Hyundai Rotem Reveals Design of Poland’s K2PL Tank

Hyundai Rotem has shown the final version of the Polish modification of the K2PL tank with two-level anti-drone protection and a number of other improvements.

A video with a model of the future combat vehicle was released by the company.

The Polish modification of the Black Panther tank has a set of modern means of countering drone threats. It includes an onboard electronic warfare system to suppress drone communications, as well as an active defense system to physically destroy threats on approach to the vehicle.

South Korea’s KAPS-2 system uses a network of millimeter-wave radars that provide a perimeter view of the vehicle and detect potential threats, which are destroyed by turrets mounted on the turret. The turrets are equipped with a charge that releases a stream of destructive elements towards the target and destroys it.

This active defense system is positioned as an effective tool for self-defense against enemy drones. The video shows that the two turrets in the aft part of the turret can rotate in the direction of the threat and automatically reload after firing their charges.

At the request of Polish customers, the developers have also integrated an improved armor package into the vehicle’s hull and turret, and equipped it with a remote-controlled module with a large-caliber machine gun.

The promotional video also fails to mention that some of the K2PL’s electronics and components will be replaced with Polish ones due to the need for localization and standardization with NATO requirements.

K2PL production in Poland

The Polish government’s framework agreement with Hyundai Rotem for the purchase of 1000 tanks provides for the phased conclusion of six firm contracts for 180 vehicles each.

The first contract was signed in 2022 and provided for the rapid delivery of actual original South Korean Black Panther tanks under the K2GF – Gap Filler index, i.e. an intermediate version that can be upgraded to K2PL in the future.

However, the second contract, signed in August, already provides for the transfer of a significant part of production to the Polish armored plant ZM Bumar-Łabędy in Gliwice. There, 61 tanks will be produced in the full K2PL modification.

In addition, the contract also provides for the localized production of special vehicles on the K2 tank chassis: 25 engineering vehicles, 25 armored bridge builders and 31 armored evacuation vehicles.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported that under the terms of the contract, Poland will receive the necessary technologies to localize the production of the hull, turret and chassis, hydropneumatic suspension, main armament (gun system) and charging system of the K2 tank.