Hyundai Rotem Company’s ‘Polish K2’ Program Gets on Track; Company Also Targets Unmanned Vehicle Exports

[Financial News] Hyundai Rotem Company’s development of the Poland-localized K2 tank, the K2PL, has moved into full swing. The company showcased the tank at the International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Poland, along with the K2PL and its derivative vehicles, including bridge-laying, breaching and recovery tanks. It also unveiled a self-developed unmanned vehicle equipped with locally sourced components, seeking to capitalize on growing global demand for unmanned systems.
Hyundai Rotem Company set up the largest booth among South Korean defense companies at MSPO in Kielce, Poland, on Sept. 8, displaying Polish variants of the K2 tank. The vehicles are based on the standard K2GF tanks being delivered to Poland, fitted with locally sourced equipment.
The centerpiece was the application of a multispectral camouflage system from Polish defense company Miranda to the K2GF. The system can be worn by the tank during movement and combat, reducing the risk of detection by sensors such as night-vision and thermal-imaging equipment. Hyundai Rotem Company also unveiled a bridge-laying tank being developed with local defense company OBRUM. It was fitted with equipment designed to enhance performance for Poland’s battlefield environment.
The K2PL will be produced at the Bumar-Łabędy plant, a subsidiary of the state-owned Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), with a total of 64 tanks scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2030. Derivative vehicles, including bridge-laying, breaching and recovery tanks, will also be manufactured locally, with a total of 81 units scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2031. In April, Hyundai Rotem Company held a signing ceremony for agreements on the local production of the K2PL and recovery tanks, as well as maintenance cooperation.
The production and delivery schedule was set under the second implementation agreement signed in August last year. However, detailed development issues, including the Polish-made components to be installed, are still under negotiation. The K2-series vehicles displayed at the exhibition represent interim results from joint development with local companies and have not yet been finalized.
Unmanned systems were a notable feature of Hyundai Rotem Company’s exhibition.
The first was the HR-Sherpa multipurpose unmanned vehicle. Selected in 2020 for the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA)’s rapid demonstration acquisition program for multipurpose unmanned vehicles, the model has been upgraded through its fourth generation. Having received performance certification from the South Korean military, it is expected to have export potential. The HR-Sherpa model displayed at the exhibition was equipped with a remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS) from local defense company Tarnów Mechanical Works.
The company also introduced an armored vehicle designed to counter unmanned aircraft, a representative unmanned system. The 30-ton-class wheeled armored vehicle is equipped with a counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) unmanned turret for layered anti-drone defense. Hyundai Rotem Company has been diversifying its wheeled armored vehicle lineup, including by recently developing an armored ambulance fitted with medical equipment.
An industry official said, "Unmanned systems are a global trend because they can take over some of the roles performed by infantry. Hanwha Aerospace is handling the main multipurpose unmanned vehicle program, but HR-Sherpa was selected for the earlier demonstration project, so it has export potential." Both HR-Sherpa and Arion-SMET are reportedly receiving requests for information (RFIs) from overseas.

[email protected] Yoon-ho Kim Reporter