South Korea’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has awarded a contract to Polish private defence company WB Group to supply WARMATE 3 loitering munitions for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
The contract was signed by DAPA Director-General Chung Jae-joon and President of WB Group Piotr Wojciechowski on the opening day of the inaugural Korea Army International Defense Industry Exhibition (KADEX) in the Gyeryongdae Joint Forces Command compound. It was also witnessed by Poland’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Paweł Bejda.
According to WB Group, the deal comprises ten sets of WARMATE 3 loitering munitions, including approximately 200 munitions and associated training systems.
The contract represents the first export sale for a Polish defence company to the South Korean armed forces, emphasizing the growing defence ties between the two countries.
This deal marks the first time a Polish company will supply military equipment to the South Korean armed forces.
Company specifications state that the WARMATE 3 features a lightweight design offers a 70-minute flight endurance and a total operational range of 80 km. The munition can be equipped with a variety of payloads such as multi-purpose fragmentation, anti-armour, and thermobaric warheads, enabling it to engage enemy troops or high-value equipment such as radar systems.
The lightweight and portable loitering munition is also designed to be jam and spoofing-resistant and can be launched from most locations – including high-altitude and maritime environments – thereby providing troops with a greater operational flexibility.
In addition to its primary role as a loitering munition, the WARMATE 3 can also perform surveillance operations and can be recovered and reused when configured as a reconnaissance system.
Thousands of WARMATE loitering munitions have been produced and successfully deployed in recent high-intensity conflicts. The combat-tested system is already in use by the Polish Armed Forces and other NATO countries.
“This latest order from South Korea solidifies WB Group’s standing as a leader in advanced unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and reflects the growing demand for its products in international defence markets,” said the company.
It was earlier reported that WB Group chief operating officer Marcin Kubica promised that delivery of South Korea’s WARMATE 3 loitering munitions will commence by the end of 2024.
The contract is also seen as an offset for the large contracts that Poland had awarded to South Korean defence companies for high-end warfighting equipment, such as Korea Aerospace Industries F/A-50 light attack fighters, Hanwha Aerospace K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) and K9 155/52 mm self-propelled howitzers (SPH) and Hyundai Rotem K2 main battle tanks.
by Jr Ng
