Showcasing the important defense ties with Poland, the South Korean Armed Forces are close to finalizing the purchase of new Warmate loitering munitions to strengthen their attack capabilities, with the upcoming International Defense Exhibition of the Korean Army – Kadex 2024 as the backdrop. This event will take place from October 2 to 6, featuring over 500 exhibitors from around the world, including the WB Group, which manufactures the systems in question and has confirmed negotiations to local media.
It is worth noting that these are “kamikaze drones” capable of staying airborne for up to one hour and transporting their explosive payload up to 30 kilometers away at speeds of around 80 km/h, and 150 km/h in their terminal phase. In terms of dimensions, each unit has a wingspan of 1.6 meters and a length of 1.1 meters, weighing approximately 5.5 kilograms including their HE/thermobaric warheads. So far, they have made their debut on the Ukrainian battlefields, where they were used in large numbers and with great effectiveness to attack Russian armored vehicles.
Regarding the quantities to be acquired, the Polish media outlet Rzeczpospolita reports that a first batch of 200 Warmate munitions is expected to be delivered by the end of this year, with periodic shipments of hundreds of units in the following years. Although there is no official confirmation yet, this information arises from budget analysis related to the potential purchase. Specifically, this acquisition is estimated to be between 100 and 200 million PLN, which allows for the aforementioned quantities based on a unit cost estimated at 150,000 PLN.
While awaiting further updates, it is useful to highlight the initial ties between the defense ministries of Poland and South Korea, as there are numerous transfers of military material occurring between the two nations. In addition to the Warmate drones, Poland is in the process of selling FlyEye systems used for reconnaissance tasks and Gladius drones for search and attack operations, which have been in service in the Polish Army since 2022.
Furthermore, Poland is purchasing K2 tanks and K9 howitzers of Korean origin, with adaptations to specific requirements being carried out at plants in the European country. Notably, there is a recent agreement between the WB Group and Hanwha Aerospace aimed at the production of guided missiles for the HOMAR-K and K239 launchers. This is significant as it marks the first time Poland has embarked on the construction of such munitions, highlighting the high level of cooperation between the two countries.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
You may also like: For $3.5 billion, the U.S. approves the sale of 36 new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to the South Korean Army
