Hyundai Rotem signs local production pact for K2 tanks in Poland

SEOUL -- South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem said Tuesday it signed a contract with Poland’s state-backed defense company BUMAR-LABEDY to locally manufacture the Polish variant of the K2 main battle tank.

The affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group said the agreement focuses on cooperation related to the K2PL tanks and armored recovery vehicles -- core elements of the second implementation phase of Poland’s K2 acquisition program.

The K2PL is a customized version of the K2 Black Panther tailored to Polish operational requirements with enhancements expected in protection, survivability and battlefield networking compared with the baseline model.

Poland chose the K2 in 2022 under an agreement with Hyundai Rotem covering up to 1,000 tanks as part of its efforts to replace aging Soviet-era platforms.

Under an initial implementation contract, Warsaw ordered 180 standard K2 tanks, with deliveries completed late last year.

The parties signed a follow-up agreement worth $6.5 billion in August to expand the project beyond exports to involve local manufacturing, technology transfer and industrial participation.

Of the 180 tanks included in the second batch, 119 will be assembled in South Korea and shipped to Poland, with 116 of them in the baseline configuration. The remaining 61 Poland-specific K2PL tanks will be manufactured in Poland beginning in 2028 at the earliest.

“This agreement lays the groundwork for practical local production plans to support the first overseas assembly of the K2 and further expand the Polish tank program,” Hyundai Rotem said in a statement.

“We will keep working with our partners to contribute to Poland’s security while fostering a sustainable defense ecosystem at home.”

The share price of Hyundai Rotem climbed 5.84% on the Seoul bourse Tuesday.

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 7:31 AM.