WB Group Enters the Korean Market [COMMENTARY]

The potential for Warmate sales to Korea was first signaled at this year’s MSPO defence industry exhibition. At the time, the Korean portal Yonhap News reported that the contract might be signed at a fair in Korea at the beginning of October this year.

South Korea is one of the most prestigious clients for Polish weapon systems, at least among those officially known. Warmate systems are already well-recognized worldwide. Poland has purchased them, as have export clients such as Ukraine, an “unknown NATO client” (likely Turkey), an “unknown Middle Eastern client,” the United Arab Emirates, and more recently India and Georgia. The systems have been used not only in the war in Ukraine, but footage and photos suggest they have also been deployed in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Republic of Korea, as an economically and technologically advanced country with numerous modern military technologies of its own, is a very prestigious client. This is the first case of Polish weapons being sold to South Korea. The choice of Warmate 3 systems was undoubtedly influenced by their technical parameters (see exports), but political factors may also play a role. Poland is currently purchasing large quantities of Korean weapons (light combat aircraft, artillery, ammunition, tanks), and it seems appropriate for Seoul to reciprocate by purchasing something. They chose one of the best-selling products of the Polish defence industry.

The contract was signed on the first day of the KADEX exhibition (Korea Army International Defense Industry Exhibition), held at the headquarters of ROKAF in Gyeryongdae. The signatories of the contract were Piotr Wojciechowski, CEO of WB Group, and Jae Joon Chung, Director General of DAPA. The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the defence ministries of Poland and South Korea. Poland was represented by Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defense, responsible for the technical modernization of the Polish Armed Forces.

As WB Group reported in its statement, the order includes ten sets with nearly two hundred Warmate 3 strike systems (unmanned aerial vehicles). The order includes both strike and training versions of these munitions. The value of the contract is unknown, but unofficial estimates suggest it could be around PLN 100 million.

Contrary to previous reports, the Warmate systems will not be delivered to the South Korean special forces, but to the army. This is actually good news because special forces are generally small formations that use numerous specialized, often foreign-made weapons, so their purchases tend to be less significant, quantitatively.

A very different outlook emerges when a country orders a product for its regular army, a large formation that requires significant quantities of equipment to standardize its weapon systems. It seems that the sale of 10 systems with 200 flying units may just be the beginning of broader cooperation. Much will depend on how the systems perform in Korean service, but previous export successes give reason for optimism. Unofficial reports suggest a possible contract or contracts next year for hundreds more strike systems.

It is also possible that the Warmate 3 will pave the way for other WB Group products, such as the Topaz artillery fire control systems or reconnaissance drones, both of which have been proven in combat. Like loitering munitions, these systems are among the best in the world today and have been battle-tested in environments with heavy electronic countermeasures saturation.

Warmate 3 is a lightweight strike system characterized by long flight endurance and an interchangeable combat warhead. Depending on the mission, it can use, for example, multi-purpose (HE), anti-tank (shaped charge), or thermobaric warheads designed to neutralize fortified positions.

Polish loitering munitions are distinguished by their effective operation in environments with heavy electronic warfare interference and disrupted satellite navigation signals. Warmate 3 has low logistical demands and can be carried in backpacks. It can be launched from almost any location, even at high altitudes above sea level, and operates over maritime areas as well.