Korean arms companies should invest more in Poland [ OPINION]

The Korean Hanwha Aerospace company has been present in the European defence marketplace for over a decade, an example of which is simply a licence for the chassis of the K9 drum to the inactive developed Polish Krab program, or contracts for sale of the haubic to Norway, Finland and Estonia. However, only after the Russian full-scale aggression against Ukraine in 2022** became 1 of the biggest players in Europe, including Poland**. From 2022 to 2024, Hanwha Aerospace concluded executive contracts for supplies of a full of 364 haubic K9A1 and K9PL and 290 multi-guided lobster-K rocket launchers based on the Korean Chunmoo system. Hanwha besides signed a contract in May 2024 for the supply of over 50 K9 self-propelled haubics to Romania, most of which will be built in a recently built national plant. Countries that had them equipped before the full-scale war in Ukraine besides decided to acquisition additional haubic K9. These included Estonia (requested an additional 12 in 2023), Finland ([38 was purchased under the option at the end of 2022](https://defence24.pl/defence policy/Finland-ordering-another-k9)) and Norway, which inactive in 2022 utilized the option under the previously signed contract for K9 by acquiring 4 additional guns and 8 ammunition trucks, and is presently planning to acquisition another squadron with 24 units.