The course, involving 12 crews (comprising a total of 36 soldiers), commenced in May. Following the theoretical portion, the first phase of practical training was conducted at the unit’s base in Braniewo, where the primary focus was on verifying the drivers’ qualifications. The second phase consists of live-fire exercises at the Orzysz training area, designed to integrate the crews fully. For the tanks themselves, delivered to Poland in recent months, this also marked their first opportunity to use their primary weapon system: the Hyundai WIA CN08 120 mm smoothbore gun, featuring a 55-caliber barrel. This is confirmed by the fact that the very first shot was fired remotely, using a cable and a portable control panel. Once the system was verified to be functioning correctly, each crew fired three rounds using training ammunition.
Photos: 9th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, Braniewo
The 9th Armoured Cavalry Brigade in Braniewo began the process of rearming with Korean K2 Black Panther tanks in November 2024. By June of this year, the rearmament of the 1st Tank Battalion had been completed, with the unit formally retiring its previously used PT-91 Twardy tanks. This marks only part of the path toward a complete generational upgrade. Ultimately, the brigade is expected to operate 174 tanks across three battalions (two based in Braniewo and a third being formed in Elbląg). It is also possible that, under the planned second executive contract, additional vehicles will be delivered to Braniewo, enabling the rearmament of at least one of the two remaining battalions.
The process of training personnel is still ongoing. On July 7, the third training course began, with participants from both Braniewo and Morąg. Although the K2 Black Panther tanks have been in service in Braniewo since November 2024, they made their international debut in May, when several of the tanks participated in the multinational Slovak Shield 25 exercise held at training grounds in the Slovak Republic and in addition to representing the Polish Armed Forces, the crews and vehicles also served a secondary role. For the Slovaks, the exercise was an opportunity to become familiar with the platform, which may potentially be selected for their armored forces.
The first contract between Hyundai Rotem and the Polish Ministry of National Defence was signed on August 26, 2022. It covered the delivery of 180 K2GF-configured tanks, with shipments beginning in December 2022. To date, 119 units have been delivered to Poland, with the remaining tanks scheduled for delivery by the end of this year. The majority have been, or will be, assigned to units of the 16th Mechanised Division, including the 9th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, the 15th Mechanised Brigade, and the 20th Mechanised Brigade. At the same time, six tanks have been allocated to the Land Forces Training Center in Poznań.
Both parties are currently preparing to sign a second contract, which will cover an additional 180 K2 tanks in two configurations (GF and PL). Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026. In addition to the tanks, the contract is set to include 81 armored recovery vehicles (ARVs), which will enhance the capabilities of already rearmed units that currently rely on legacy WZT-2/3 platforms (Polish Ministry Of National Defence: A new executive contract for K2 tanks and support vehicles; Poland: Bergepanzer 2 ARVs Set For Overhaul).