South Korea, Poland to form joint consultative military air force body
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The consultative forum will facilitate the exchange of operational data about the FA-50 fighter jets and will also include a pilot exchange program.
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South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo, left, and his Polish host, former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at an air base in Minsk Mazowiecki, eastern Poland, Wednesday, September 13, 2023. (AP)
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, which cited unidentified military sources on Sunday, Seoul and Warsaw have decided to establish a consultative body between their air forces in order to strengthen their bilateral military cooperation.
The outlet cited sources that the sides are negotiating the specifics of the consultative organization's establishment, including the launch date. It further stated that the body will function as a forum for discussing collaboration on military strategy, tactics, and the defense sector.
According to the agency, the body would also facilitate the exchange of operational data about the FA-50 fighter jets and a pilot exchange program.
The parties will probably also discuss Poland's purchase of South Korea's freshly mass-produced KF-21 Boramae fighter jets.
2022, 2023 good years for US arms sales
Poland and South Korea are actively collaborating militarily, having inked a number of arms deals between the two nations between 2022 and 2023. The Polish side is expected to acquire 48 FA-50 fighter jets, around 280 K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems, 600 howitzers, and 1,000 tanks overall as a result of these contracts.
Back in 2022, the US approved a prospected arms deal worth $3.75 billion consisting of 116 Abrams tanks and related equipment to Poland.
"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Poland of M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and related equipment for an estimated cost of $3.75 billion," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) stated in a press release at the time.
The Pentagon at the time also announced a possible deal to sell CH-47 Chinook helicopters and related equipment worth $1.5 billion to South Korea had been approved by the US.
Read more: Kim Jong Un calls South Korea an 'unchangeable enemy'
"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea of CH-47F helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.5 billion," the Pentagon said.
