Poland has finalized a deal to acquire a second batch of 180 South Korean tanks under a 2022 agreement that will eventually see Warsaw boost its arsenal with almost 1,000 armored vehicles. The $6.7 billion deal includes 80 support vehicles, ammunition, and logistics and training packages for the Polish Army. This agreement highlights Poland’s emergence as a substantial European military force and South Korea‘s status as a major arms supplier, particularly to US allies.
The deal is significant, given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the strain on American stockpiles due to military aid for Ukraine and Israel. South Korea’s defense industry is increasingly seen as an option for US allies in need of weapons. According to a 2024 report from the DC-based Stimson Center, “Increased South Korean defense industrial base capacity, particularly in arms and shipbuilding, has the potential to directly support the United States.”
Poland’s defense spending has grown from 2.7% of GDP in 2022 to an expected 4.7% in 2025, making it the highest percentage of GDP spent on defense among all NATO allies. The NATO report noted Poland’s purchase of South Korean arms to quickly fill gaps left by donations to Ukraine. Poland has donated more than 300 tanks and over 350 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.
The Wilson Center report said Poland has “arguably emerged as Europe’s most capable military power.” However, a May report from the RAND Corp think tank expressed caution over the financing of Poland’s arms buildup, stating that many purchases are “financed through direct loans from countries supplying equipment.” If securing such loans proves impossible, market financing might be too expensive to turn framework agreements into binding contracts. RAND also noted Poland faces recruitment challenges, needing to increase troop strength by almost 50% in the next 10 years.
South Korea has emerged as the world’s 10th-largest arms exporter over the past five years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Poland has received 46% of South Korean military exports, followed by the Philippines at 14% and India at 7%. South Korea’s arms industry may become important to Washington in the future, particularly in shipbuilding, where it has already seen contracts for maintenance of US Navy supply ships.
The K2 main battle tanks, regarded as among the world’s most powerful, will be made in South Korea by defense giant Hyundai Rotem, with a production line in Poland for a Polish variant, the K2PL. Along with the K2 tanks, South Korea has sent 174 K9 howitzers to Poland under the 2022 framework, with 38 remaining to be delivered. A second tranche of 152 K9s is in the works, according to Hanwha Aerospace.