Shown above is a K2 tank of Hyundai Rotem, which will deliver a total of 180 of them to Poland by mid-decade. Photo courtesy of Hyundai Rotem

Roll-out event takes place for the first batch of K2 tanks

South Korea’s defense company Hyundai Rotem announced on Oct. 19 that the outfit had come up with the first batch of its K2 tanks bound for Poland.

The roll-out came two months after the company signed an arms deal of providing a total of 180 K2PL, a variant of its representative K2 Black Panther, by mid-decade.

Specifically, Hyundai Rotem churned out 10 tanks at its factory in Changwon, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The remaining 170 tanks will be delivered over the next three years.

The tanks will be deployed after going through an on-site inspection of the Polish military.

Many dignitaries visited the roll-out event, including Polish Ambassador to South Korea Piotr Ostaszewski, and Major General Maciej Jablonski, Polish Army Inspector of the Land Forces.

Korea’s incumbent Yoon Suk-yeol administration has attempted to spearhead the county’s military exports upon the president’s inauguration in May.

In June, Yoon had a summit with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization gatherings.

After that, Poland agreed to import Korean tanks, howitzers, and fighters in a large-sized contract.

“We will put forth great efforts to provide our K2 tanks to Poland in a stable way,” a Hyundai Rotem official said.

“We also try to enhance the status of the K-military by technologically cooperating with overseas defense giants down the road.”

Affiliated with Hyundai Motor, one of the world’s largest automakers, Hyundai Rotem is the only manufacturer of tanks in South Korea.

In 1984, the company produced the K1 tank for the first time in the country and showcased its upgraded version throughout the 1990s.

Beginning in 1995, Hyundai Rotem worked on the development of the K2 tank and churned out the product in 2014. It is currently the main tank for the Korean military.
이 기사를 공유합니다
Copyright © The Korea News Plus