Poland signs agreement to produce South Korean K2 tanks domestically

Notes from Poland ^ | April 29th, 2026

[Cronos]

Polish state defence firm Bumar-Łabędy has signed an agreement with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem setting out the terms of production in Poland of dozens of South Korean K2 tanks. It will be the first time in almost two decades that Poland will manufacture tanks domestically.

The agreement, signed on Monday, formally defines the division of work and payments under a wider 2025 contract in which Poland ordered 180 K2 tanks and 81 support vehicles, some of which were to be produced domestically.

Under the plan, Bumar-Łabędy will assemble 61 Polish-configured K2PL tanks and 72 support vehicles. The first K2PL tank is scheduled to roll off the Gliwice production line in 2028. That would be the first time a tank has been produced domestically since the last PT-91M Twardy was completed in 2009.

“Our collaboration with Bumar-Łabędy is the foundation of the K2PL program, enabling the transfer of advanced technologies and the development of modern production capabilities in Poland,” said Yong-bae Lee, president and CEO of Hyundai Rotem.

“Through this partnership, we are not only delivering state-of-the-art tanks but also building long-term industrial competencies…[and] strengthening Poland’s defence capabilities while developing a lasting Polish-Korean industrial partnership,” he added.

Hyundai Rotem is the prime contractor for the programme, while Bumar-Łabędy will act as subcontractor for production work, including assembly of the K2PL variant.

Three additional agreements were also signed on Monday, including with two other companies that are, like Bumar-Łabędy, part of state defence group PGZ. Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne (WZE) and PCO will supply subsystems such as inertial navigation and driver camera systems.

Polish deputy state assets minister Konrad Gołota celebrated the fact that the deal was not only “restoring tank production in Poland”, but also represented a “generational leap for the Polish arms industry”, reports news website WNP.

In 2022, Poland’s former government signed a framework agreement for the purchase of hundreds of K2 tanks, including plans for many of those to be produced in Poland itself. However, the first order, signed the same year, was for 180 tanks produced in South Korea. Those have all now been delivered.

In 2025, a second order was signed for a further 180 tanks, including 64 that will be in the Polish K2PL variant, 61 of which are to be produced in Poland, reports news website Wirtualna Polska.

Further phases of the programme are planned, with up to six implementation contracts in total. Poland is expected to acquire 1,000 K2 tanks, more than 500 of them in the K2PL version to be produced domestically, reports defence news website Defence24.pl.

The agreements are part of a huge defence procurement spree launched by Poland in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. By 2030, Poland is expected to operate around 1,100 tanks, which will be more than Germany, France, the UK and Italy combined.

Poland has also signed agreements with Korea to purchase hundreds of K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems, K9 self-propelled howitzers, and FA-50 combat aircraft. Some of those deals also include domestic Polish production.

In December, Poland’s WB Electronics and South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace signed an agreement that will see Poland manufacture over 10,000 CGR-080 precision-guided missiles for the K239 Chunmoo, which will be used by both Poland and Norway.

Recently published data showed that Poland has been the largest arms importer in NATO over the last five years, with 47% of its equipment coming from South Korea and a further 44% from the United States.

However, the government has been seeking to boost domestic production, including through EU-backed financing and partnerships with foreign firms.

In February, US defence firm Northrop Grumman and Polish manufacturer Niewiadów-PGM announced plans to jointly produce more than 180,000 155-mm artillery shells annually in Poland. PGZ has also partnered with Britain’s BAE Systems on ammunition production.

In March, PGZ signed an agreement with Estonia’s Frankenburg Technologies to establish a facility in Poland producing up to 10,000 low-cost anti-drone missiles per year. The same month, a Polish-Ukrainian joint venture was announced to manufacture Ukraine’s Bohdana howitzer in Poland.

Menanwhile, Polish defence firm Mesko, which is also part of PGZ, announced record financial results in 2025 on the back of growing international demand for its Piorun air-defence systems.

---

TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; War
KEYWORDS: poland; republicofkorea

[Cronos]

Poland needs to stand on its own feet

[PAR35]

I wonder how much assembly is involved - how many pieces the kit comes in.

[Wuli]

American arms are too expensive, and allies like South Korea are innovating and becoming reliable military arms manufacturers in their own right. That is going to hurt our major arms manufacturers who have had our allies as reliable outlets for their goods, softening the ups and downs of DOD procurements.

[Rockingham]

The US was also unable to produce Abrams tanks for Poland quickly enough.

[DIRTYSECRET]

I once heard that Mitsubisi(Japan) made the best tanks.
Still I wouldn’t want to serve on one these days anymore than I’d want to serve on an aircraft carrier. Big targets. That plus the drone technology is getting better advanced daily.

[BenLurkin]

[BenLurkin]

[dfwgator]

Do the tanks come with a dog?

[Fai Mao]

The US is now producing a variety of new cruise missiles that are not quite as cutting edge as the JASSM but cost only about $20k each rather than $3 million.

So things are changing and in someways getting better

Here I some info on one of them
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barracuda-M

[Rockingham]

Like aircraft carriers, the best modern tanks have potent defensive systems and ancillary units. If deployed with care, tank forces can survive even against drones and missiles. Training, doctrine, and tactical discipline though matter a great deal, with lesser militaries often failing at those tasks or skimping on essential equipment. Russian weaknesses have left them with virtually no tanks, with Ukraine doing marginally better. Poland can be expected to perform to US standards, with anti-drone defenses and a high level of training.

[Sequoyah101]

This seems to be an unbelievable and incredible statement:

“Once delivery is complete by 2030, Poland will have more tanks than Germany, France, the UK and Italy combined”

Can it be true? Is Europe that weak? Time to cut the apron strings and let them go it alone. I’m tired of paying for their complete protection.

[rlmorel]

I am always surprised (though I shouldn’t be) to hear people proclaiming “[INSERT WEAPON SYSTEM HERE] is obsolete because of [INSERT SOME NEW WEAPON SYSTEM HERE].”

You would think people never read military history. Warfare has been, as long as man has been fighting with each other, a constant struggle of new weapon systems that rise to the top which handily defeat some existing weapon system.

Then defenses are developed against that new weapon system. Then that system is changed and improved, which overcome the new defenses.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

[Dr. Franklin]

American arms are too expensive, and allies like South Korea are innovating and becoming reliable military arms manufacturers in their own right. That is going to hurt our major arms manufacturers who have had our allies as reliable outlets for their goods, softening the ups and downs of DOD procurements.

Poland doesn't want to be dependent on Germany or France in case of a war with Russia. South Korea is unlikely to withhold parts or upgrades in the event Poland experiences further hostilities with Russia. Plus, these will be produced domestically in Poland. In a pinch, the Polish government could nationalize the factories.

[Rockingham]

Quite true. As dangerous as drones can be to tanks, they are far worse for infantry. There are quite a few videos now of Ukrainian drones hunting down and killing individual Russian troops.