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Polish President Andrzej Duda has taken a dedicated tour of Korean defence technology on the first day of the 31st International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Poland.
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President Duda was escorted through the Hanwha booth by Hanwha Group vice chairman Kim Dong-Kwan on the first day of MSPO 2023 in Kielce, as the expo runs from 5 to 8 September.
MSPO features helicopters, armoured equipment and rockets, air-defence systems, aviation, armaments, explosives, chemical troops equipment and materials from Polish and international defence industry companies. It is supported domestically by the Polish Armaments Group which has been the strategic partner.
President Duda has reportedly announced plans for Poland to spend more than 4 per cent of its gross domestic product on defence next year, equating to around US$33 billion.
The country is undertaking a massive military update program with the acquisition or order of M1 Abrams main battle tanks, K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, South Korean K239 Chunmoo multi-launchers, South Korean K2 tanks, South Korean FA-50 light fighter aircraft, and American F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets.
It’s also vying for the title of world’s second-largest Apache operator as negotiations continue in acquiring 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in a possible US$12 billion foreign military sale with the US.
Late last month, on 31 August, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak met with Minister of Defence of South Korea Lee Jong-sup in Warsaw to begin the second phase of Polish-Korean cooperation involving production of military equipment in Poland.
“I am very grateful to the minister for the fact that we have achieved so much by working together. We have achieved a lot for security and ensuring peace by strengthening the Polish Armed Forces and by implementing the policy of deterrence in practice,” Minister Blaszczak said.
“It is the decision of the Polish authorities to focus on investing in security, to strengthen the Polish Armed Forces, to develop them. We are preparing the second phase of our cooperation involving the production of military equipment in Poland.”
