Defence & Space

2nd S.E.A.L Conference under Our media patronage

We are pleased to announce that MILMAG Military Magazine has become the media patron of the second edition of the SE.A.L Conference,…

2025-07-11 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

Rheinmetall delivers fourth mobile rescue station to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Rheinmetall, the Düsseldorf-based technology group, is supplying another mobile rescue station (Role 2 type) to the Ukraine. In addition to that, service members…

2025-07-11 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

SIPRI: Nuclear risks grow as new arms race looms

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published a report entitled SIPRI Yearbook 2025, which, among other things, discusses the issue of…

2025-06-16 | Redakcja | 10 minutes

Polish 35 mm SA-35 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun with PIT-Radwar

During the recent MSPO trade fair in Kielce, the company PIT-Radwar presented its proposal for a 35 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun…

2025-06-13 | Przemysław Gurgurewicz | 13 minutes

Polish Armaments Group with a concept for building three ammunition factories

The Polish Armaments Group has presented a model for organizing three ammunition factories, which includes both the expansion of existing production…

2025-07-09 | Redakcja | 8 minutes

Will Česká Zbrojovka supply the P13 to the Bundeswehr?

As reported by the German industry portal Hartpunkt, Česká Zbrojovka may become the supplier of P13 pistols for the Bundeswehr, which…

2025-07-09 | Jakub Link-Lenczowski | 3 minutes

Orion: The Force Multiplier that led the IDF to unmatched ground superiority

Orion, developed by Asio Technologies in collaboration with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) technology division and in full operational deployment by the…

2025-07-09 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

SKW Cryptographic Security Certificate for Polish Comp@n Radio Set from the WB Group

The WB Group announced that the Comp@n system radio set, developed by its subsidiary Radmor, along with the Cryptographic Document Management…

2025-06-14 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

2nd S.E.A.L Conference under Our media patronage

We are pleased to announce that MILMAG Military Magazine has become the media patron of the second edition of the SE.A.L Conference,…

2025-07-11 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

Autonomous and Unmanned Systems by Łukasiewicz – PIAP at the OPEX 2025 Training Ground in Italy

During the HEDI OPEX 2025 experimental campaign at the CEPOLISPE training ground in Italy, the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Industrial…

2025-06-28 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

Rheinmetall delivers fourth mobile rescue station to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Rheinmetall, the Düsseldorf-based technology group, is supplying another mobile rescue station (Role 2 type) to the Ukraine. In addition to that, service members…

2025-07-11 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Poland Signs Deal for Coastal Radar Systems for Surface and Low-Flying Threat Detection

On July 9, 2025, the Polish State Treasury – Armament Agency signed a contract with the Polish-Israeli consortium KenBIT and ELTA…

2025-07-09 | Rafał Muczyński | 6 minutes

Illegal migration to Europe in the first five months of 2025

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has published statistics on attempted illegal crossings of the EU’s external borders…

2025-07-08 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

LOT Polish Airlines Selected for Air Transport and MEDEVAC under the EU’s rescEU Program

LOT Polish Airlines has signed an agreement to provide air transport and MEDEVAC services. As part of the EU’s rescEU instrument…

2025-07-07 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Rheinmetall delivers fourth mobile rescue station to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Rheinmetall, the Düsseldorf-based technology group, is supplying another mobile rescue station (Role 2 type) to the Ukraine. In addition to that, service members…

2025-07-11 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Poland Signs Deal for Coastal Radar Systems for Surface and Low-Flying Threat Detection

On July 9, 2025, the Polish State Treasury – Armament Agency signed a contract with the Polish-Israeli consortium KenBIT and ELTA…

2025-07-09 | Rafał Muczyński | 6 minutes

Illegal migration to Europe in the first five months of 2025

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has published statistics on attempted illegal crossings of the EU’s external borders…

2025-07-08 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

East Shield and the Baltic Defense Line: Cooperation and Investment in Defense Are the Cornerstone of Europe’s Security

