(Adnkronos) – A portion of the 180 South Korean K2 main battle tanks purchased under a new agreement between Warsaw and Seoul will be co-produced in Poland. This was stated today by the Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. Poland is currently receiving the initial batch of 180 tanks produced by Hyundai Rotem, as part of its first contract with South Korea. However, local components are minimal, limited to communication systems.
Under the new $6.7 billion deal for an additional 180 tanks, signed today in Warsaw, the Polish defense contractor, Bumar-Labedy, will have access to Korean technology and will participate in the production of 61 vehicles designated as K2Pl. Another three tanks, in the ad hoc version for Poland, will still be produced in South Korea. Speaking at the contract signing ceremony, Kosiniak-Kamysz said the agreement with South Korea also includes the supply of support vehicles, as well as a training package and a service and repair package.
The first deliveries of the new batch of K2 are expected next year, while Polish production will begin in 2028-2030. Poland is actively working to replace hundreds of Soviet-era T-72 tanks sent to Ukraine in 2022-2023. Most of the K2s from the first batch have already been delivered.
