On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Warsaw, in the presence of representatives from the Polish Ministry of National Defence and the Armament Agency, a document was signed outlining the key terms of the agreement to establish and operate a joint venture between WB Group and Hanwha Aerospace. The company will develop and produce 239 mm caliber CGR-080 precision-strike missiles for the Homar-K multiple launch rocket systems in Poland.
Photos: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
The signing ceremony was attended by, among others: Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence, responsible for overseeing the technical modernization of the Polish Armed Forces; Hoonmin Lim, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Poland; Shik Kim, Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Poland; Brig. Gen. Artur Kuptel, Head of the Armament Agency, and his deputy, Brig. Gen. Michał Marciniak; Colonel Kim Seughoon, Defence Attaché of the Republic of Korea in Poland; representatives of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA); Piotr Wojciechowski, President of the Management Board of WB Electronics, together with Vice President Adam Bartosiewicz; representatives of Hanwha Aerospace, including Billy Boohwan Lee, Managing Director of Hanwha Aerospace Europe; Peter Bae, Executive Director of Hanwha Aerospace Europe; and Michael Coulter, President and Executive Director of Hanwha Global Defence.
According to information obtained by the MILMAG Editorial Team, the agreement outlines most of the arrangements between the partners and will enable the swift signing of the final joint venture contract. Interestingly, this is one of the first comprehensive initiatives of its kind to be undertaken since 1989 in Poland.
Today’s agreement marks a significant step in implementing Hanwha Aerospace’s localization strategy in Poland, confirming the company’s long-term commitment to the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces and the development of the domestic defense industry. At the same time, it highlights Hanwha’s growing role as a strategic partner to NATO and European Union member states.
According to the terms of the agreement, Hanwha Aerospace will hold a 51% stake in the joint venture, while WB Electronics—a company within the WB Group—will hold the remaining 49%. The new company will begin operations once approval is granted by Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK).
The joint venture will enable the production of CGR-080 missiles with a range of 80 km in Poland for the K239 Chunmoo (Homar-K) rocket artillery systems purchased by Poland. This marks another agreement that strengthens defense cooperation between the two companies. Thanks to the transfer of technology and expertise to the Polish defense industry, the newly produced missiles will also be used with other rocket systems currently operated by the Polish Armed Forces.
The agreement also includes provisions for the transfer of technology and know-how to the Polish defense sector. As a result, the missiles manufactured in Poland will be capable of integration with other missile systems in the Polish Armed Forces’ inventory.
This is the next step following the October 2, 2024 agreement between WB Electronics and Hanwha Aerospace, signed on the first day of the Korea Army International Defense Industry Exhibition (KADEX), regarding the production of rocket ammunition in Poland. Earlier, on September 4, 2024, during the 32nd International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO 2024) in Kielce, WB Group and Hanwha Aerospace signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning local missile production in Poland.
As Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda stated, the ministry has received assurances that the first missiles produced in Poland will roll off the production lines within three years. He added that NATO countries are showing interest not only in the Chunmoo launchers but also in the ammunition for them, which will be manufactured in Poland. He emphasized that the Korean partner is a proven and reliable one, noting that not every country is willing to share its technology. Minister Bejda also pointed out that further talks will be necessary regarding the production of ballistic missiles with a range of 290 km (CTM-290).
“Today we are at the headquarters of WB Electronics – this is a private company. As the leadership of the Ministry of National Defence, we place an absolute equal sign between the state-owned defense industry and the private defense industry. These two sectors can and should cooperate, complement each other, but of course also compete. From an economic standpoint, this is very necessary. (…) The point is to ensure competition, so that the Polish Armed Forces receive the best equipment – but also at the best price,” said the Deputy Minister of National Defence.
“In December of last year, we signed a second implementation agreement for 72 Chunmoo launchers. With this, the framework agreement has been fulfilled with a total of 290 Chunmoo launchers. Of the 72 that will be produced—some in Poland, some in Korea—12 will be manufactured in Korea, and 60 in Poland. This marks the first stage of transferring the production technology for Chunmoo launchers to Poland. (…) The next step is the production of ammunition, specifically the rockets for these Chunmoo launchers. Ladies and gentlemen, we have received assurances that within three years, the first rockets will roll off the production line of the company already established by WB Electronics and Hanwha Aerospace—and that is an undeniable success of this government,” said Paweł Bejda (First delivery of Homar-K launcher modules this year).
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed, and I wish you success and continued growth. This is a great example of how Polish-Korean joint ventures can be successfully established. I also encourage other countries to follow suit — including the United States. Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated it clearly: if foreign businesses bring technology and development opportunities to Polish defense companies, it’s absolutely a step in the right direction. Once again, congratulations, and I believe we’ll soon meet again for the signing of a contract between the Armament Agency and your joint venture company for the delivery of 80-kilometer-range missiles produced in Poland,” added the Deputy Minister of National Defence.
“The signing of this letter of intent is a key step toward establishing a joint company with the WB Group. We believe this initiative will contribute to strengthening Poland’s industrial capabilities and modernizing its Armed Forces. Moreover, it will open up new opportunities for joint expansion into European markets with competitive, battle-proven missile technologies,” said Billy Boohwan Lee.
“The agreement with WB Group is an important milestone in Hanwha’s continued expansion in the global defense market. It also reaffirms our strong commitment to supporting our partners in developing sovereign defense capabilities,” said Michael Coulter.
Piotr Wojciechowski, President of the Management Board of WB Electronics, described today’s agreement as a historic milestone, marking the creation of the first joint venture of its kind in the Polish defense industry. He stated that it offers not only the opportunity to produce rocket ammunition in Poland, but also to further develop and export it. He noted that this production will be just the first step in cooperation with Hanwha Aerospace, though he did not disclose further details.
He added that the location for the construction of the production facility has not yet been selected, as discussions are still ongoing with several municipalities—five sites are currently under consideration. The goal is to localize the production of Korean missiles, with WB Electronics becoming a hub that brings together other Polish subcontractors involved in manufacturing.
A representative of the MILMAG Portal editorial team, who was present at the event, asked whether the offer of a complete product to other NATO countries includes vehicles configured with other WB Group systems—such as Fonet and Topaz—as seen in the WWR Homar-K configuration. President Wojciechowski responded that the goal of establishing the joint venture is to expand the product range to include missile systems. Therefore, WB Group, together with Hanwha Aerospace, is currently conducting marketing efforts in several countries, offering a comprehensive missile system based on Polish subsystems, including components from the Polish Armaments Group.
