The contract was signed at the "Bumar-Łabada" plant in Gliwice. It provides for the transportation of another 180 K2 tanks, including the first K2PL versions. Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed that this was an crucial agreement, which was negotiated for a long time.
– This would not have been possible had it not been for the strategical partnership that we had with Korea. It concerns not only the acquisition of equipment, but besides the warrant of common relations – said the Minister of National Defence.
He added that the contract was concluded on a symbolic day, on the 81st anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. “Today’s determination, the desire to build the safest Poland in past are our primates, and that’s what we do here in Gliwice,” he said.
Further K2 tanks will go to Poland
It is in Gliwice that Polished K2 tanks will be created. The head of the MON pointed out that signing the contract was a signal that the arms manufacture is and will be an always stronger flywheel of the Polish economy.
As he noted, the contract includes not only the acquisition of 180 tanks and 81 accompanying cars. – This is the full logistics package, connected with the preparation of purchase, education and the full service and repair package. Most importantly, it concerns technology transfer. Poland is gaining the capacity to produce tanks," added Kosiniak-Kamysz.
As we wrote in atTemat.pl, the first contract for the acquisition of K2 tanks from South Korea was signed in July 2022 erstwhile the Minister of Defence was Mariusz Błaszczak. At the same time, there was a larger agreement, which assumes a full of 1000 tanks, of which 820 are to be produced in Poland, in a version adapted to national needs.
What kind of machines are these?
K2 tanks, officially K2 Black Panther, are modern South Korean primary tanks (MBT – Main conflict Tank), designed and manufactured by Hyundai Rotem. They are considered to be 1 of the most modern tanks in the world.
The K2 armour consists of composite and reactive elements. The thickness of the cover is comparable to the American M1A2 Abrams, but K2 is lighter. It weighs about 55 tons, while Abrams weighs almost 62 tons.
