Polish K2 Tanks Make Debut in Slovakia Exercises
Polish K2 Black Panther main battle tanks made their debut during the Slovak Shield 25 military exercises in Slovakia.
The 9th Braniewo Armored Cavalry Brigade of the Polish Armed Forces reported on this.
They posted photos from the NATO maneuvers featuring their South Korean–made tanks on social media.
K2 Black Panthers entered service with the 1st Tank Battalion of this Polish brigade in November 2024.
The first 180 K2 Black Panthers were ordered for the Polish army in August 2022. So far, 110 units have been delivered to Poland, ZBIAM reports.
Most of them will be assigned to the 16th Pomeranian Infantry Division (9th Braniewska Armored Cavalry Brigade, 20th Bartoszycka Mechanized Brigade, and 15th Gieżycka Mechanized Brigade).
Last year, a small number were also transferred to the Army Training Center in Poznan.
The remaining 70 units are to be delivered by the end of 2025. This will allow the tank battalions in Braniewo and Orzysz to be fully rearmed. It is noted that in both cases, the delivery of combat vehicles began in November 2024.
Cooperation
Polish and South Korean companies have agreed to include training, maintenance, and ammunition in the K2 purchase agreement. Poland also plans to manufacture K2PL tanks on its own. Production should start in 2028 and will reach 500 vehicles.
In March 2025, it was announced that Poland plans to double the number of K2 Black Panther main battle tanks purchased from South Korea.
During the talks between Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Bejda and Defense Procurement Agency (DAPA) Deputy Minister Hyunki Cho, the parties discussed steps to sign the second part of the contract for the purchase of a new batch of K2 tanks, as well as the establishment of their production in Poland.
According to South Korean media, purchasing another 180 combat vehicles is in question. The total cost of this part of the deal is estimated at $6.1 billion, with part of the funds likely to be used to launch production.
