Poland’s state-owned defence company Bumar-Łabędy has concluded a deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem to outline how dozens of K2 tanks will be produced in Poland.
Signed on Monday, the agreement clarifies how responsibilities and payments will be divided under a broader 2025 contract covering 180 K2 tanks and 81 support vehicles, some of which are designated for local production.
Under the arrangement, Bumar-Łabędy will assemble 61 K2PL tanks adapted to Polish specifications, along with 72 support vehicles.
The first unit is expected to leave the production line in Gliwice in 2028—Poland’s first domestically built tank since the PT-91M Twardy program concluded in 2009.
Hyundai Rotem CEO Yong-bae Lee described the partnership as central to the K2PL program, enabling technology transfer and the development of advanced manufacturing capabilities in Poland. He said the collaboration would not only deliver modern tanks but also strengthen Poland’s long-term industrial base and defence capacity while deepening ties between the two countries.
Hyundai Rotem will serve as the program’s prime contractor, with Bumar-Łabędy acting as a subcontractor responsible for production, including assembly of the K2PL variant.
Three additional agreements were signed the same day with other subsidiaries of the Polish state defence group Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa.
Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne and PCO will supply components such as navigation systems and driver cameras.
Deputy state assets minister Konrad Gołota said the agreement not only revives tank production in Poland but represents a generational leap for the country’s defence industry, as the move marks the country’s return to domestic tank manufacturing for the first time in nearly 20 years.
However, Poland in act first committed to acquiring K2 tanks in 2022, when its previous government signed a framework agreement for hundreds of units, including plans for local production. The initial order that year covered 180 tanks built in South Korea, all of which have now been delivered.
A second contract, signed in 2025, includes another 180 tanks—64 in the K2PL configuration, with 61 to be produced in Poland. The program is expected to expand further, potentially encompassing up to six implementation phases. In total, Poland aims to procure around 1,000 K2 tanks, more than half of them in the domestically produced K2PL version.
These agreements form part of a broader military modernisation drive launched after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By 2030, Poland is projected to operate roughly 1,100 tanks—more than the combined fleets of Germany, France, the UK and Italy.
Warsaw has also secured deals with South Korea for K239 Chunmoo rocket systems, K9 self-propelled howitzers and FA-50 fighter jets, with some production taking place in Poland. In December, WB Electronics partnered with Hanwha Aerospace to manufacture over 10,000 precision-guided missiles for the Chunmoo system.
Recent data shows Poland has been NATO’s largest arms importer over the past five years, with 47% of its equipment sourced from South Korea and 44% from the United States. At the same time, the government is working to expand domestic production through EU-backed funding and partnerships with foreign firms.
In February, Northrop Grumman and Niewiadów-PGM announced plans to jointly produce more than 180,000 artillery shells annually in Poland. PGZ has also partnered with BAE Systems on ammunition output.
Further initiatives include a March agreement between PGZ and Frankenburg Technologies to build a facility producing up to 10,000 low-cost anti-drone missiles per year, as well as a Polish-Ukrainian venture to manufacture Ukraine’s Bohdana howitzer domestically.
Meanwhile, Mesko—another PGZ subsidiary—reported record financial results in 2025, driven by rising global demand for its Piorun air-defence systems.
