South Korea May Purchase Polish 'Warmate' Combat Drones

South Korea's military is reportedly contemplating the acquisition of Polish-made combat drones, likely the ‘Warmate” platform.

The South Korean defense authorities plan to dispatch a delegation to Poland to inspect the drones and evaluate their suitability for operations on the Korean Peninsula, government officials were quoted as saying by local media. This move follows a request from Warsaw during Defense Minister Shin Won-sik's recent visit to Poland.

The interest in Poland's unmanned aerial vehicles is partly due to their performance in modern combat scenarios. The 'Warmate' suicide drone has seen active use by Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. A South Korean defense ministry official told Yonhap, "As Poland's drones are currently used in actual combat, (we) will review whether there are areas that can be utilized by our military."

This development comes in the wake of major defense contracts signed by Poland with South Korean companies in 2022, including deals for FA-50 jets, K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, and Chunmoo rocket artillery systems. A South Korean government official highlighted the mutual benefits, noting the increased demand for small-sized unmanned aerial vehicles in South Korea and Poland's substantial purchases of South Korean weaponry.

South Korea has been enhancing its unmanned capabilities, notably launching the Drone Operations Command in September last year.

The 'Warmate' loitering munition, produced by Poland's WB Group, features a lightweight structure suitable for various mission types. It can be used as a standalone system, transported or carried by land or special forces units, and can be mounted on vehicles. It offers an operational range of 30 km, speed of 80 km/h and a flight time of approximately 70 minutes. The drone is designed for both combat and observation missions, with high-explosive and thermobaric warhead options. In combat configuration, it is an expendable solution, while in observation mode, it can be recovered and reused.