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Poland’s defence minister has announced that the K2 tanks obtained from South Korea will be maintained and then constructed in Poznań, located in Poland.
On Thursday, Mariusz Błaszczak went to the Military Automotive Works in Poznań to talk with its managers and staff.
Poland plans to acquire 1,000 K2s from South Korea in the context of a re-armament effort which has been significantly sped up due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Here, in the Military Automotive Works in Poznań, K2 tanks will be serviced, repaired and manufactured (…) It is good news for Poznań and Wielkopolska, there will be new jobs, while current jobs will be retained,”
the defence minister said.
Minister Błaszczak announced an agreement with South Korea that will enable Poland to make parts for the K2 in Poznań using Korean technology.
“One hundred and eighty of those tanks will be delivered in the first stage and they will come directly from Korea (…) Subsequent ones will be co-produced, and later produced in Poznań,”
Błaszczak said.
Poland was given a small amount of South Korean tanks in December 2020.
Sebastian Chwałek, Chief Executive Officer of the Polish Armaments Group, a state-owned defence company, stated that over the next few years, at least 500 modern tanks will be constructed by the firm.
The Poznań Military Automotive Works was founded in 1945 and specializes in the production, enhancement, repairs, and upkeep of heavy armoured military vehicles. The facility is authorised to carry out maintenance and repairs on Poland’s Leopard 2 tanks, which are manufactured in Germany. The K2 Black Panther is created by the Hyundai Rotem Company in South Korea.