S. Korea, Poland mull joint development of wheeled armored vehicles: official

SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Poland appear to be considering a joint project to develop wheeled armored vehicles, the state arms procurement agency said Saturday.

Officials from South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) visited the state-owned Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) late last month and discussed the joint development of the South Korean Army's K808 wheel-type armored vehicles, called "Baekho," according to the agency.

The K808 vehicles were among a list of export items included in an initial deal signed with Poland to export 1,000 K2 tanks in July last year.

"As discussions of the joint development came from the Polish side, they appear to be wanting (wheel-typed armored vehicles) with improved performance instead of buying the current model," a DAPA official said.

Poland has been intensifying its arms procurement efforts after it sent military aid to Ukraine in the wake of Russia's invasion of the country.

Last year, South Korea signed major deals with Poland to supply South Korean weapons systems, including K2 battle tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers and FA-50 light attack aircraft.

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