Locally produced K2 MBT proposed to the Polish military
Hyundai Rotem has submitted a proposal to locally produce their K2 Black Panther in Poland. Sources report that in the first half of 2020 the Polish Ministry of Defense will formalize a competition to select a tank that will replace their fleet of T-72s and PT-91s, both legacies of Poland’s involvement with the USSR. The new tank must be locally produced falling in line with a government desire to bolster the domestic defense industry. As reported the program would stand at around $9 billion covering technology transfer and production of up to 800 tanks starting in 2023. The T-72/PT-91 fleet consists of around 600 tanks so it’s possible that in the long term Poland intends to replace its Leopard 2 fleet as well.
So far no other competitors have made announcements but it is very likely the K2 will compete against the American M1A2C and German Leopard 2A7, both world-leading MBTs. K2 itself is no slouch, offering the same 55 caliber gun seen on late-model Leopard 2s and includes some of the most advanced subsystems available thanks to South Korea’s high level of technological competency. This includes, reportedly, a semi-autonomous fire control system built around a radar which is able to detect and track targets automatically. Radars have been tested on tanks in the past but K2 is the first to be fielded with one. Additionally, the K2 is equipped with an autoloader which the Abrams and Leopard 2 lack.
However, it is important to note the competition isn’t strictly about vehicle performance, but also the level of technology transfer and industrial assistance the manufacturer is willing to offer. K2 has yet to be produced outside of South Korea though it was used as the technological base for Turkey’s Altay. Hyundai Rotem’s role in developing Altay was reduced over time with only the chassis and gun showing lineage to the K2.
Strengthening the case for K2, Poland already has some experience in technology transfer with South Korea. The Polish Army’s Krab SPG uses the chassis from the K9 Thunder which has been locally manufactured in Poland since 2018.
The key competitor to K2 for the contract is Leopard 2A7 since both Leopard 2PL and 2A5 are already in service with the Polish Army. Given Germany’s proximity to Poland, a workshare relationship could be very easily established. In the late 90s, Spain was allowed to locally manufacture the Leopard 2E but Germany still had a significant hand in production (German workshare was 30-40%).
In comparison, Abrams has never been built outside the US with the only exception being local assembly and limited parts manufacturing in Egypt. These are older model M1A1s and it is unlikely the US would permit tech transfer of the much more advanced M1A2C. However, with Poland recently purchasing top-tier US systems such a Patriot PAC-3 MSE and F-35A this may change.