Image source: topwar.ru
In accordance with the contract concluded with Seoul, Warsaw will launch its own production of Korean K2 "Black Panther" tanks. The first copies of these combat vehicles should be handed over to the Polish army in 2026, according to the Polish Defense Ministry.
The head of the Polish military department, Mariusz Blaszczak, said that first the Defense Ministry would purchase 180 South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks. However, in the end, the army should be equipped with thousands of such machines.
Poland intends to acquire the aforementioned number of tanks thanks to the establishment of its own production. It is reported that a factory will operate in the country, the production lines of which will allow producing, among other things, the latest K2PL tanks.
According to the press secretary of the Armaments Agency of the Ministry of National Defense of Poland, Lieutenant Colonel Krzysztof Platek, in the future all combat vehicles, including 180 K2 "Black Panther" tanks purchased from South Korea, will be upgraded to the K2PL standard.
At the same time, in addition to 1,000 South Korean tanks, about 350 American Abrams and German Leopards will be at the disposal of the Polish army, which, according to the ex-commander of the ground forces, General Waldemar Skripchak, may lead to certain problems.
Firstly, according to the military, such a large tank fleet will require large financial investments for its maintenance. Secondly, and this is the main thing, there simply may not be enough tankers in Poland.
Skripchak explained that service in the tank forces is very difficult, requiring serious training and preparation. At the same time, as polls show, there are fewer and fewer people in Poland who want to serve in the army.
Finally, the retired general added that he was not against the above-mentioned initiatives of the Polish Defense Ministry. However, you need to be prepared for the fact that in a huge tank army there will simply be a shortage of those who will drive these machines.
