Poland Acquiring 300 Korean K239 Chunmoo MLRS Systems
On top of the 200 HIMARS Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) which Poland has previously agreed to purchase, the country is now moving to buy 300 South Korean K239 Chunmoo MLRS systems. As the Polish defense minister put it, “we’re going to have both HIMARS and Chunmoo”. This deviates from previous plans to simply acquire 500 HIMARS systems from the United States. The stated reason for this change is that the acquisition of 500 HIMARS systems would take longer than Poland is willing to wait.
Polish media had initially reported on Poland’s defense acquisition agency showing interest in the Korean system back in July; these reports were confirmed in September by official statements from the Polish Ministry of Defense (MoD). The final decision to acquire 300 systems was made public last week.
In addition to the 300 systems, Poland will also be acquiring a license to produce ammunition for the K239. The MLRS launchers will be mounted on the Polish Jelcz chassis and will be fully integrated with the Polish TOPAZ Integrated Combat Management System.
The decision to acquire the K239 comes amidst a massive Polish push to modernize its military equipment and follows a number of high-profile deals for other Korean systems such as the K4 grenade launcher, the K2 tank, and the K9 Self-propelled howitzer. It also follows up on a decision made last month to purchase additional Polish KRAB self-propelled howitzers.
The Ministry of Defense has also announced a timeline for the introduction a number of new systems. According to Polish Vice-Minister of defense Wojciech Skurkiewcz:
“In October, Bayraktar TB2 drones will enter the inventory of the Polish military – this is certainly a major event; we’re observing how these drones perform in real wartime conditions, it is a very important element of the modernization of the armed forces. The final months of this year will also be fruitful in terms of modern equipment. In these months project Wisla will be realized – new PATRIOT batteries will enter the Polish inventory. Korean K2 Black Panther tanks will also enter the inventory in accordance with agreements with Korean partners.”
Polish Minister of Defense Mariusz Błaszczak arrived in Seoul on Monday, October 17. The final agreement on the new K239 systems is expected to be signed during this visit. A ceremony during which Poland will receive its first batches of the K2 tank and K9 howitzers is scheduled for Wednesday.