Gliwice [Poland], August 2 : Poland on Friday signed a USD 6.5 billion agreement deal with South Korea for the procurement of the second batch of South Korean K2 main battle tanks from Hyundai Rotem Company, one of the leading defence manufacturers in the Southeast Asian nation, the South Korean Defence Ministry stated.
According to the release by the country's Ministry of National Defence, the new contract includes the supply of 180 tanks and 81 support vehicles to the Polish Army by Seoul. The deal comes following the signing of the first batch of 180 K2 tanks in 2022 as a push for armament in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.
As per the deal, Hyundai Rotem will be manufacturing 117 tanks, while the remaining units will be produced by Poland's state-owned defence firm PGZ, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The signing ceremony was attended by South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his Polish counterpart, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
The Polish Deputy Prime Minister was also present at the event.
"Minister of National Defence Ahn Gyu-baek attended the signing ceremony of the K2 Second Implementation Contract (180 tanks, 81 support vehicles, worth approximately 6.5 billion dollars) in Gliwice, Poland, on August 1, together with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz," the release stated.
The second K2 implementation contract covers the manufacturing of the Polish version of the K2 tank, as well as the development of related variants such as bridge-laying, engineering (pioneer), and recovery tanks, the defense minsrtry stated and "has the potential to expand joint production and joint exports in the future, so it is expected to serve as an opportunity to further deepen defence industry cooperation between the two countries."
Speaking at the event, Gyu-baek stated that the tanks are set to play a central role in Poland's defence and would also stand as a symbol of the partnership and shared pursuit of peace between our two nations.
"The K2 tank, which will become the core of Poland's security, will become a symbol of cooperation and peace between our two countries as we think and act together to achieve the common goal of peace," he said.
"Today's signing ceremony is not the end, but the beginning, and it will be an opportunity for Korea and Poland to further deepen cooperation through sharing values beyond security cooperation," the South Korean Defence Minister added.
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