K2 tanks unloaded at Port of Gdynia have arrived at Braniewo unit

The first K2 tanks produced by the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem have arrived at the 9th Braniew Armoured Cavalry Brigade. These are the first tanks of this type in the unit, with more to arrive later this year.

The tanks arrived at the Braniewo unit on caravans. Throughout Thursday, representatives of the military and the South Korean side will complete the formalities needed to receive the machines.

‘In the next sequence, these tanks will be equipped with systems used in the Polish army, including communications,’ – Maj Magdalena Kościńska, spokesperson for the 16th Pomeranian Mechanised Division, told PAP.

The K2 Black Panther tanks are some of the most modern machines in the world, known for their advanced technological solutions, including an active defence system – they effectively counter rocket and anti-tank attacks. They also have high mobility – allowing rapid manoeuvres even in such difficult terrain as the swampy and sandy terrain of north-eastern Poland. They are equipped with precise aiming and firing systems, thus guaranteeing effectiveness in various combat conditions.

The K2 tanks are powered by a 1,500 hp diesel engine with automatic transmission.

The tank is also characterised by its relatively low weight – it weighs 55 tonnes. It has hydropneumatic suspension.

‘In the first round, the 9th Brigade received seven tanks. Another shipment is expected later this year. At the moment, the unit has 8 trained crews, who have carried out training with instructors from the 20th Mechanised Brigade,’ Maj. Kościńska told PAP.

Until now, the Armoured Cavalry Brigade in Braniewo had PT-91 tanks at its disposal.

In the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship, K2 tanks are on the equipment of, among others, a unit in Morąg.

Agreements on the purchase of South Korean armaments for the Polish army were approved in July 2022. the then head of the Ministry of Defence, Mariusz Błaszczak. These involved FA-50 light combat aircraft, K2 tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers.

The order for K2 tanks was divided into two stages. In the first, Poland was to buy 180 vehicles, while the second phase was for more than 800 tanks in the K2PL standard and the launch of production in Poland in 2026. Tanks delivered in the first phase were also to be brought up to the K2PL standard

In June, the production of K2 in Poland was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, head of the Ministry of Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. As he said, Poland aspires to be a service centre for Korean equipment purchased for our needs and those of other countries, he added.

At the end of October, during a visit to South Korea, President Andrzej Duda expressed hope that an agreement would be concluded in the coming weeks, resulting in the location of K2 tank production in Poland. At the time, the President visited the Rotem Hyundai production facilities where K2 tanks – including those for Poland – are manufactured and spoke with the company’s president Lee Yong – bae.

Source: PortalMorski.pl