On June 24, the government of Poland confirmed that it is close to finalizing a new contract which includes, among other systems, the acquisition of a total of 180 Black Panther tanks from South Korea. The units are intended to equip the Polish Armed Forces as part of a second bilateral agreement aimed at strengthening defense cooperation, including aspects of local production and technology transfer.
In recent hours, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, along with Secretary of State of the Ministry of Defense Paweł Bejda, presented the advanced stage of negotiations for the acquisition of South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks. During the presentation, it was confirmed that the new agreement not only includes the 180 K2 Black Panther tanks, but also the delivery of 80 support vehicles and a complete logistics and maintenance package.
This second batch of K2 Black Panther tanks would involve the direct participation of the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem, responsible for producing 117 tanks, while the remainder would be manufactured locally by Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), a Polish state-owned defense industry conglomerate. It is worth noting that, unlike the previously negotiated contract, this new agreement includes for the first time the support vehicles as part of the full capability package.
It should be recalled at this point that the original first agreement signed between the two countries dates back to August 2022, with a net value of USD 3.37 billion, between the Armament Agency and Hyundai Rotem, with the first batch of units delivered during the month of December that same year. It must also be considered that the signed document not only included the acquisition of the K2 tanks themselves — of which the purchase of the first 180 units was agreed — but also 48 KAI FA-50 light fighter jets and 212 K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers.
Currently, deliveries corresponding to the first batch of K2 Black Panther tanks are ongoing, in accordance with the schedule agreed between Poland and South Korea. The last recorded reception took place in March of this year, when the Polish Armed Forces incorporated 12 additional units, reaching a total of 110 vehicles. These armored vehicles were assigned to the 16th Mechanized Division of the Polish Army, one of the country’s main units deployed in the east. The remaining 70 are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Additionally, the Deputy Minister responsible for the modernization of the Polish Army stated during the official presentation that “Moreover, South Korea is accelerating the delivery of various elements of the negotiated armament. That is to say, by the end of 2025, the deliveries will be completed. (…) And from the contract that we will sign this year — the second executive contract — the first 30 tanks will arrive in Poland in 2026.”
Lastly, with this new agreement, South Korea continues to strengthen its strategic partnership with Poland. The successful relationship that Seoul has established with Warsaw also seeks to be replicated with other European countries, such as Romania, through the sale of new K9 Thunder howitzers—a country that is also evaluating the K2 Black Panther as its future main battle tank.
In turn, and beyond its bilateral dimension, this second contract also reflects South Korea’s intention to position itself as a strategic supplier within the European defense ecosystem. The initial success of the agreement with Poland serves as a platform to expand its commercial and technological influence in the region, laying the groundwork for sustained industrial cooperation, with the expectation that the continent’s rearmament needs will drive greater demand for South Korean systems in the coming years.
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