Poland on Tuesday received the first shipment of tanks and howitzers that it bought from South Korea as part of a drive to boost its defences following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

An EU and NATO member, Poland borders both Russia and Ukraine and has increased its purchase of weaponry after Kremlin began its war.

In July, it signed contracts to buy South Korean weapons including tanks, artillery and fighter jets.

The weapons "are necessary to prevent an aggression," Polish President Andrzej Duda said during a ceremony at the Gdynia port on Tuesday, where the first purchased tanks and howitzers were delivered.

As part of the deal, Poland is to initially buy 180 K2 "Black Panther" tanks built by Hyundai Rotem before eventually acquiring more than 800 of a special variant to be called K2PL, production of which is start in Poland in 2026.

It also bought 48 K9 howitzers to be delivered this year, with a planned purchase of another approximately 600 to begin in 2024, with domestic production slated to start in 2026.

As part of its weapons purchases, Poland in July said it would buy 32 AW149 multi-role military helicopters worth 1.75 billion euros ($1.77 billion) from Italian arms company Leonardo.

And it has also ordered 366 American Abrams tanks and European surface-to-air missile systems.

Related Links
The Military Industrial Complex at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Growth in arms trade stunted by supply issues: report
Stockholm (AFP) Dec 4, 2022
Sales of arms and military services grew in 2021, researchers said Monday, but were limited by worldwide supply issues related to the pandemic, with the war in Ukraine increasing demand while worsening supply difficulties. The top 100 arms companies sold weapons and related services totalling $592 billion in 2021, 1.9-percent more than the year before, said the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). However the growth was severely impacted by widesprea ... read more