Poland receives additional supplies from South Korea as part of efforts to strengthen its defense capacity K2 Black Panther tank has secured a major deal to supply. According to a report by Reuters, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Agency (DAPA) announced on July 3 that Poland will receive the second batch of K2 tanks and plans to sign a contract. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said the exact size of the contract would be announced later.
Minister of Defence of Poland Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz The approximate cost of the K2 and K2PL tanks and their accompanying support vehicles is Valued at $6.7 billion The Minister also stated that the Polish side was ready to sign the contract, saying, “However, since there is a new appointment process for the South Korean Defense Ministry and out of respect for our Korean partners, we want to sign the contract in the presence of the ministers.” This situation is It can be signed after July 21 means.
Contract Details: 180 K2 Tanks and Local Production
Sources close to the matter said the agreement 180 tanks It says it covers the same scale as the previous agreement in 2022, making it Korea’s largest single-system arms export to date. “The government has consistently demonstrated its strong commitment to technology transfer and military cooperation, earning Poland’s deep trust through various policy supports such as defense export financing,” DAPA said in a statement.
According to the contract, 180 K2 tanks 63 will be assembled in Poland in a joint arrangement between Hyundai Rotem and Poland's state-run defence group PGZThe deal also includes upgraded tank configurations, technology transfer, and full maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) support. These additional items bring the total value above the initial 4.5 exports of 2022 trillion won for the same number of tanks.
Negotiations for the second contract were initially expected to conclude last year but faced delays due to disagreements between the Polish government and a local defence company over specific contract details. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol The situation has been further complicated by the political instability in South Korea following the country’s declaration of temporary martial law on December 3. However, with the restoration of stability in South Korea, negotiations regarding the status of the K2PL tanks have begun to accelerate.
Previous Deliveries and Strengthening of the Polish Army
The previous delivery was made in March. According to the contract signed between both parties in 2022, the last K2 tanks arrived in the country last March. The Polish Armament Agency announced in a post on its official X account that the new batch of K2 tanks had arrived in the country. In this delivery, a total of 12 tank while delivery in February 14 tank had reached the country.
The total number of tanks that reached Poland with this shipment to the country To 103 It was released. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz shared the following on his X account regarding the delivery: “New equipment deliveries have been made to the Polish army in recent days. Last week, 16 K14 Black Panther tanks were delivered to the 2th Mechanized Division, and in the coming days, 18 K8 self-propelled howitzers and additional equipment will be delivered to the 9th Mechanized Division. More tanks, howitzers and launchers are on the way. A strong Polish Army is the key to the security of all of Europe" These statements reveal Poland's quest not only to strengthen its own defense but also to contribute to the overall security of Europe.
