South Korea Upgrades K2 Tanks with APS and C-UAS

South Korea is upgrading its K2 main battle tanks with an active protection system (APS), counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), and a remotely controlled weapon station (RCWS).

South Korea’s Defense Project Promotion Committee under the Ministry of National Defense approved the decision on August 11.

The main upgrade will be installing an APS on the K2 Black Panther. It is intended to improve the tank’s survivability against modern anti-tank threats.

When developing the K2, its designers incorporated the capability to equip the tank with an APS. However, cost constraints prevented installation on production vehicles. Instead, protection was enhanced with modular explosive reactive armor and an electro-optical countermeasure system.

A dedicated protection system, KAPS (Korean Active Protection System), was also developed for the K2. It is designed to physically intercept anti-tank munitions before they hit the tank. Hyundai Rotem notes that the K2 can be equipped with both soft-kill and hard-kill systems as part of its active protection suite.

The soft-kill system is designed to detect and disrupt anti-tank weapon guidance, while the hard-kill system physically intercepts the threat.

In this context, it is worth noting that a full-fledged hard-kill APS was not a standard equipment item on South Korea’s K2 tanks.

The new system will use threat detection means and is intended to intercept threats before they strike the vehicle.

The modernization is planned for 2028–2046, with the first upgraded tanks expected to enter service in 2033. The program is estimated to cost approximately ₩3.45 trillion ($2.43 billion).

In addition to the APS, the upgraded K2 tanks will receive EW systems to counter drones and improvised explosive devices. The system is designed to jam radio signals used to control such threats.

Another modernized element will be a remotely controlled weapon station. It will let the crew fire the secondary weapon while staying inside the tank’s armored hull.

In September 2025, Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and South Korean company Hyundai Rotem signed an agreement to cooperate on equipping K2 family tanks with the Trophy APS.

Thus, South Korea aims to strengthen the K2’s protection against the range of threats present on the modern battlefield.

The K2 Black Panther is also in demand on the international arms market. Poland has already ordered 1,000 K2 tanks, some of which will be produced on its territory in the upgraded K2PL configuration.

Peru has identified the South Korean K2 as its preferred option for rearmament, while Morocco is considering acquiring up to 400 K2 tanks.