After months of negotiations, Poland signed the second implementation contract on 1 August 2025 for the delivery of 180 K2 tanks with Hyundai Rotem.
The ceremony took place in the Bumar -łabędy factory in Gliwice, in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Poland, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and the Minister of Defense of South Korea, Ahn Gyu-Baek.
The agreement, worth 6.5 billion dollars, provides for the delivery of 116 tanks in the South Korean K2GF version between 2026 and 2027, and 64 tanks in the Polish K2PL version between 2028 and 2030. The final assembly of 61 K2PL tanks will take place in the Bumar-Snab. The first three K2PL tanks are manufactured in South Korea and undergo test modifications based on the K2GF version.
The contract also includes the purchase of approximately 80 supporting vehicles based on the K2 chassis, including 31 technical support vehicles, 25 engineering vehicles and 25 bridge throwers. The delivery of this equipment is expected between 2029 and 2031. Companies of the Polish arms industry, such as Obrum SP. Z OO and Bumar -łabędy itself, will be involved in the development of these systems.
In addition to the vehicles, the package includes an extensive range of logistics support and training, with 120 mm ammunition, small caliber ammunition, spare parts, specialized tools, test equipment and technical documentation. ETS simulators and training courses for instructors, crews and maintenance teams are also provided.
The technology transfer is an important point of the contract. Hyundai Rotem will supply the Polish factory the required equipment to start the local assembly line for the K2PL and derived vehicles, as well as B2B cooperation conditions between South Korean and Polish companies in the Defense industry sector.
During the signing ceremony, General Artur Kuptel, head of the Polish arms agency, and the president of Hyundai Rotem, Yongbae Lee, formalized the agreement. After the event, the Ministers of Defense of both countries held a bilateral meeting to discuss the expansion of cooperation in the field of safety and the current defense projects. “Important topics were industrial cooperation, technology transfer and the production of weapons in Poland,” said Kosiniak-Kamysz on his X account.
In recent years, Poland has positioned itself as a strategic partner of South Korea in defense agreements. In addition to the K2 tanks, the country has already purchased 288 Chunmoo rocket throwers, 672 K9 Self-driving Houwitsers and 48 FA-50 training and combat aircraft.
Source and images: x @kosiniakkamysz. This content was made with the help of AI and revised by the editorial team.
