More K2 Tanks and K9 Howitzers En Route to Poland

In the footage below, we can see seven K2 Black Panther tanks and 16 K9A1 howitzers at the port. This means that within a few weeks (barring any unexpected delays), Poland will have a total of at least 69 K2 Black Panthers and 124 K9A1s. Fifteen tanks are still pending, which could mean they are currently being transported to Poland or will arrive in December. As for the howitzers, additional eight units (according to the entry below) are scheduled for shipment to Poland next month. By the end of the year, Poland is expected to have 84 K2GF tanks and 132 K9A1 howitzers.

Regarding the purchase of these vehicles from South Korea, the Polish Army, under recently signed agreements, is set to acquire a total of 218 K9A1s (plus 146 K9PLs) and 180 K2GF tanks. Negotiations are ongoing for an additional batch of 180 K2 tanks, though this time in a Polish-customized version (K2PL), though the exact scope of the localization is still unknown.

The K2 Black Panther is a main battle tank from South Korea produced by Hyundai Rotem Company. It has a three-person crew consisting of a driver, gunner, and commander. Its main armament is a 120mm CN08 smoothbore gun with a 55-caliber barrel (6.6 meters long). It carries 40 rounds of 120 x 570 mm ammunition, with 16 rounds in an autoloader in the turret’s rear compartment and 24 rounds stored in a hull magazine on the driver’s right side. The gun is paired with an M60E2 7.62mm machine gun. Additionally, a K6 (licensed M2 Browning) 12.7mm heavy machine gun is mounted on top of the turret.

Production variations feature different engines. Early series tanks were powered by a German MTU MT 883 Ka-501 diesel engine with 1,500 horsepower, produced under license by South Korea’s STX Engine. Later series used the South Korean HD Hyundai Infracore (formerly Doosan Infracore) DV27K engine with the same output. Both versions are equipped with a Renk HSWL 295 TM transmission, with work underway to introduce the SNT Dynamics EST15K transmission. These powertrains enable the 55-ton tank to reach a top speed of 70 km/h. Currently, the only users of these tanks are the Republic of Korea and Poland.

The K9 Thunder is a South-Korean self-propelled gun-howitzer, designed by Samsung Techwin (Hanwha Aerospace today), to meet the requirements of ROK Army. The system is operated by a crew of five: commander, gunner, loader, loader’s assistant, driver. K2 has been fitted with the Korean Hyundai WIA 155 mm gun featuring a 52-calibre long barrel. When using base-bleed rounds, the range is 40 kilometres. Special-purpose rounds may offer ranges exceeding 50 kilometres. The howitzer can carry 48 projectiles plus propelling charges. The platform is powered by a 1,000 HP MTU MT 881 Ka-500 engine, providing the gun with a top speed of 67 kilometers per hour, and a range of 480 kilometers.