SEOUL (Reuters) – Poland on Wednesday signed a deal to buy 288 rocket launchers from South Korea as the country beefs up its defenses amid war in Ukraine.
The first 18 Chunmoo rocket launchers will be delivered as early as 2023 to protect eastern Poland, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said. They will be manufactured by Hanwha Defense, the defense division of the South Korean group Hanwha Corp.
Poland had already signed a contract for 5.8 billion dollars (5.9 billion euros) in July to buy South Korean tanks and howitzers, of which it received a first batch.
A first batch of tanks and howitzers has already been shipped to Poland under this agreement.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia since February 24 particularly worries the countries of the former Soviet bloc.
Poland, a member of NATO, has decided to increase its defense budget from 2% to 3% of GDP from 2023, aiming for 5% in the long term, and more than double the size of its army. .
Warsaw also signed a contract with South Korea in September for the purchase of 48 FA-50 fighters.
(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; with contributions from Anna Koper and Pawel Florkiewicz in Warsaw; French version Diana Mandiá, editing by Tangi Salaün)
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