Tel Aviv: Israeli company Rafael and Hyundai Rotem from South Korea have officially signed a teaming agreement to cooperate on the integration, production, marketing, localisation, and full lifecycle support of the Rafael TROPHY Active Protection System (APS) on HRC’s K2 Main Battle Tank and future platforms for the Republic of Korea.
The K2 Main Battle Tank, also known as the K2 Black Panther, is a fourth-generation main battle tank developed and manufactured by Hyundai Rotem Company (HRC) for the Republic of Korea Army, and is recognised for its advanced technology, firepower, and mobility.
This strategic partnership follows an initial memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the companies, and now sets a clear framework for joint activities supporting the Republic of Korea’s APS programme and additional global opportunities.
“This agreement represents a shared commitment to advancing battlefield survivability for next-generation armoured platforms,” said Tzvi Marmor, Executive Vice President and Head of Rafael’s Land and Naval Systems Division.
“We are proud to deepen our collaboration with Hyundai Rotem and look forward to combining Rafael’s operational combat experience with Korea’s industrial and technological strength to support both local and international defence needs,” Tzvi Marmor added.
Hyundai Rotem announced that it will integrate Rafael’s combat-proven Trophy Active Protection System (APS) onto the K2 main battle tank, including the Polonised K2PL version, marking the first time the Korea platform will be equipped with such a system.
“With a strong track record on the battlefield, the Trophy APS offers a significant opportunity to enhance the protection of the K2 main battle tank,” said Hyung-Joon Jo, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Rotem’s Defence Solutions R&D Centre.
“Through a strategic teaming agreement, both companies will work closely to optimise and fully integrate the APS, tailoring it specifically for the K2 while ensuring adaptability for a wide range of customers. We expect that the Trophy APS will also benefit greatly from the global market expansion of the K2 main battle tank,” he added.
Industry observers note that the partnership could enhance the K2’s competitiveness in overseas tenders, particularly in Europe, where several countries have shown interest in this battle tank.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
