Poland Considers Introducing Redback... Practical Negotiations to Start Next Month

Polish Defense Minister Reveals Consideration of Redback via SNS
Practical Negotiations to Proceed After Main Test on 26th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Poland is considering the introduction of the infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) 'Redback' following the K2 tank, K-9 self-propelled howitzer, FA-50 light attack aircraft, and multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) 'Cheonmu'.

According to industry sources on the 21st, Mariusz Błaszczak, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, announced via his social media account on the 20th (local time) that he is considering the Korean IFV 'AS-21' as a complementary measure to the domestically developed armored vehicle Borsuk. AS-21 is the development stage codename for Redback, and Minister Błaszczak added that the 'testing' of Redback has begun, attaching photos of both Borsuk and Redback.

This is the first time a senior Polish official has publicly mentioned the introduction of Redback. After several months of reviewing the Redback acquisition, the Polish government has decided to conduct a preliminary test on the 25th and a main test on the 26th, followed by practical negotiations with Hanwha Defense starting next month.

Although Poland is developing Borsuk independently, Borsuk is a light armored vehicle, so there is a separate demand for medium-weight armored vehicles. Minister Błaszczak's tweet referring to Redback as a 'complementary measure to Borsuk' reflects this. Especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European countries have shown increased interest in tracked armored vehicles with excellent rough terrain mobility and combat vehicles with enhanced protection.

Redback is evaluated as a next-generation infantry fighting vehicle that fits these market trends. As a 5th generation IFV, Redback incorporates numerous new technologies such as composite material rubber tracks, special armor design, the 'Iron Vision' helmet display function, the 'Iron Fist' active protection system using an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and a health and usage monitoring system (HUMS). The active protection system detects and neutralizes enemy anti-tank missile attacks in advance.

Additionally, it is equipped with a 'hybrid turret' capable of launching anti-tank missiles, a 30mm main gun, and a 7.62mm machine gun. When covered with a 'thermal camouflage net,' it can transform into a 'stealth armored vehicle' that can evade thermal surveillance equipment detection and thermal-tracking missile attacks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.