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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team<\/a> and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Poland has signed a $6.7 billion (25.1 billion zloty) deal to buy an additional 180 South Korean K2 tanks, including 61 that will be made in Poland itself.<\/p>\n The purchase marks the latest stage in Poland\u2019s rapid recent military expansion. Once the agreement is completed by 2030, Poland will operate around 1,100 tanks, which is more than Germany, France, the UK and Italy combined.<\/p>\n Przywracamy produkcj\u0119 czo\u0142g\u00f3w w Polsce!!! \u2014 W\u0142adys\u0142aw Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) August 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Poland\u00a0began to buy K2 tanks<\/a> from South Korea in 2022 under the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, with the first units beginning to arrive<\/a> in December that year.<\/p>\n The new contract includes 180 tanks, 81 support vehicles, a logistics package, training, a full service and repair programme, and a technology transfer provision.<\/p>\n \u201cPoland is gaining the capacity to produce the tanks,\u201d said defence minister W\u0142adys\u0142aw Kosiniak-Kamysz at the signing ceremony in Gliwice, confirming that 61 of the units will be produced at the Bumar-\u0141ab\u0119dy plant, where the deal was finalised.<\/p>\n The signing comes nearly a year later<\/a> than initially planned. Kosiniak-Kamysz acknowledged the delay, saying the talks were lengthy but ultimately resulted in \u201cmuch better financial conditions than if we had signed this deal last year\u201d.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Rzeczpospolita, a leading Polish daily, notes that today\u2019s announcement means Poland will have over 950 modern tanks by 2030 \u2013 including 360 K2s, 366 American Abrams<\/a> and 235 German Leopards<\/a>. When combined with 150 PT-91 Twardy tanks made in Poland in the 1990s, that brings the total to over 1,100.<\/p>\n By comparison, Germany, France, Italy and the UK have a combined total of under 950 tanks, according to Global Firepower, which collates data on the strength of military forces. Among them, only Germany is actively pursuing expansion of its armoured forces, reports Rzeczpospolita.<\/p>\n Within NATO, Turkey (2,238) and Greece (1,344) have more tanks. However, many of those are decades old, notes Rzeczpospolita, and the high numbers reflect tensions between Ankara and Athens but have little impact on NATO\u2019s eastern flank.<\/p>\n Poland’s army “will become the most powerful land force in Europe”, says the defence minister, after confirming a deal with South Korea that will see Poland acquire almost 1,000 tanks.<\/p>\n The government recently increased defence spending to 3% of GDP https:\/\/t.co\/EVanuDXz5W<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Notes from Poland \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf1 (@notesfrompoland) July 29, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has embarked on an unprecedented military spending spree. It has increased its defence budget to 4.7% of GDP this year, by far the highest relative level in NATO<\/a>.<\/p>\n Poland has made substantial purchases from South Korea, including K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery launchers<\/a>, FA-50 light combat aircraft, and K9 self-propelled howitzers.<\/a><\/p>\n A major portion of the defence spending has also gone to US producers. Beyond Abrams tanks,<\/a> Poland also signed deals for Apache<\/a> helicopters, HIMARS<\/a>\u00a0artillery launchers,\u00a0Patriot<\/a>\u00a0missile defence systems, and\u00a0radar reconnaissance airships<\/a>.<\/p>\n Two Polish and South Korean defence firms have signed an agreement to jointly establish a missile factory in Poland https:\/\/t.co\/P1ffwdxRKS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Notes from Poland \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf1 (@notesfrompoland) October 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Main image credit: Karol Frankowski\/MON<\/a> (under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 PL<\/a>)<\/p>\n Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\n
\u2705180 czo\u0142g\u00f3w K2 trafi do Wojska Polskiego. Podpisali\u015bmy jeden z najwi\u0119kszych kontrakt\u00f3w, kt\u00f3ry znacz\u0105co wzmocni nasz\u0105 armi\u0119.
\u2705116 szt. w konfiguracji K2GF, zostanie dostarcznych do 2027 roku.
\u270564 szt. w nast\u0119pnych latach powstan\u0105 ju\u017c w\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/TIW9f3QJ5L<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team<\/a> and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Alicja_Ptak_Square.jpeg\")
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