The contract is signed! Powerful reinforcement of armoured troops as 180 more K2 tanks are ordered from Hyundai Rotem for the Polish Army.
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Press Release, Warsaw, 01 August 2025: [auto-translated] On Friday, 01 August in Gliwice, Władysław Kosiniak – Kamysz Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence and Paweł Bejda Secretary of State in the Ministry of National Defence participated in the signing of the executive agreement for the acquisition of the next K2 tanks, including the first tanks in the K2PL configuration. The signing of the agreement was preceded by a meeting of the Ministers of Defence of Poland and South Korea in the AGAT Military Unit.
“It is here, in BUMAZRZE Labęda, that technology transfer will take place. Poland will gain the ability to produce tanks. Of the 180 tanks covered by the executive agreement, 64 will be in a televisionised version – 61 of which will be built in Gliwice using Polish components. This is the result of cooperation not only BUMARU, but also of the entire PGZ Group. The new versions will be richer than before, and production will start next year. In the years 2028-2030, full-scale domestic production is planned. BUMAR Labędy is ready to adopt production lines and realise all service and repair capacities – in cooperation with the Polish Army. It’s a big deal. You have had the opportunity to see a negotiating book of over a thousand parties – negotiated for many months,” said the head of the Ministry of National Defence after signing the contract.
The agreement was signed between the State Treasury-represented by the Armaments Agency and the Korean company Hyundai Rotem Company. Its subject is the delivery of 180 K2 tanks in the years 2026-2030, of which 116, in the existing K2GF configuration, will be delivered in the years 2026-2027, and 64, in the K2PL configuration, in the years 2028-2030. According to the agreement, the production of 61 K2PL tanks will be carried out in Zakłady Mechanicznych ‘Bumar-Labędy’ S.A., while the first three units of the tanks in the K2PL configuration will be produced in the Republic of Korea and tested due to changes in the configuration in relation to K2GF.
“It’s an armoured week – yesterday, a contract for 25 sapper tanks, today – a big contract for 180 K2 tanks with a full logistics package, technology transfer and production in Poland were signed. BUMAR Labędy, PGZ and co-operators from all over the country – everyone builds this success. (…) We are among people for whom Poland’s security is an absolute priority,” said Deputy Prime Minister W. Kosiniak-Kamysz.
In addition to the tanks, the RP Armed Forces will also receive a number of accompanying vehicles on the K2 chassis. The projects on them will be included in the company Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, including OBRUM Sp. z o.o. and Zakłady Mechaniczne ‘Bumar-Labędy’ S.A. The agreement provides for the acquisition of 31 technical security vehicles, 25 engineering vehicles and 25 accompanying bridges. Their delivery is scheduled for the years 2029-2031. The contract also includes training and logistics packages and the delivery of a significant stock of ammunition. The logistics package includes spare parts stock, special tool kits, test equipment, maintenance tools and technical documentation. The training package includes training ammunition, ETS (Embedded Training System) and training instructors, crews and technical staff.
The Executive Agreement No. 2 also provides for the transfer of technology, including the establishment of a defence potential in the Polish industry (end assembly) and acquisition of capacity in the field of full tank operation and operation. The Hyundai Rotem Company (HRC) will equip the “Bumar-Labędy” Mechanical Plant with production tools and equipment to establish a K2PL tank assembly line and associated vehicles.
“We are restoring armoured production to Gliwice, to BUMAR-Labędy. Here was always the capital of armour – and we put on our feet what was previously put on the head. This is our joint success – and in fact the success of the security of the whole Poland. Various malcontents said, ‘These negotiations are going on for a long time’. This is the best negotiated contract as much as possible. And I would like to thank you very much for this – both the Polish side and the Korean side. It is our joint action and our shared responsibility for the security of Poland, but also for the security of Korea. Not only military, but also economic. The flow of technology is a fact. I remind you – the cost of buying a tank is only one third of its life cycle. The remaining two thirds are operation, modernisation, service. And this is what we gain – not only production possibilities, but also service capabilities,” pointed out the Deputy Minister P. It’s a beacon.
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