South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem has secured a major deal to supply a second tranche of 180 K2 Black Panther main battle tanks (MBTs) to Poland, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 2 July 2025.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed the news via his X social media account, stating on 2 July, “We have completed negotiations for the delivery of 180 tanks, 80 support vehicles, and we will sign contracts for a comprehensive package that has never been implemented before as part of K2 tank agreements.
“This is an extremely complex process due, among other things, to technology transfer and the localisation of production,” Kosiniak-Kamysz added. “As a result, 60 tanks will be manufactured in Poland, and the main partner in carrying out this task will be the Polish company Bumar Łabędy.”
The specific size of the contract will be disclosed at a later date, DAPA said in a statement, but Yonhap News Agency has reported that the deal to supply 180 K2 MBTs is likely to be worth about USD 6.5 billion (EUR 5.53 billion).
A Polish K2 MBT during a live-fire demonstration in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, on 31 March 2023. Poland is ordering another 180 K2s to double the size of its Black Panther fleet. [US Army]Poland initially signed a major USD 22 billion framework arms agreement with South Korea in August 2022, under which were purchased 180 K2 MBTs, 212 K9 self-propelled howitzers, 48 FA-50 fighters and 218 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) (with another 72 MRLs bought in April 2024).
According to reporting by The Korea Times, negotiations for a follow-up deal had been underway but were delayed by political turmoil in South Korea following former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration in December 2024, as well as disagreements between the two sides over contract terms.
Adrian Fei Kunze
