On Sunday, March 17th, another Korean maritime transport arrived in Gdynia, carrying 4 K2 Heuk-Pyo (Black Panther) tanks in the GF (Gap Filler) version, and then on Tuesday, March 19th, another 11 tanks were delivered. A total of 15 vehicles will join the 31 delivered so far (the first transport of the year, consisting of 3 tanks, was unloaded on March 11th), increasing the total to 46, which represents 25% of the current total order.
Photo: 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division
Recently, we’ve had increased deliveries of K2 tanks. Since the beginning of 2024, a total of 18 tanks have arrived in Gdynia from South Korea. Last Sunday, 4 tanks appeared in the port, and tonight, another 11 Black Panthers arrived, Paweł Bejda, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of National Defense responsible for overseeing the technical modernization of the Polish Armed Forces, wrote yesterday evening on the social media platform X.
The population of Black Panthers is growing. In just over a week, a total of 18 K2 tanks have arrived in Poland. After the transport of 3 units on March 11th, it was time for further deliveries: 4 tanks on March 17th, and yesterday – 11 Korean ‘cats’. Modernizing the Polish armed forces is our profession!, we read in today’s post from the ordering party, namely the Armament Agency.
The deliveries of K2 Heuk-Pyo (Black Panther) tanks to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland are the result of an executive agreement dated August 26, 2022, worth 3.37 billion USD net (15.98 billion PLN net/19.65 billion PLN gross), concluded between the Armament Agency of the Ministry of National Defense and Hyundai Rotem Company (HRC), under which a total of 180 tanks will be delivered to Poland between 2022 and 2025.
The delivery of the first batch of 10 tanks took place on December 9, 2022, the second, consisting of 5 units, on March 22, 2023, the third, consisting of 7 units, on May 19, 2023, and the fourth, consisting of 6 units, on June 16, 2023.
In 2024, the delivery of another 56 tanks is planned (so 38 more of them will be delivered this year), and in 2025, the remaining 96 units. As announced by HRC, the remaining vehicles from this year’s plan will be delivered in the second half of the year.
After HRC delivered K2GF tanks in the first half of 2023 ahead of schedule, the company received praise from its Polish partners for the quick production and deliveries. HRC also ensures the high quality of maintenance for those of K2GF tanks that are already in use in Poland, in order to guarantee their optimal performance.
Prior to delivering the tanks to the customer, HRC conducts additional weekly technical and quality inspections, which are routinely carried out after their production. During these inspections, the company takes into account feedback received from Polish users of the K2GF.
On the anniversary of the first deliveries to the Polish armed forces, in December of last year, the basic K2GF tank proved its effectiveness in combat conditions, demonstrating significant firepower and high precision during numerous shooting exercises at Polish firing ranges.
In early March 2024, K2GF tanks participated in the Dragon-24 maneuvers – the largest exercises taking place in Poland, where K2GF operated together with other powerful main battle tanks used worldwide for the first time.
Jun Mo SEO, President and CEO of Hyundai Rotem Europe, said: “The men and women of HRC are fully committed to the entire process, from production to maintenance, inspections, and repairs, to ensure the successful implementation of the K2GF project for Poland.”
Video: Hyundai Rotem Company
The Polish Ministry of National Defense (MON) plans to acquire an additional 820 K2PL tanks (Polish variant), which will be produced and serviced by a Polish-Korean consortium based in Poznań. It is worth noting that out of this number, 320 will be built in South Korea with a gradually increasing share of Polish components, and another 500 will be produced under license in Poland.
March 7 this year in the Sejm, Vice Minister of National Defense Paweł Bejda announced the signing of another executive contract for K2 tanks.
The K2 Black Panther is a South Korean third-generation main battle tank. Its main armament consists of a 120mm smoothbore gun with an auto-loader, capable of utilizing the latest types of ammunition. The secondary armament includes a 7.62mm machine gun and a 12.7mm heavy machine gun (HMG). An advanced fire control system ensures high accuracy of fire at long distances. The tank’s armor, even in its standard configuration, which can be further supplemented by active protection systems such as soft kill (VIRSS) and hard kill (KAPS), provides high ballistic and mine resistance. The power is provided by a 1500 HP diesel engine with an automatic transmission, ensuring high speed and mobility in all terrains. The tank is characterized by a relatively low weight of 55 tons and the use of a hydropneumatic suspension.
Na dniach mieliśmy wzmożone dostawy czołgów K2. Od początku 2024 roku, do Gdyni przybyło łącznie 18 czołgów z 🇰🇷. W ostatnią niedzielę, w porcie pojawiły się 4 czołgi, zaś dziś wieczorem przybyło kolejne 11 Czarnych Panter. pic.twitter.com/rNbSdbVFAO
— Paweł Bejda (@pawelbejda) March 19, 2024
Populacja Czarnych Panter rośnie 💪
W przeciągu nieco ponad tygodnia do Polski przypłynęło razem 18 czołgów #K2. Po transporcie 3 szt. z 11 marca przyszedł czas na kolejne dostawy: 17 marca – 4 czołgi, zaś wczoraj – 11 🇰🇷 „kotów” 🐈⬛
Modernizacja 🇵🇱 sił zbrojnych to nasza… pic.twitter.com/Z6ptOzFbSe
— Agencja Uzbrojenia (@AgencjaUzbr) March 20, 2024