Poland signs K2 tank localization deal with South Korea
Poland has signed an executive agreement with South Korea to deliver 180 K2 main battle tanks to the Polish Armed Forces, marking a pivotal step in the reestablishment of tank manufacturing within the country after more than a decade.
According to Poland’s Ministry of National Defense, the agreement includes the first batch of tanks in the localized K2PL configuration, tailored to the operational requirements of the Polish Army. The signing ceremony took place the Bumar-Łabędy factory in Gliwice — the site that will play a central role in the domestic production effort.
The contract was signed by Maj. Gen. Artur Kuptel, head of the Armament Agency, and Yongbae Lee, CEO of Hyundai Rotem, the South Korean manufacturer of the K2.
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who attended the ceremony, remarked, “Wielka historia dzieje się na naszych oczach” — “Great history is happening before our eyes.”
The new order supplements the earlier framework agreement signed in 2022, which outlined Poland’s plan to adopt the K2 as the primary main battle tank in its ground forces. With this latest contract, the Polish military moves closer to fully integrating the platform, eventually replacing older systems such as the Leopard 2A4 and PT-91.
The last domestically produced tanks — PT-91s for the Malaysian Army — were completed at Bumar-Łabędy in 2009. Since then, the Gliwice-based plant, now part of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), has focused on maintenance and upgrades.
With this agreement, Bumar-Łabędy will transition from repair and service work back to serial production, beginning with final assembly of the K2PL variant. The K2PL will feature enhancements including reinforced armor, active protection systems, and other upgrades specific to NATO interoperability and Polish battlefield requirements.
Defense cooperation between Warsaw and Seoul has deepened since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Alongside the K2, Poland has also signed major contracts for South Korean K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light combat aircraft, and Chunmoo rocket artillery systems.
With the production line at Bumar-Łabędy now expected to support both K2PL assembly and future upgrades, Poland is set to become one of Europe’s principal centers for main battle tank production, ensuring long-term sustainability and operational readiness for its armored forces
