Industry
Eurosatory 2022: Polish-Korean Main Battle Tank and APC Emerge?
Photo. Hyundai Rotem
It was during the Eurosatory 2022 exhibition when a memorandum on cooperation between the PGZ Group, and the South Korean Hyundai Rotem company was concluded. Defence24.pl has been the first outlet to release information on the planned memorandum.
The head of the Polish Ministry of Defence, Mariusz B艂aszczak, announced that a memorandum was signed by and between PGZ and Hyundai Rotem, confirming our previous reports on such a memorandum being planned.
Wojsko馃嚨馃嚤musi by膰 wyposa偶one w nowoczesny sprz臋t, o czym podczas wizyty w 馃嚢馃嚪 rozwia艂em m. in. z przedstawicielami Hyundai Rotem. Dzi艣 @PGZ_pl i Hyundai Rotem podpisa艂y memorandum o wsp贸lnym rozwoju czo艂g贸w i transporter贸w opancerzonych. To wa偶ny krok dla rozwoju wojska i przemys艂u pic.twitter.com/uzaURMWkkq
— Mariusz B艂aszczak (@mblaszczak) June 13, 2022
The information that had been previously published by Defence24.pl suggested that the memorandum that was planned to be signed, concerned cooperation tied to two land component modernization programmes. The first one is the Wilk MBT programme. Here, a Polish-Korean offer is to include the K2PL MBT developed jointly by the Polish and Korean industry, based on the K2 MBT operated by South Korea, but custom-tailored to Polish requirements.
It is assumed that in-depth polonization would happen, with key components technologies to be transferred. The MoD is also considering an acquisition of a certain number of existing K2 vehicles, to meet the urgent needs. Hyundai Rotem K2 Black Panther is an MBT that is being commissioned in the ROKAF, and it is also offered to Norway, Egypt, and Poland of course.
The K2 features a 120 mm L52 gun made in Korea, along with an autoloader. It has been fitted with advanced electronic fire control and battle management systems. The MBT features the so-called in-arm hydropneumatic suspension system. It is NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture compliant which makes it easier to integrate it with systems provided by the NATO-based manufacturers.
Another programme that may be covered by the memorandum signed with Hyundai Rotem is the one tied to a wheeled APC. It is assumed that PGZ, jointly with Hyundai Rotem, would develop a vehicle meeting the requirements of the Polish Armed Forces. Then it would be manufactured at the Rosomak S.A. company, along with other PGZ Group businesses. The South-Korean company is currently manufacturing its K806 (6x6), and K808 (8x8) APC designs. Nonetheless, the vehicle that would be created here would be an entirely new design, created from a scratch, based on the domestic requirements. In the longer run the new vehicles would complement, and gradually replace the legacy Rosomak APCs based on the Patria XC-360P AMV.
Jakub Palowski, J臋drzej Graf