Following Poland, Estonia and other European countries, the United States has also begun to look to South Korea to buy arms. (Previously reported "South Korea 'pryed' U.S. customers?") What does it mean to receive a large arms order from a European country? 》）
On the 10th local time of the United States, it was disclosed that South Korea will provide artillery shells to the Ukrainian army for the first time through a confidential arms sales agreement between the United States and South Korea. In response, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense immediately responded on the 11th that it was indeed negotiating with the United States on the export of ammunition, but the premise of the negotiations was "only for the use of the United States", and once again reiterated South Korea's commitment not to provide anti-personnel weapons to Ukraine.
It is worth noting that in recent times, a number of Western countries have abandoned the purchase of weapons from US arms dealers and signed orders with South Korea instead. There are reports that this phenomenon has also caused unease among US arms dealers. In the global arms market, which has long dominated Western countries, why can South Korean arms dealers "emerge from the crowd"?
United States: Buy arms to send to Ukraine South Korea: For the use of the US military
A U.S. official revealed on Thursday that the United States will buy 100,000 rounds of 155mm guns from South Korean manufacturers to supply to Ukraine. The U.S. and Ukrainian governments have been negotiating the deal for some time. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier this month and agreed in principle to proceed with the shell deal. Pentagon officials confirmed the broad framework of the contract and said it would help ease pressure on U.S. stockpiles, particularly when it comes to howitzer ammunition.
↑South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup met with U.S. Defense Secretary Austin this month
A U.S. defense official said last week that Ukraine consumes up to 7,000 rounds of ammunition a day, which is rapidly dwindling U.S. artillery stockpiles. In August, U.S. stocks of 155-millimeter guns fell to levels "worried" by the Pentagon, while U.S. officials said "things are much worse today."
In this regard, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense reiterated its commitment not to provide lethal military support to Ukraine on the 11th. South Korea's Defense Ministry acknowledged that the United States and South Korea are consulting on the export of artillery shells to replenish the shortage of 155-mm ammunition stocks in the United States. However, the premise of the negotiations is that "the relevant ammunition is for the use of the US military", and South Korea's commitment not to supply anti-personnel weapons to Ukraine has not changed.
South Korea has signed $17 billion in arms export contracts this year
According to 2021 data analysis by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), South Korea's military exports accounted for only about 1% of the global arms market between 2012 and 2016, but in the period from 2017 to 2021, South Korea's arms export share has increased to 2.8%, nearly tripling in five years, and the fastest growth rate among the top ten countries.
According to reports, Poland signed a contract worth $5.8 billion with South Korea in July this year, nearly 1,000 tanks, more than 600 sets of artillery and dozens of fighters due to the emptying of arms depots for aid to Ukraine. It is reported that this is South Korea's largest arms export order in history, and it is also the first time that NATO members other than Turkey have purchased major weapons systems from defense contractors other than NATO. Subsequently, Poland purchased another 288 K-239 Skydance long-range rocket launchers from South Korea at the end of October, worth $3.6 billion.
Now, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues for a long time, South Korea has quietly become a favorite of arms buyers around the world. Simon Weizermann of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said: "This is a gold rush for arms producers. Koreans have the right technology at the right time. ”
As of November, South Korea has signed $17 billion in arms export contracts this year, up from $7 billion in 2021, marking the first time South Korea's arms exports have exceeded imports. South Korea has also risen from being the world's fourth largest arms exporter.
Cost-effective, fast It has also been sold to countries in the Middle East
One of the main selling points of South Korean weapons is the low price and the ultra-fast delivery speed of leading arms manufacturers such as Hanwha Defense, Korea Aerospace Industry and Hyundai Rotem. It is reported that Poland switched to South Korean arms dealers precisely after the American arms dealer Lockheed Martin could not meet his request to increase orders for the "Seamas" artillery system.
On October 18, local time, South Korea's Hyundai Rotem held a delivery ceremony to deliver the first batch of 10 K2 main battle tanks to Poland. On the same day, South Korea's Hanwha Defense Corporation also held a ceremony to deliver K9155 mm self-propelled howitzers to Poland. According to the plan, the first K-239 "Tenmai" rocket launchers manufactured by South Korea's Hanwha Group will be delivered to Poland in 2023 after an agreement was reached in October this year.
Hyundai Rotem says it can deliver 180 K2 tanks to Poland over the next 3 years, five times more efficient than the Leopard-2 tanks produced by the German company Klaus-Maffei Wigmann. By comparison, the K2 tank costs $5.7 million to $7.1 million each about half the price of the Leopard-2.
↑ K2 tank
Weizermann pointed out that South Korean arms manufacturers also provide "good warranty and after-sales service", unlike the US arms merchant that attaches conditions and restrictions on sales. He believes that this may be one of the reasons why the UAE decided in January to spend $3.5 billion on South Korea's Skybow-2 medium-range air defense missile system. It was South Korea's largest arms export sale at the time and its first order in the Middle East.
It is reported that in addition to the large orders in Poland and the United Arab Emirates this year, South Korean arms dealers can be described as "harvesting a lot", such as Egypt spent more than $1.5 billion in February to import 200 K9 self-propelled howitzers, and Saudi Arabia signed a $757 million arms purchase contract with Hanwha in March. In September, senior Estonian army officials traveled to Seoul for the DX Korea 2022 trade show and ordered 18 K9 self-propelled howitzers from Hanwha, joining Turkey, Poland, Finland and Norway.
↑ K9 self-propelled howitzer
South Korean arms dealers "keep signing orders", which has aroused unease among US arms dealers. According to reports, after months of "stockpiles" being sent to Ukraine, Eastern European countries, which usually buy weapons from the United States, began to consider buying weapons from South Korea, which can supply weapons faster and cheaper. "U.S. arms dealers are worried that this won't stop at Poland." A person familiar with the matter who does business with a number of U.S. defense companies said.
However, the person familiar with the matter believes that "this is purely a marketing blitzkrieg in South Korea." He noted that the delivery commitment given by South Korean arms dealers is an ambitious plan, but it will be difficult to be consistent in the coming years, "They have not yet proven that they can deliver equipment as quickly as promised." ”
Red Star News reporter Xu slowly
Editor Yang Cheng Responsible Editor Wei Kongming
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