SEOUL, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Two South Korean companies have signed a $5.76 billion contract with Poland to export tanks and howitzers, Seoul's arms procurement agency said on Saturday, after Warsaw agreed to ramp up arms imports amid tensions with Russia.
The contract, signed in Poland on Friday, is part of South Korea's biggest ever arms deal, clinched last month with Poland, which has been seeking to beef up its military in the face of Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
Because they can produce things very fast and offer tech and industry transfers. Which will help the polish economy and keep some money there in the long run.
Isaac Cook
South korean industry is very advanced and high quality, much better than anything poland makes.
Joshua Gomez
>advanced and high quality USA and the EU is really that shit and behind?
Levi Gomez
why does poland needs arms? russians would never kill their own sons.
Jose Gomez
this is true. i drive truck, and wabash and that dog company make the worst trailers, but hyundais are always a delight.
Cooper Diaz
They take decades to deliver. Koreans will start this year.
Anthony Gonzalez
USA makes the best weapons, but they are too expensive, since they are made to milk the US gov. While the EU is a bureaucratic mess with tons of licensing and reD tape, and not that willing to set up factories or exchange tech. SK is competing with NK, so they have a very good industry that is capable of churning out weapons that are pretty advanced with a decent speed. For example, Germany can produce 2 leopard tanks a month, while Korea can produce 3 to 4 a month if I remember correctly.
John Cruz
Because money. Production facilities just consume money if not being used. Armed Forces think they have enough tanks (I think) so they probably decided to sell tanks. One more reason, a value of technology wears off as time goes on, and this is probably the right time to sell as Russians are cutting Ukrainian dicks off
Oliver Ross
1. Koreans agreed to build factories in Poland and trasfer technologies in exchange for possible lease of said facilities in case of 2nd Korean war. 2. Poland and Korea are both West aligned, but not powerful nor close enough to dominate each other: they can conduct diplomacy on equal footings. 3. That being said, them not buying things from Germany shows that they do not want Germany having even more economic influence over them. 4. Because technology or quality wise, both Germany and Korea should be on par. 5. The only exception here would be US products which are combat proven, but then again, it's a bad idea for a nation to rely too much on other nations. Especially if they are stronger.
As for Korea, they have had the policy of building factories in former communist states. Mainly in Russia and Czech (?). Now that Russia cannot export their goods to EU, it looks like Korea is looking for new factory partner.
Joseph Foster
>very advanced >During the Battle of Yeonpyeong Island K9 perfomed poorly.: > >- 50% of the ROK's K9 155mm SP artillery pieces were taken out of action > >- The ROK K9 155mm SP artillery return/counterbattery fire total was 80 rounds. > >- 35 of the ROK rounds landed in the drink (sea) while 45 others reached North Korean land. > >- Shoot and Scoot; North Korean artillery/MLRS systems slid into tunnels after firing their salvos. The North koreans accomplished this movement before the ROK artillery returned fire. Not a single ROK round hit a Nork target. > >- Of the ROK rounds that hit the mainland/Island, only 14 got relatively close to the North's artillery/MLRS positions. These 14 rounds impacted in rice paddies near the Norks "former positions". There was no damage to Nork artillery/MLRS systems, it appears the only damage was to the Norks food supply. > >- The ROK National Intelligence Service director Won Sei-Hoon was directed to carry out a thorough investigation. > >- The ROK defense minister resigned over this incident. Top kek Korea is just cheap and also happen to be the only one right now to produce stuff in numbers. Germany have no more old Leopard 2 to turn them into 2A7+lgbtqia and don produce new Leopard 2 since years now. Abrams SEPv3 are too expensive for a refurbished 50yo tank. France dont produce the Leclerc anymore, some for italian Ariete. Only other producers of "western standard tanks" being Japan and Korea. Japan did not export weapons. So, korea is basically alone on the market today.
Thomas Reyes
Dont you think 60 years is more than enough time to significantly improve ones arms industry? Also: South Korea is one of the worlds biggest Steel producers. Surely they learned a thing or two the past decades
Ryan Ward
No. Korea is cheap. The K2 powerpack is still not ready and they needed to use the Euro powerpack instead. K2 performance were abysmal, making it one of the worst accelerating new tank in the world. The K2 have no side or roof armor. The tank was designed to be used in mountainous terrains, meaning being flanked is rarely a threat. Also the L55 impair your ability to fire on the move or fight in constrained spaces. Basically it was designed to fight hordes of T-62 in korean mountains. It's not a bad tank, but it has been designed for a very specific geographical area.
user. The Battle of Yeonpyeong Island happened the 23 November 2010... K9 entered in service in 2000. There were 10yo when this debacle happened.
Caleb Adams
USA doesn't agree to off-sey. Meaning you buy X tanks amd that's that. South Koreans export technology which advsnces local industry
Samuel Nelson
The K9 at the battle of yeonpyeong more has to do with political interference and the leadership's incompetence. There were debates over if retaliation would lead to a full scale war. Also, they kept changing the number of shots they fired in their reports at the press conferences. Either there was an effort to hide things or it was pure incompetence. The tech itself is okay-ish.
Isaiah Rogers
You’re full of shit. The South Korean forces shot at the north as part of an exercise, meaning they were intentionally shooting at the water in the beginning. The north took that as a threat and returned fire destroying half the k9s, so only half of them were even functional to fire back.
Robert Brown
hey you just got destroyed
Kayden Allen
I'm pretty sure throwing half you shells into the sea and none on the target (aka north korean firing position, even if they left before), isn't "political interference and the leadership's incompetence". If korean can sell stuff cheaper than others, it is because it's not the greatest stuff ever made. Good enough for what it is supposed to do, but don't expect it to be on the level of more expensive western stuff, or the price would be the same. Just like Russia make cheaper stuff by cutting on lot of things (they don't chamfering armor plate for example) and that make it cheaper.
Joseph Jenkins
Honestly, the amount of fake news here is ridiculous. All you had to do was google and it would’ve shown you the context behind that battle (bombardment).
Charles Young
Hahaha I love korea simps What you say doesn't make sense. Just try to remember why North Korea shot at the island and come back to me. Maybe read the report next time before saying bullshits and looking like an idiots. Ok gook simp.
Samuel Stewart
K2 are better than Leos and Worst Korea agreed to product them in Poorland. We will get a capability of mass producing modern tanks.
Jaxson Carter
>About 108 shells were fired total, according to a North Korean defector who had served in an artillery battery.[37]
>Three of the six K9 Thunder 155mm guns stationed on Yeonpyong returned fire, while two were damaged and one blocked by a dud shell.
Half the tanks were taken out before the conflict even started.
As for why the K9s were there:
>According to a South Korean military official, shells fired as part of the exercise were directed at waters in the south, away from North Korea.
I don’t give a shit about this topic, but you’re clearly peddling false narratives.
Lincoln Evans
>Why from South Korea? affordability
Robert Torres
>Why from South Korea? Koreans probably furnished them the best deal. They were probably shopping around. Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, all have booming arms industries.