East Shield, the Baltic Defense Line, the integration of available deterrence and defense capabilities, and EU defense funding were the…

2025-07-02 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

LYOFOOD Pierogi Become First Polish Dish Eaten in Space

Yesterday, during a live broadcast from the International Space Station, our astronaut Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, together with Axiom-4 mission commander Peggy…

2025-07-07 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Finland Ministry of Defense selects ICEYE for space-based intelligence and surveillance capabilities

The Polish-Finnish company ICEYE and the Finnish Ministry of Defense have signed a Letter of Intent that enables the Finnish Defense…

2025-06-27 | Redakcja | 3 minutes
Shooting

CZ Shooting Team athletes take home 13 medals from the CZ Extreme Euro Open

Sport shooters representing Ceska zbrojovka brought back six gold, four silver, and three bronze medals from Hodonice, along with four…

2025-07-04 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

Upgraded Z8i Scope from SWAROVSKI OPTIK

Swarovski Optik, the Austrian optics manufacturer with nearly 80 years of tradition, has unveiled an upgraded version of its Z8i…

2025-07-03 | Mariusz Piwowar | 3 minutes

Upgraded Z8i Scope from SWAROVSKI OPTIK

Swarovski Optik, the Austrian optics manufacturer with nearly 80 years of tradition, has unveiled an upgraded version of its Z8i…

2025-07-03 | Mariusz Piwowar | 3 minutes

Streamlight introduces the SL-SideSaddle

Streamlight, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting tools, announces the SL-SideSaddle series, a new hands-free lighting solution built for outdoor adventure…

2025-07-01 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

IFRE 2025: Maskpol Showcases Protective Suits and Gas Masks

Maskpol, a company within the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), presented part of its product range—protective suits and gas masks—at the 5th…

2025-06-17 | Michał Ihnatów | 2 minutes

UF PRO Introduces Waist/Flex Belts to Its Product Line

UF PRO, a Slovenian manufacturer of professional apparel and part of the Mehler Systems group, is adding a new accessory to its lineup…

2025-06-06 | Michał Ihnatów | 2 minutes

CZ Shooting Team athletes take home 13 medals from the CZ Extreme Euro Open

Sport shooters representing Ceska zbrojovka brought back six gold, four silver, and three bronze medals from Hodonice, along with four…

2025-07-04 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

Enforce Tac 2025 starts on February 24th

Enforce Tac is an international trade fair aimed at law enforcement officers, experts from government agencies, and representatives of the…

2025-01-30 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 minutes

CZ Introduces the New CZ P-10 C PORTED Model

CZ P-10 C PORTED – a compact pistol with tamed recoil thanks to an integrated compensator.

2025-07-02 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Meprolight MMX3 and MMX4 – Lightweight Magnifiers with Quality Optics

The Mepro MMX3 and MMX4, a new line of compact magnifiers from the Israeli manufacturer. How do they perform in practice and…

2025-06-27 | Krzysztof Ptak | 8 minutes

Paris Air Show 2025: Bayraktar TB3 Debuts

The 55th edition of the International Paris Air and Space Show, held in the French capital, provided an opportunity for…

2025-06-19 | Radosław Niesobski | 3 minutes

Setting Up a Shooting Belt: An Example with Clawgear

To assist with shooting training and beyond, various belts and gear configurations have been developed and customized to suit individual needs. It’s…

2024-11-28 | Łukasz Kołodziejski | 14 minutes

Over 100% increase in gun permits in Poland in 2024

The Polish Police have released statistical data on firearm permits issued in 2024. An increasing number of Poles now hold…

2025-02-20 | Michał Ihnatów | 5 minutes

Firearms In Poland 2023: Number of permits continues to grow

The National Police Headquarters has released statistics regarding the number of firearm permits and firearms themselves in the hands of…

2024-02-17 | Michał Ihnatów | 5 minutes

5 Best Value ATN Rifle Scopes Under €1500

ATN is a leading manufacturer of daytime optics, smart night vision, and thermal vision technology. The innovative features and ergonomic designs…

2022-11-11 | Redakcja | 8 minutes

MILMAG Visits Grand Power

Grand Power is a Slovak manufacturer of the acknowledged good quality firearms. Take part in our guided tour with English subtitles.

