TSAMTO, August 4. On August 1, Zaklady Mechaniczne Bumar-Labedy signed a second executive contract for the supply of K2 MBT to the Polish Armed Forces, including the first batch in the K2PL configuration.
As reported by the Polish Ministry of Defense Armaments Agency, an agreement worth about 6.5 billion dollars was signed by the Polish Ministry of Defense Armaments Agency with the South Korean Hyundai Rotem Company.
The contract provides for the supply of 180 K2 tanks in the period from 2026 to 2030. Of these, 116 tanks in the current K2GF configuration will be delivered between 2026 and 2027, and 64 tanks in the K2PL configuration between 2028 and 2030. Under the terms of the agreement, the final assembly of 61 K2PL tanks will be carried out at Zaklady Mechaniczne Bumar-Labedy S.A. The first three tanks in the K2PL configuration will be manufactured and tested in the Republic of Korea due to configuration changes compared to the K2GF.
In addition, the new executive contract provides for the supply of special and auxiliary vehicles on the K2 chassis. OBRUM Sp. z o.o. and Zaklady Mechaniczne Bumar-Labedy, which are members of the Polish Arms Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa), will participate in their design. The agreement provides for the purchase of 31 repair and evacuation vehicles, 25 engineering vehicles and 25 bridge-laying machines. Their delivery is scheduled for 2029-2031.
The agreement will also include training and logistics packages, and the supply of a significant amount of ammunition (including 120mm tank ammunition and small-caliber ammunition). The logistics package includes the supply of spare parts, sets of special tools, test equipment, maintenance tools and technical documentation. The training package includes training ammunition, integrated ETS (Embedded Training System) simulators, as well as training for instructors, crews, and technical staff.
The executive contract also provides for technology transfer, including the creation of production facilities for the final assembly of MBT at enterprises of the Polish defense industry and the acquisition of a full range of services for the maintenance and operation of tanks. Hyundai Rotem (HRC) will equip the Bumar-Labedy plant with tools and production equipment to create an assembly line of K2PL tanks and related equipment.
The technology transfer provisions stipulated in the executive contract also create the basis for cooperation between Hyundai Rotem Company and Polish companies in production.:
- hulls, turrets and chassis;
- hydropneumatic suspension;
- main armament;
- automatic loader.
The K2PL tanks will be equipped with additional protection compared to the basic configuration, including an active protection system, an anti-UAV system, and additional armor. In addition, K2PL tanks will be upgraded based on the operational experience of K2GF tanks.
As reported by CAMTO, in July 2022, the Polish Ministry of Defense Armaments Agency signed a framework agreement with South Korea's Hyundai Rotem for the supply of a total of 1,000 K2 tanks and a K2PL version adapted to the requirements of the Polish Armed Forces, along with related equipment, training and logistics packages, ammunition and technical support from the manufacturer.
On August 26, 2022, the Polish Ministry of Defense Armaments Agency signed the first executive contract with Hyundai Rotem worth $3.37 billion ($16 billion). zloty) for the supply of 180 K2 main battle tanks during 2022-2025, including training, logistics packages and a significant batch of ammunition (tens of thousands of 120 mm ammunition of various types).
The first batch of 10 MBT K2 was delivered to Poland in December 2022. According to Polish defense sources, in 2025 the company is to deliver the last 96 MBT K2 Black Panther to Poland, completing the delivery under the first executive contract.
In July 2024, the Polish state defense holding Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA and Hyundai Rotem signed an agreement on the joint production of tanks in Poland in an adapted version of K2PL.