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Poland has received the first of hundreds of main battle tanks and howitzers from South Korea.
Ten K2 tanks and 24 K9 self-propelled howitzers were unloaded at the port city of Gdynia. President Andrzej Duda and Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak took part in the collection of the first pieces of equipment.
“I thank Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and our partners for not waiting too long to deliver this equipment. No one needs to be explained how significant the equipment’s delivery pace is for the Polish Armed Forces, especially in the current situation,”
Andrzej Duda said.
“The first 10 tanks have just arrived in our country, here in Gdynia,” the president said. “In a moment they will go to military units where they will undergo the final process of preparation and implementation for their use by our armed forces.”
“And now the process of modernising and strengthening the Polish army is physically occurring, not only through procurements but above all by the delivery from South Korea of K2 tanks and K9 howitzers for the Polish Army,” Duda said.
“It’s an important day and an important event for the Polish Armed Forces’ reinforcement. The South Korean equipment is already on Polish soil. We seek peace so we strengthen our forces both in numbers and with modern equipment – K2 tanks and K9 howitzers,”
Deputy Prime Minister Blaszczak stressed.
“We consistently strengthen the Polish Armed Forces. We know perfectly well that nowadays, with the ongoing war and Russian attempts to rebuild its empire, it is the well-equipped Polish forces that are the best way to deter the aggressor,”
he pinpointed.
In July, a contract was signed with Hyundai Rotem for a total of 1,000 K2 tanks and the Polonised K2PL version of the tank along with support vehicles, a training and logistics package, spare ammunition, and technical support.
A framework agreement was also signed with Hanwa Defense for 672 K9A1 self-propelled howitzers and the Polonised K9PL version, also with support vehicles, training and logistics, ammunition, and technical support.
In late August, an executive contract was signed for the delivery of 180 K2 tanks between 2022 and 2025, and 212 K9 self-propelled gun-howitzers with delivery foreseen in 2022-2026.