Warsaw: In what Poland’s defence minister has dubbed “Armour Week,” Warsaw has signed almost $6.7 billion in ground vehicle contracts, as the Eastern European nation continues its armaments spree.
Almost all of that money is tied up in $6.5 billion agreement with Hyundai Rotem Company (HRC) for a second deal on tanks and support vehicles, signed at manufacturer Zakłady Mechaniczne Bumar-Łabędy’s Gliwice facility.
The agreement was inked in the presence of Polish and South Korea ministers of defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Ahn Gyu-back, as well as the Secretary of State at Poland’s Ministry of National Defence Paweł Bejda. Hyundai Rotem Company President Lee Yong-Bae and Hyundai Rotem Europe President Seo Jun Mo were also in attendance. Notably, this is the first foreign visit from Ahn, the first civilian to lead the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Defence in 64 years, a visit that came at the request of Poland — another sign of the heavy defence ties between the two countries that have developed in just a few years.
The contract covers the delivery of 180 K2 tanks to be delivered between 2026 and 2030. Of those, 116 tanks in the current K2GF configuration will be delivered between 2026 and 2027, and the remaining 64, in the K2PL configuration, between 2028 and 2030. The K2PL tanks will be equipped with additional protection, including an Active Protection System, an anti-drone system, and additional armour, with other modifications based on lessons learned from the K2GF.
In addition to the tanks, the Polish Armed Forces will also receive a number of support vehicles based on the K2 chassis. Companies from the Polish Armaments Group, including OBRUM and ZM Bumar-Łabędy, will be involved in the design work. The agreement covers the acquisition of 31 armoured recovery vehicles, 25 engineering vehicles, and 25 assault bridge system, with a delivery between 2029 and 2031.
The contract also includes training and logistics packages, as well as the delivery of a significant supply of ammunition (including 120mm tank ammunition and small-caliber ammunition). The logistics package includes spare parts, special tool kits, test equipment, maintenance tools, and technical documentation. The training package includes training ammunition, Embedded Training System on-board simulators, and training for instructors, crews, and technical personnel.
