SEOUL — South Korea has approved a major upgrade programme for its K2 Black Panther main battle tanks, adding an active protection system (APS), electronic warfare (EW) equipment and a remotely controlled weapon station (RCWS) to improve protection against anti-armour weapons, drones and other emerging threats.
The K2 Tank Performance Upgrade Project has an estimated budget of ₩3.45 trillion ($2.43 billion). The programme will run from 2028 to 2046, with development expected to finish around 2032 and the first upgraded tanks scheduled to enter Republic of Korea Army service in 2033.
New Protection Systems
The APS will use radar to detect incoming threats, including anti-tank missiles, rockets and drones, and intercept them. Hyundai Rotem, the K2 manufacturer, says the platform can accommodate both soft-kill and hard-kill APS configurations.
South Korea has previously developed the Korean Active Protection System (KAPS) for the K2. In September 2025, Hyundai Rotem and Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems also signed an agreement to cooperate on integrating the Trophy APS into the K2 family, covering integration, production, marketing, localisation and life-cycle support.
The upgraded tanks will also receive EW systems for counter-drone and IED jamming. These systems are intended to disrupt radio-control signals used by drones and remotely triggered IEDs.
The RCWS will allow the three-person crew to operate the secondary weapon from inside the armoured hull, reducing the need to expose themselves by opening hatches.
K2 and Export Versions
The K2 entered Republic of Korea Army service in 2014. The approximately 56-tonne tank is armed with a 120 mm L/55 smoothbore gun, an autoloader and a three-person crew. Existing production models use composite and reactive armour and soft-kill countermeasures. Earlier K2 batches did not receive a standard hard-kill APS because of cost considerations during the original design.
The upgrade is also intended to address the capability difference between South Korea's domestic K2 fleet and export versions. Poland has ordered 360 K2 tanks under two contracts, including K2GF vehicles and the locally configured K2PL. The K2PL incorporates Polish requirements and is planned for local assembly at Bumar-Łabędy. The first 28 tanks from the second contract arrived in Poland in August 2026.
South Korea's DAPA said the domestic upgrade will use technology more advanced than that currently fitted to the K2PL.
The K2 has also attracted interest from Peru and Morocco. Peru has considered around 150 tanks to replace older T-55 and AMX-13 vehicles, with possible local assembly, while Morocco has reviewed a potential larger K2 purchase as part of its military modernisation.
The upgrade comes as South Korea responds to changing threats on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's military modernisation and its recently unveiled Chonma-20 main battle tank, which appears to feature its own active protection system.
——— End of Article ———
