(LEAD) S. Korea inks deal to buy Polish ‘suicide drones’

South Korea’s defense ministry on Wednesday signed a deal to purchase so-called suicide drones from Poland, officials said, in efforts to better equip the military with the low-cost but effective weapons that North Korea is seeking to rapidly develop.

Under the deal signed with Polish defense firm WB Electronics SA on the sidelines of the Korea Army International Defense Exhibition (KADEX) held at the military headquarters in Gyeryong, some 145 kilometers south of Seoul, the ministry plans to begin shipments of the Warmate drones in November and deploy them by the end of this year.

The ministry did not disclose the quantity or price of the drones due to contractual obligations.

This photo, provided by South Korea’s defense ministry, shows loitering munitions developed by Poland. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

This photo, provided by South Korea’s defense ministry, shows loitering munitions developed by Poland. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The deal comes as suicide drones, also known as loitering munitio
ns, have emerged as important weapons in modern warfare as they can attack tanks and other targets at relatively low cost.

North Korea has also been doubling down on producing more suicide drones. In August, leader Kim Jong-un oversaw tests of various drones and called for the development and production of more suicide drones to better prepare for war.

The North’s state media released photos of two white suicide attack drones hitting and destroying a mock target that looked like a South Korean K-2 tank. It marked the first time the North unveiled photos of such drones.

Against such a backdrop, a ministry official said procurement speed was one of the main reasons behind its decision to purchase such drones from Poland.

“We conducted an extensive search on which drones could be shipped quickly and the Polish drones were the sole answer,” the official said, noting how Poland has continuously supplied such drones to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

This image, provided by North Korea’s official Korean Centra
l News Agency, shows a recently developed drone being launched to destroy a target in a performance test at the Drone Institute of the Academy of Defence Sciences in Pyongyang during North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit on Aug. 24, 2024. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

This image, provided by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, shows a recently developed drone being launched to destroy a target in a performance test at the Drone Institute of the Academy of Defence Sciences in Pyongyang during North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit on Aug. 24, 2024. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The deal also came as South Korea has been strengthening its arms industry partnership with Poland.

In 2022, Poland signed major deals with South Korean defense companies to buy various weapons systems, including K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers.

The ministry expected the latest deal, signed upon t
he request of Poland’s defense chief, will further boost their ties at a time when the two sides have yet to sign a follow-up deal for the 2022 agreement.

“Given that the Polish government is highly interested in expanding its production capabilities for weapons systems, our purchase of Polish weapons systems will be a mutually reciprocal means of cooperation,” a ministry official said.

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Poland’s Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Bejda reaffirmed such cooperation as they met Wednesday on the sidelines of KADEX to discuss ways to boost bilateral arms and defense ties.

In their talks, Kim stressed how Poland is South Korea’s key arms industry partner in the eastern and central European region, according to Kim’s office.

Source: Yonhap News Agency