Australia’s LAND 400 Section 3 program.

Hanwha Protection displayed the Redback heavy infantry combating car at Eurosatory this week. “In Europe, the Redback has drawn eager consideration within the wake of the continuing battle in some a part of the area, as many European armed forces are searching for to accumulate fight autos fitted with state-of-the-art armored safety capabilities in opposition to anti-tank weapons, and all-terrain manoeuvrability,” the corporate stated in a June 13 information launch.

The 42-ton Redback employs a number of safety and situational consciousness applied sciences, such because the Iron Fist hard-kill lively safety system; the Iron Imaginative and prescient helmet-mounted show; and the Photo voltaic Sigma Defend based on the information launch. The Redback has additionally adopted a composite rubber observe to mitigate noise and vibration.