Plans for the production of these tanks in Poland are also facing uncertainty.
The newspaper reveals that despite previous statements by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Korea will not sign a contract with Poland during the International Defense Industry Exhibition in September. The delay stems mainly from disagreements between potential contractors on the Polish side and issues related to financing the contract.
This week, a Korean delegation spent two days in Warsaw negotiating with the Armaments Agency. However, despite Kosiniak-Kamysz’s assertion that the tanks from this tranche would be produced in Poland, it now appears that this is unlikely to happen.
According to "Rzeczpospolita," the most probable date for signing a contract for the additional 180 K2 tanks is now the end of 2024. The newspaper also notes that there is still no clear answer as to when and under what conditions further contracts might be signed to fully implement the framework agreement, which initially provided for the purchase of 1,000 tanks from Korea.
The framework agreement with South Korea, signed in July 2022 by the then Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, included plans for 500 of the tanks to be manufactured in Poland.
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Source: IAR, Rzeczpospolita