After months of negotiations, Poland signed the second execution contract with Hyundai Rotem on the delivery of 180 K2 tanks on August 1, 2025.
The ceremony took place in the Bumarłabędy plant in Gliwice and was accompanied by Poland’s Vice Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and the South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-Baek.
The contract worth $ 6.5 billion provides for the delivery of 116 tanks of the South Korean K2GF version between 2026 and 2027 and 64 tanks of the Polish K2PL version between 2028 and 2030. The final assembly of 61 K2PL tanks is carried out in the Bumarłabędy plant, which marks the beginning of national production. The first three K2PL tanks are manufactured in South Korea and checked by modification tests based on the K2GF version.
The contract also includes the procurement of around 80 support vehicles based on the K2 chassis, including 31 technical support vehicles, 25 engineering vehicles and 25 bridge layers. The delivery of this equipment is planned between 2029 and 2031. Companies of the Polish armaments group such as Obrum Sp. Z oo and Bumar -łabędy themselves will be involved in the development of these systems.
In addition to the vehicles, the package includes extensive logistical support and training, including 120 mm ammunition, ammunition for small calibers, spare parts, special tools, test devices and technical documentation. ETS simulators and training courses for trainers, crews and maintenance teams are also planned.
An important point of the contract is the technology transfer. Hyundai Rotem will deliver the necessary equipment to the Polish work to start the local assembly of the K2PL and derived vehicles and set the conditions for a B2B cooperation between Korean and Polish companies in the defense sector.
General Artur Kuptel, head of the Polish armor agency, and Yongbae Lee, the President of Hyundai Rotem, formalized the contract during the signing ceremony. After the event, the defense ministers of both countries carried out a bilateral meeting to discuss the expansion of security cooperation and ongoing defense projects. “Important topics were industrial cooperation, technology transfer and arms production in Poland,” said Kosiniak-Kamysz on his X-account.
In recent years, Poland has established itself as a strategic partner in South Korea in defense agreements. In addition to the K2 tanks, the country has already procured 288 Chunmoo rocket launchers, 672 K9 self-driving Haubitzen and 48 FA-50 training and fighter jets.
Source and pictures: x @kosiniakkamysz. This content was created with the help of AI and checked by the editorial team.