2022-05-23 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

Meprolight MMX3 and MMX4 – Lightweight Magnifiers with Quality Optics

The Mepro MMX3 and MMX4, a new line of compact magnifiers from the Israeli manufacturer. How do they perform in practice and…

2025-06-27 | Krzysztof Ptak | 8 minutes

Streamlight TLR-7 HL-X – a Bayonet of Light for Your Weapon

The devil’s not so scary once you shine a light on him—and he’s certainly easier to neutralize in the spotlight. A weapon-mounted flashlight…

2025-06-09 | Anna Mielczarek | 6 minutes

EOTECH Holographic Sight – History, Technology, Practice

The holographic sight is a device known for nearly 30 years and used by professionals around the world. A favorite sight of many…

2024-09-02 | Michał Gaweł | 12 minutes

Polish Ministry of National Defence: New Contract for K2 Tanks and Support Vehicles Imminent

In Warsaw, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, along with Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence Paweł Bejda, presented the current state of negotiations regarding the acquisition of South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks for the Polish Armed Forces.

On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Warsaw, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, together with Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence Paweł Bejda, presented the status of negotiations concerning the acquisition of South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks for the Polish Armed Forces.

Photos: Polish Ministry Of National Defence

A great moment, a wonderful day of good news for the Polish Army, for the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, for our defense industry, for the security of our homeland, for the building of a great, strong, and sovereign Poland. The upcoming agreement for the acquisition of K2 tanks in a Polish-adapted version, partly already produced in Poland with the participation of the Polish defense industry, along with the full logistics support package, support vehicles, a service agreement, a training agreement, a logistics agreement, and all components related to ammunition and weaponry, is almost ready. (…) This is a big deal. It is one of the largest executive contracts in Polish history, and it will soon be signed in Poland with the participation of the Minister of Defense of Korea. Today, we wanted to inform you that we are finalizing the negotiation phase and will be signing the agreement soon,” said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

The K2 Black Panther tank, part of the vehicle fleet of South Korea’s 8th Mechanized Division / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG

The agreement will cover 180 tanks, 80 support vehicles, and a comprehensive package that has never before been included in previous K2 tank contracts. I’m speaking in particular about the support vehicles, accompanying vehicles, that are an integral part of the infrastructure. Without them, the tank cannot be used effectively. This is about correcting the mistakes we inherited from our predecessors; it’s about making up for the shortcomings that were left behind, because the first executive contract signed by the previous government simply did not include this. It wasn’t taken into account. I have to mention this, especially because there have been many questions about the time needed for discussions and negotiations. That’s one of the reasons. The interest of public finances, the interest of taxpayers, whom I want to sincerely thank, because it’s thanks to you, to the Polish people, that we can build an army this strong and already spend nearly 5% of GDP on defense. This is the target NATO set for 2035, and we’re on track to reach it 10 years ahead of schedule,” said the Minister of National Defence.

These negotiations required time to ensure that the Polish-adapted version would be feasible, and that talks between the business partners, in this case, the Polish Armaments Group and Hyundai Rotem, would conclude successfully. The primary partner on the Polish side, within the Polish Armaments Group, will be the company Bumar-Łabędy. This is an important investment for that company, which will regain its vitality as a result. Once everything is finalized, I would like us to sign this contract at Bumar-Łabędy,” added the Deputy Prime Minister.

