SEOUL, April 28 (AJP) - Hyundai Rotem has signed a contract with a Polish defense firm for the production and maintenance of South Korea's K2 battle tank, it said on Tuesday.
The signing ceremony, which follows a preliminary deal signed in August last year, was held in Warsaw the previous day and was attended by Hyundai Rotem CEO Lee Yong-bae and Bumar-Łabędy CEO Monika Kruczek.
Under the contract with Bumar-Łabędy, a subsidiary of Poland's state-run defense group Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), the South Korean manufacturer will collaborate on local production of the Polish version of the tank, dubbed the K2PL. It is a customized version developed to meet Polish requirements and expected to be produced locally, along with other Poland-specific variants based on the K2 platform.
A key part of the deal involves cooperation on assembly, with some equipment to be sourced from Poland. Hyundai Rotem said items such as front- and rear-view cameras, which allow crews to monitor surroundings from inside the tank, and an inertial navigation system that helps enable precise movement and firing will be Polish-made.
The contract also includes on-site training for Polish personnel in Hyundai Rotem's maintenance work on the tanks, aimed at helping Poland build its maintenance capabilities before local production begins.
Hyundai Rotem said it plans to strengthen mid- to long-term cooperation with Bumar-Łabędy and other local defense companies, using the partnership as a foothold for its expansion in Europe, as it believes it would offer growth opportunities for South Korea's defense industry.
Expressing confidence in its competitiveness, the company said it has a track record of delivering shipments several months ahead of schedule or on time.
"The latest deal will lay the groundwork to expand K2-related projects in Poland," a Hyundai Rotem spokesman said.
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