Władysława Kosiniaka-Kamysza, Poland’s National Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, announced during a press conference that negotiations with Hyundai Rotem for a new tranche of K2 tanks have been successfully concluded.
The subject of the negotiation is the Polish version of the K2 Black Panther, the recovery and rescue version, and Polish industry’s involvement through the Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ).
The Warsaw Defense Ministry confirmed that the deal includes 180 K2PLs, with an additional (and this is new) 80 K2s in a recovery and rescue version, which were not considered under the first contract negotiated by the previous government.
Concerning the first contract for the K2s, the final batches of the initial 180 units will be delivered to the Polish Defense by the end of this year.
Further details surround the agreement on price, a topic that has fueled debate and controversy in Poland. The Polish defense says the South Koreans, after initial negotiations, were not rigid and significantly lowered the unit cost to accommodate Warsaw’s demands.
The contract has not yet been formally signed due to diplomatic courtesy, as the new Defense Minister has not yet taken office in Seoul.
Another significant announcement from the press conference is the interest shown by Slovakia in the Polish version of the K2, which, according to the Warsaw Defense Minister, may result in a purchase, marking the first export contract for this version of the Black Panther.
The contract to be signed between Warsaw and Seoul by the end of the year provides for the production of some of the new tanks directly in Poland with technology transfer from Hyundai Rotem to PGZ.
The first K2PL tanks will be assembled directly in South Korea, with the first thirty units expected to be delivered to Poland by the end of 2026.
The new K2PLs will have a considerable share of systems and equipment developed and produced by the Polish industry.
Source and photo credit @Polish National Defense Ministry
