Hyundai Rotem concluded negotiations for a $6.5 billion agreement to export 180 K2 Black Panther tanks to Poland, according to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The deal represents Seoul’s largest single defense export contract, surpassing the previous record of $3.5 billion for surface-to-air missiles sold to the United Arab Emirates in 2022.
The contract marks Hyundai Rotem’s second tank export arrangement with Poland, following a $3 billion agreement signed in 2022 for the same quantity of vehicles. Despite identical unit volumes, the latest deal commands more than double the price, reflecting enhanced specifications and additional support services.
Under the agreement, Hyundai Rotem will manufacture 117 tanks domestically, while Poland’s state-owned PGZ group will produce 63 units locally through technology transfer arrangements. The package includes maintenance operations and auxiliary equipment such as recovery and bridge-laying variants.
The agreement faced delays following former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration in December, raising questions about political stability’s impact on Seoul’s defense export ambitions. South Korea aims to become the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter by 2027, requiring sustained contract execution amid domestic political uncertainties.
The deal forms part of Poland’s broader military modernization following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though opposition lawmakers have criticized the government’s contract implementation pace.
