The Sejm of the Republic of Poland has clarified how it will acquire K2PL tanks and localise their production. Defence24 reports that the Ministry of National Defence plans to maintain the number of tanks ordered under the framework agreement signed on 27 July 2022 between the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and Hyundai Rotem.
Procurement strategy and local production
The agreement outlines a phased purchase of military equipment through six sales contracts. The Ministry is currently executing the second contract to procure 180 additional tanks. Each contract aims to deliver about 180 tanks, targeting a total of 1,000 K2 and K2PL tanks.
Alongside tank deliveries, the Polish company Zakłady Mechaniczne ‘Bumar-Łabędy’ will build facilities to assemble the K2PL tanks locally.
The company will also carry out maintenance, repairs, and overhauls. Furthermore, Hyundai Rotem will transfer technology to Polish manufacturers to produce key components, including the hull, turret, chassis, suspension, main gun, and loading systems.
Technical Details and Contract Overview
The K2 Black Panther tank weighs about 55 tonnes and has a crew of three. It features a 120 mm L55 smoothbore gun with a conveyor system holding seven rounds, allowing it to fire up to 20 rounds per minute.
The tank runs on a 1,500 hp diesel engine. It reaches speeds of 70 km/h on roads and covers around 450 km. The K2PL version, customised for Poland, offers additional protection and support systems to meet the Polish Army’s requirements.
The original framework agreement from July 2022 also includes purchasing 648 K9 Thunder howitzers alongside 980 K2 tanks. The Polish Armed Forces will receive the first batch of 180 tanks between 2022 and 2025, under a contract valued at $3.4 billion.
In August 2025, Poland signed a second contract to acquire 180 more K2 tanks. The contract specifies that Poland will produce 64 of these tanks domestically as K2PL models. It also includes 25 engineering vehicles, 25 armoured vehicle-launched bridges, and 31 armoured recovery vehicles. The total value of the deal amounts to $6.7 billion.
