NATO member Poland Going To Asian Superpower To Replace Its Outdated Soviet-era fighter jets

In the midst of rising tensions in Europe, Poland inked one of its largest-ever arms purchases recently to upgrade its military with more artillery, tanks, and planes. 

The largest ever defence contract between Warsaw and South Korea, worth $14.5 billion, includes 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft, roughly 700 K9 self-propelled howitzers, and 1,000 K2 Black Panther tanks. The scale of the order and Warsaw's choice to purchase from a new military supplier both indicate thinking influenced by the unstable geopolitical situation in Europe. 

A capable light combat aircraft is the FA-50. It can carry a range of bombs and air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and travel at supersonic speeds of Mach 1.5. According to Poland's Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak will receive the upgraded Block 20 type that is compatible with NATO systems. Poland, however, picked the FA-50s because of its quick acquisition time as well as its combat prowess. Other aircraft, such as F-16s, were also considered by Warsaw, but none could be delivered quickly enough. 

The Polish defence minister stated that it was crucial to raise security measures as soon as possible for his country. By the middle of 2023, the Polish Air Force will have the first 12 FA-50s. The FA-50 is also based on the T-50 trainer and light combat aircraft that South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries created in conjunction with Lockheed Martin, the company that makes the F-16. As a result, the FA-50 and F-16 share design cues and parts, making maintenance and pilot training easier. 

Baszczak said, "A pilot who has been trained on FA-50 simply needs a few hours to start flying the F-16 on his own." "Training as a whole is substantially less expensive, so we could train more pilots," An FA-50 maintenance and service facility will also be built in Poland by 2026, as per the agreement with South Korea. Warsaw seeks to avoid the supply-chain and maintenance concerns affecting its MiG-29s with this arrangement.