On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the press service of the 15th Giżycko Mechanized Brigade announced on social media that the first K2GF Heuk-Pyo (Black Panther) tanks had arrived. This marks the third unit of the Polish Armed Forces being reequipped with South Korean combat vehicles.
Photos: Senior StaWarrant Officer Mariusz Kraśnicki, 15th Giżycko Mechanized Brigade
In line with the plans, this marks the beginning of the reequipping process for the Tank Battalion in Orzysz with new tanks that will replace the PT-91 Twardy. Until now, K2GF tanks have been delivered to two battalions within the 20th Bartoszyce Mechanized Brigade and the 9th Braniewo Armored Cavalry Brigade, as well as to the Land Forces Training Center – Poznań.
The newly delivered combat vehicles come from the most recent 2025 shipments on February 21 (14 units) and March 10 (12 units), which, according to earlier announcements, were designated for the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division “Casimir IV Jagiellon“, under which the 15th Brigade operates.
Earlier, on March 24 of this year, the 15th Brigade began transitioning from Soviet-era 122 mm 2S1 Goździk self-propelled howitzers to South Korean 155 mm K9A1 Thunder systems. In terms of modern military equipment, back in 2019, the brigade was reequipped with 120 mm M120K Rak self-propelled mortars.
On February 28 of this year, the General Command of the Armed Forces reported on the K2GF crew training process underway within the 15th Brigade.
Black Panthers FIRE 💥
Tank crews from the 15th Mechanized Brigade have completed their first live-fire exercise as part of the specialized training course for K2 crews❗
The Black Panthers offer excellent mobility, powerful armament, and advanced electronic systems that ensure high precision and effectiveness on the battlefield.
Black Panthers FIRE 💥
Czołgiści 15 Brygady Zmechanizowanej zaliczyli pierwsze strzelanie w ramach specjalistycznego kursu dla załóg K2❗
Czarne Pantery to doskonała mobilność, potężne uzbrojenie oraz zaawansowane systemamy elektroniczne, które zapewniają wysoką precyzję i… pic.twitter.com/ZzILcZ6FGW— Dowództwo Generalne (@DGeneralneRSZ) February 28, 2025
The Polish Armed Forces currently operate 110 K2GF tanks. Deliveries are being carried out under the first implementation contract, signed on August 26, 2022, with a net value of 3.37 billion USD (15.98 billion PLN net / 19.65 billion PLN gross) for 180 tanks. This means that the remaining 68 tanks are scheduled to arrive in the country later this year.
Meanwhile, the signing of a second implementation contract is still pending. According to South Korean reports from March 9 of this year, it was expected to be concluded as early as April — which has not happened. The new contract is expected to include another 180 tanks and, according to earlier reports, 81 support vehicles. All of this falls under the framework agreement for a total of 1,000 K2GF/PL tanks.
The K2 Black Panther is a South Korean 3+ generation main battle tank. Its primary armament is a 120 mm smoothbore gun with an autoloader, capable of firing the latest types of ammunition. Secondary armament includes a 7.62 mm machine gun and a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. The tank’s advanced fire control system ensures high effectiveness at long ranges. Even in its standard configuration, the K2’s armor provides strong ballistic and mine protection, which can be further enhanced with active protection systems, including soft-kill (VIRSS) and hard-kill (KAPS) solutions. The tank is powered by a 1,500 hp diesel engine coupled with an automatic transmission, delivering high speed and mobility across all terrain types. Weighing just 55 tons, the K2 also features a hydropneumatic suspension system for enhanced maneuverability and ride comfort.
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