Poland’s Black Panther Equipped with tanks, advanced defense systems, strengthened armor, and remote control modules
Hyundai Rotem has announced the final version of the Polish-style K2PL tank. The tank incorporates two-layer drone defense system, as well as other improvements as requested by the customer. The company has published it Promotional video The image shows models of future combat vehicles.
+ Sweden tests “Loke” system against drone on NATO Poland mission
Drone Countermeasures
K2PL is equipped with the latest system to respond to the threat of drones. Among them are:
- Onboard electronic warfare (EW) system that can interfere with enemy drones’ communications
- KAPS-2 Active Protection System that uses millimeter-wave radar to monitor the vehicle’s surroundings and detect approaching threats
These radars activate turrets located on the tank main turret, launching fragments in the target direction, and physically destroying them. The video also shows that the two turrets at the rear can rotate in the direction of a threat and can be automatically reloaded after launch, significantly improving self-defense capabilities against drones.
Structural and localized improvements
At the request of a Polish customer, the K2PL version received the following:
- Reinforced armor of the body and turret
- Remote control module equipped with heavy machine guns
- Integration of Polish electronic components compliant with NATO requirements
These renovations are part of the localization process of production and will expand the participation of the Polish defense industry programme.
Production in Poland
The basic agreement between the Polish government and Hyundai Rotem provides for the acquisition of 1,000 K2 tanks under six individual contracts (180 cars each).
- First contract(Concluded in 2022) promptly supplied the K2GF (Gap Filler) version of the vehicle. These intermediate models can be upgraded to the K2PL standard in the future.
- Second contract(Concluded in August 2025) Most of the production will be transferred to the ZM Bumar-Wabendi Armored Factory in Glivice.
During this cycle, 61 completed K2PL tanks will be produced in Poland. Additionally, the agreement includes the production of special vehicles based on K2 chassis:
- 25 engineering vehicles
- 25 armored bridge cars
- 31 armored recovery vehicles
Source and Image: Modern Rotem. This content was created with AI support and reviewed by the editorial team.
