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From left to right: Sebastian Chwalek, vice president of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) management board, Hanwha Defense CEO Son Jae-il, DAPA Minister Eom Dong-hwan, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak of Poland, Hyundai Rotem President and CEO Lee Yong-bae, and Yu Dong-jun, the head of the South Korean Ministry of National Defense Office of Military Force and Resources Management, pose for a photo at the contract signing ceremony held in Poland on Aug. 26. (courtesy DAPA)

Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced Saturday that Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Defense signed their first fulfillment contract worth US$5.76 billion with the Polish military to export tanks and howitzers.

This contract was the first follow-up contract signed for the implementation of the comprehensive export agreement inked between the Polish military and domestic defense contractors, such as Hyundai Rotem, Hanwha Defense and Korea Aerospace Industries, on July 27.

Although the DAPA did not disclose the specific export amount and the timeline for the deal, the Polish Defense Ministry posted on Twitter that “the contract with Hyundai Rotem provides for the delivery of 180 K2 tanks in 2022-2025” while “the contract with Hanwha Defense provides for the acquisition of 212 K9 family self-propelled howitzers in 2022-2026.”

“The first tanks and howitzers will be delivered to [Poland] later this year,” it noted in the tweet.

In attendance at the contract signing ceremony that took place at a Polish mechanized unit located in Morag, Poland, were Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak; South Korean Defense Acquisition Minister Eom Dong-hwan; Yu Dong-jun, head of the Force and Resources Management Office at the South Korean Defense Ministry; Hyundai Rotem President Lee Yong-bae; and Hanwha Defense President Son Jae-il. The DAPA explained that the unit will be the first one to receive the to-be-exported K2 tanks.

Last month, the Polish government had stated that it planned to order 980 K2 tanks, 648 K9 self-propelled howitzers and three formations of FA-50 light combat aircraft (48 aircraft in total) from South Korea. The domestic defense industry projects this would amount to US$14.8 billion, although estimation is subject to change depending on specific contract terms.

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, staff reporter

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