Deal for 180 Korean Tanks Nears Completion. Ministry of National Defence Details and First Deliveries

02/07/2025

13:17

Michał Lubowicki

- The agreement for the acquisition of K2 tanks in a polonized version, a portion of which will be produced in Poland with the involvement of the Polish defense industry. Along with a full logistics support package, support vehicles, a service agreement, training, logistics, and all components related to ammunition and armament […]. This is a significant undertaking, one of the largest execution contracts in history, which will soon be signed in Poland with the participation of the Korean Minister of Defence - said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at a press conference. Signing of the Agreement After Election of New Korean Defence Minister - Today, we wanted to inform you that we are concluding the negotiation phase and will be signing the agreement shortly. We are ready to sign it right now, but out of respect for our partners from the Republic of Korea, where the selection and appointment of a new Minister of Defence is underway, […] this process is complex and multi-stage. We respect all these procedures and want to finalize it with the new Minister of Defence - he noted. 180 Tanks, 80 Accompanying Vehicles, and a Full Package. “Rectifying Mistakes of Our Predecessors” As the head of the Ministry of National Defence indicated: - The agreement will cover 180 tanks, 80 accompanying vehicles, and a full package that has never been included in previous K2 tank contracts. I am specifically referring to support vehicles and accompanying vehicles, which form a direct part of the infrastructure. - This is about rectifying mistakes we inherited from our predecessors, addressing the shortcomings that were left behind, because the first execution agreement concluded by the previous government simply did not include this. It was not taken into account - he added. Over 60 Tanks in a Polonized Version - These negotiations required time to make the polonized version feasible. […] Out of these 180 tanks, over 60 will already be in the polonized version. […] The primary partner on the Polish side, within the PGZ group, will be the company Bumar Łabędy. This is an important investment for this company, which will regain its vitality thanks to this - he continued. First Tanks in 2026 Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda stated: - This year, we are completing the execution of this first executive contract for 180 tanks. Moreover, the Korean side is also accelerating the delivery of individual armament components and batches that have been negotiated, meaning we will complete deliveries by the end of 2025. […] From the agreement we will sign this year, from this second executive agreement, the first 30 tanks will arrive in Poland in 2026. - I want to emphasize that Poland becoming a producer of K2PL tanks opens doors for us throughout Europe and the entire NATO. We hope that the K2PL tanks will become an export success for the Polish manufacturer, Bumar Łabędy - added Bejda.

Michał Lubowicki