As MILMAG editorial staff has learned, the Polish defense industry will also be involved in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of the support vehicles. Pictured: South Korean K1 Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV) / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG

A great day we’ve all been waiting for together, for over a dozen months. Because the contract previously negotiated by the former Ministry of National Defence leadership, the executive contract for 180 tanks, did not even include support vehicles. This new contract that we’ve just negotiated, I dare say, is one of the most difficult and complex contracts ever handled by the Armament Agency, and before that, by the Armament Inspectorate. (…) As the entire leadership, we are guided by the principle of transferring as much technology as possible to Polish facilities. After all, the defense industry is a driving force for the entire Polish economy. (…) I want to tell you that this year we are completing the implementation of that first executive project, the contract for 180 tanks. What’s more, the Korean side is accelerating the delivery of various weapon system components and batches that were negotiated, meaning that by the end of 2025, deliveries will be completed. (…) Under the contract that we will sign this year, the second executive contract—the first 30 tanks will arrive in Poland in 2026,” added the Deputy Minister responsible for the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces (Will the K2PL be Poland’s tank of the future? Interview with Jun Mo Seo, President of Hyundai Rotem Europe).

Speech by Lee Yong-bae, President and CEO of Hyundai Rotem Company:

“My name is Lee Yong-bae, and I am the President and CEO of Hyundai Rotem.”

“Honorable Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and all distinguished guests gathered here today – I would like to express my deepest gratitude.”

“Today, we have not only announced that we will be signing a defense equipment contract, but more importantly, we have declared the beginning of a historic partnership to launch the production of the K2 tank in Poland. This is a significant milestone symbolizing the deep trust and strategic partnership between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Poland. We believe that this agreement will serve as a solid foundation for strengthening Poland’s defense industry and national security.”

“Through Executive Agreement No. 2, we will contribute to the development and production of the Polish K2PL tank at Zakłady Mechaniczne ‘BUMAR-Łabędy’ S.A., enhancing both Poland’s defense capabilities and its domestic industry. Hyundai Rotem is committed to faithfully carrying out the technology transfer and localization of production in Poland, drawing on the technical expertise and experience we have accumulated over decades in Korea.”

“Under the new agreement, Hyundai Rotem pledges to deliver top-tier performance, uncompromising quality, and on-time delivery – just as we successfully contributed to enhancing Poland’s security through the timely execution of Executive Agreement No. 1. We also commit to achieving real and lasting results through genuine technology transfer and localization. To this end, we will closely cooperate with the Polish Armaments Group and ZM ‘BUMAR-Łabędy.’ I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank PGZ and BUMAR for their dedication and effort in making this agreement possible.”

“For us, the K2PL program holds strategic importance. I assure you that Hyundai Rotem will carry out this project with a spirit of responsibility and sincerity, always keeping a long-term partnership in mind. Based on the shared values of Korea and Poland, Hyundai Rotem will do its utmost to strengthen Poland’s defense industry and national security, and ultimately contribute to making Poland a hub of the European defense market.”

Once again, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our governments, the involved institutions, and the partner companies from both countries for their commitment and hard work in making this contract a reality.”

“Thank you very much.”

The current deliveries of K2GF Heuk-Pyo (Black Panther) tanks are the result of a contract signed on August 26, 2022, with a net value of 3.37 billion USD, concluded between the Polish Armament Agency and Hyundai Rotem. Under this agreement, a total of 180 tanks are to be delivered to the Polish Armed Forces between 2022 and 2025. As of June 2 of this year, thanks to the latest deliveries, the number of K2GF tanks in the Polish military has increased to 119 units.

Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG

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. The secondary armament includes a 7.62 mm machine gun and a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun (HMG). The tank’s advanced fire control system provides high accuracy and effectiveness at long ranges. Even in its standard configuration, the K2’s armor offers strong ballistic and mine protection, which can be further enhanced with active protection systems such as the soft-kill VIRSS and hard-kill KAPS. The tank is powered by a 1,500 hp diesel engine paired with an automatic transmission, providing high speed and mobility across all types of terrain. It is also relatively lightweight, with a combat weight of 55 tons, and features a hydropneumatic suspension system.

All currently contracted K2 tanks are equipped with a communication system compatible with that used by the Polish Armed Forces, as well as a battlefield management system (BMS) compatible with the one installed in M1A2SEPV3 Abrams tanks.

Based on a press release from the Ministry of National Defence and a statement from Hyundai Rotem

See Also:

X