To enhance its land forces’ tracked vehicle capabilities, Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has finalized a deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem to procure 180 K2 Black Panther tanks along with 81 support vehicles. The agreement is valued at approximately $6.5 billion.
The signing ceremony took place in Gliwice, Poland, with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back—who is currently visiting Poland—present for the occasion.
According to the Polish ministry, deliveries are scheduled between 2026 and 2030. Out of the total, 116 tanks will be supplied in the K2GF version, which is manufactured in South Korea. The remaining 64 units will be acquired in the Polish-specific K2PL configuration. Initial production of the first three K2PL tanks will take place in South Korea, after which manufacturing will shift to Poland. The domestic production will be led by Bumar-Łabędy, a subsidiary of the state-owned PGZ group.
“These new tanks will feature upgrades compared to the current models. Production is set to begin next year, and by 2028–2030, we aim to achieve full-scale manufacturing within Poland,” Kosiniak-Kamysz stated at the event.
This is Poland’s second confirmed purchase of K2 tanks. The first batch of 180 units was ordered in 2022. Under the overarching agreement, Poland has the option to acquire up to 1,000 K2 tanks, potentially establishing the model as the backbone of the country’s armored forces.
The agreement follows intense financial negotiations between Poland and South Korea concerning previous defense contracts signed by the former Polish administration. In addition to the K2 arrangement, the current government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk has inherited several other large-scale defense agreements, including orders for FA-50 light combat aircraft, K9 self-propelled howitzers, and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers.
Driven by security concerns amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, Poland has accelerated the modernization and expansion of its tank arsenal. Leveraging South Korea’s high production capacity and favorable stance on technology transfers, Warsaw has emerged as one of Seoul’s most prominent defense customers in Europe.
