Four FA-50 light combat aircraft flying over urban area / Newsis

Poland inks deals to buy fighter jets, tanks, howitzers amid conflict in neighboring Ukraine

By Jung Min-ho, Joint Press Corps

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some Eastern European countries, still armed largely with Soviet-era weapons, have sent their equipment to help Kyiv ― in a move that could reshape the future of the region's weapons systems.

In a major procurement deal illustrating such a shift, Poland, which has provided Ukraine with its Soviet-designed T-72 tanks, agreed Wednesday (local time) to buy 48 FA-50s, a light combat jet co-developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin, 980 K2 battle tanks, manufactured by Hyundai Rotem, and 648 K9 howitzers, made by Hanwha Defense.

After signing the framework contracts in Warsaw, Mariusz Blaszczak, the defense minister of Poland, said its armed forces need better weapons to protect the country from potential aggressors and the deals are "just the first stage of the two countries' cooperation."

Poland's Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak poses during a press conference at the ministry office in Warsaw, July 27. Blaszczak approved arms deals with Korea for the purchase of equipment for the Polish Army. EPA-Yonhap

"We want peace, so we must prepare for war … The Polish armed forces should be so strong that an aggressor cannot decide to attack," Blaszczak said.

"Above all, we need to withdraw MiGs (any member of a family of Russian fighter jets produced during the Soviet era by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich) … The MiGs have negligible combat capability. Also, we cannot get spare parts from Russia. They have to be withdrawn. The first FA-50 will arrive next year and will substitute those aircraft. This is a well-thought decision, it will strengthen the Polish Air Force and allow the Polish Air Force to develop."

It would mark Korea's biggest arms export deal, which could be worth up to 20 trillion won ($15.3 billion). With the two sides still negotiating how many tanks and howitzers should be produced in Poland before signing the final contracts, the numbers may change.

The K2 Black Panther / Newsis

Speaking to The Korea Times, an industry source said the war in Ukraine seems to be a major factor in creating new opportunities for Korean arms makers. As tensions mount, especially among the countries bordering Russia, many have started reassessing the possibility of war and double-checking their military capabilities, he said.

"Poland, for example, has decided to increase its defense budget after the war," he said. "The latest deals are expected to help Korean companies expand their overseas businesses."

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, simply known as NATO, has for years been trying to replace Russian military equipment among the former allies of the Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991. Some experts believe that Korea may be in a favorable position to accelerate the shift in Eastern Europe than Germany and France ― other major arms exporters ― given their relatively reluctant stance on military support for Ukraine, in contrast with many other NATO members.

KAI President Ahn Hyun-ho said the arms deal would be the beginning of more collaboration between Seoul and Warsaw in the defense industry.

"The customers of FA-50s are potential customers of KF-21s," he noted, referring to Korea's first locally-developed fighter jet that is still under development.

Lee Yong-bae, Hyundai Rotem's president and CEO, said the trust between the two nations will grow further as they get equipped with the same weapons for defense, which he thinks will lead to progress in other industries.

The K9 Thunder / Courtesy of Hanwha Defense

Korea has emerged as the world's fastest-growing arms exporter, vastly outpacing the growth of other major market players in recent years.

According to a recent report by the Export-Import Bank of Korea, the nation's arms exports reached a record high of more than 7 billion dollars last year. Its exports during the 2017-21 period were 177 percent higher than that in the 2012-16 period ― by far the highest growth among the top 20 exporters.

The country is now the world's eighth largest, and Asia's second (after China), arms exporter ― a rapid rise from 31st position on the list by the SIPRI arms transfer database back in 2000.