Iran Press/ Asia: South Korean and Polish officials signed a framework agreement on Wednesday in Warsaw in a deal that Poland says is a crucial part of their efforts to rearm in the face of the war in Ukraine, where it has sent at least $1.7 billion in military aid.
South Korea's biggest arms deal will make it a major supplier of weapons flooding into Europe since the Ukraine war began, with sales to NATO-member Poland involving more than 1,600 tanks, howitzers, and nearly 50 fighter jets.
The Minister of Defense of Poland said in a press conference that this multi-billion dollar contract is one of Poland's largest and most important military orders in recent years and will significantly strengthen the country's armed forces.
Poland will purchase 48 FA-50 fighters with training and combat capabilities in a separate contract.
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According to the announcement of the Polish Ministry of Defense, the first fighter will be delivered next year.
The delivery of these fighters will enable Warsaw to decommission its Soviet-era fighters and focus on pilot training.
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak added: "The arms deal is a key part of Poland's efforts to arm itself after the war in Ukraine."
He continued: "We have learned lessons from what is happening in Ukraine. We can see that today the armed forces and artillery are very important, so it is decided to strengthen this type of armed forces."
While the exact value of these contracts has not been made public, it is expected that the weapons sold by South Korea to global customers last year totaled more than $7 billion. However, only the contract for Korean fighter jets was 3 billion dollars. The South Korean-Polish arms deal is reportedly worth between $14 billion and $15 billion, potentially exceeding Poland's $14.1 billion defense budget this year.
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