Poland signs $6.5 Billion deal for 180 Korean K2 tanks and local production capabilities

On Friday, August 1, the Polish Armaments Agency and South Korean company Hyundai Rotem signed a contract worth approximately $6.5 billion for the supply of 180 K2 main battle tanks.

The signing ceremony took place at the Bumar-Łabędy plant in Gliwice, according to the press service of the Polish Armaments Agency.

Under the terms of the agreement, Poland will receive the tanks in two phases: 116 units in the standard K2GF configuration by 2027, followed by 64 units in the upgraded K2PL version by 2030. The K2PL variant will feature an active protection system, anti-missile capabilities, and enhanced armor — improvements derived from operational experience with the K2GF model.

A key element of the contract is that 61 out of the 64 K2PL tanks will be fully assembled at the Bumar-Łabędy facility.

"Thanks to this agreement, Poland will gain domestic capabilities for tank production," said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz during the signing ceremony.

The Korean side will supply the necessary equipment to establish full-scale production lines in Poland and will provide training for local personnel.

The contract also includes the delivery of 81 auxiliary vehicles — including maintenance vehicles, engineering support vehicles, and bridge layers — scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2031.

Deliveries of the tanks under this new contract are set to begin in 2026, with domestic production in Poland slated to start in 2028.

• A broad framework agreement for the procurement of 1,000 K2 tanks — half of which are to be manufactured in Poland — was signed in July 2022 by then-Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak. One month later, the two sides signed a $3.4 billion deal for the first batch of 180 tanks.
• Deliveries of those tanks are already underway, though their localization remains limited. The only Polish component currently integrated is the communications system produced by WB Group.