South Korean defence firm Hyundai Rotem is positioning to secure a new order to build K2 Black Panther main battle tanks (MBTs) for the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA). At the same time, the company is pushing ahead with plans to develop a platform that will be a future replacement for the same tank.
A company official confirmed to Jane’s at the 2019 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) on 17 October that Hyundai Rotem is currently building 106 vehicles under a K2 batch-two order secured in late 2014. Delivery of these tanks has commenced and is expected to be concluded by 2021.
Batch-one K2s, which numbered 100 units, were built under a contract signed in 2011 and delivered to the RoKA from 2014.
South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem is pursuing additional sales – in domestic and overseas markets – of its K2 main battle tank. (IHS Markit/Kelvin Wong)
The official added that South Korea’s military procurement agency – the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) – is considering a batch-three programme, possibly from 2020. The number of vehicles to be built under this phase is not confirmed but is likely to be another 100 or so units.
The official said that a target in future K2 orders is to indigenise the platform’s power systems.
Batch-one tanks were fitted with a German MTU 883 V12 common rail diesel engine developing 1,500hp, coupled to a Renk fully automatic transmission with five forward and three reverse gears. Batch-two tanks integrate a local engine – a Doosan DV27K powerpack – and the Renk transmission.
The Hyundai Rotem official said local industry is aiming to develop a transmission system that can be integrated into batch-three orders.
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