Slovakia Interested in Acquiring Polish-Produced K2PL Tanks
At the end of February, Polish and Slovakian defense ministers signed a letter of intent declaring Slovakian interest in purchasing K2PL tanks produced in Poland. Additionally, the two countries agreed to work to boost ammunition production (particularly 155mm artillery shells), and to produce a new version of the Polish Rosomak AFV incorporating the Slovakian Turra-30 turret. Finally, Slovakia also expressed interest in the Polish Piorun MANPAD system.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz commented on the letter:
“Its very important for us to work together with Slovakia- our neighbor and our ally. […] Our cooperation is key to building unity within NATO and the European Union and for strengthening NATO’s Eastern flank. Poland and Slovakia have a major role to play.”
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in Poland on February 24. (Polish Ministry of National Defense)
Slovakia’s current inventory of tanks is limited – just 30 Soviet-era T-72M1s and 15 more modern Leopard 2A4s which were delivered from Germany in exchange for Slovakia sending 30 BMPs to Ukraine. In 2024, the Slovakian Ministry of Defense publicly announced that it is seeking to replace the aging T-72s and expand the Slovakian tank fleet. At the time, the German Leopard 2A8 was seen as the most likely replacement, with reports indicating that Bratislava was considering acquiring about 100 vehicles. However, Slovakian Minister of Defense Robert Kaliňák informed the media in January 2025 that other options such as the Swedish CV90120 light tank were also being considered. Now, the Polish-Korean K2PL seems to be the leading candidate for the next Slovakian main battle tank.
Under current agreements, Poland is set to acquire 180 Korean-built K2s and 820 K2PLs will be built under license in Poland. The new Polish version is set to incorporate additional features such as additional armor and an active protection system. It is just one part of a growing list of South Korean hardware entering Polish service. On March 5h, Poland and South Korea signed a new cooperation agreement to further boost defense cooperation between the two countries. The K2PL is set to eventually become the mainstay of the Polish armored force, which will also continue to field a few hundred German Leopard 2 and US M1 Abrams tanks.