Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak met with the management and employees of the Military Automotive Works (WZM) in Poznań. The head of the defence ministry announced that modern K2 tanks will be serviced, overhauled and manufactured at the Poznan plant.

“This is good information for Poznań. These are further new jobs. This is the maintenance of those jobs that have been created here at WZM. It is a very good company. It is a company with a great and experienced workforce. We had no doubt that the state-of-the-art K2 tanks, designed for the 21st century, would be serviced, overhauled and produced here”, said Minister Błaszczak during the meeting at WZM.

The Korean Hyundai Rotem Company and the Polish Armaments Group have agreed on the principles of industrial cooperation in the production, supply and servicing of the PL version of K2 tanks. As a result of subsequent executive agreements, it is planned to procure Polonised K2 BLACK PANTHER tanks together with accompanying vehicles based on the platform of this tank. The tanks and accompanying vehicles will be manufactured at Poznań’s Military Automotive Works.

The contract, which the Ministry of Defence (‘MON’) concluded with the Korean partner, provides for the transfer of technology. Under it, hydropneumatic chassis and other components used in the K2 tank will be produced in Poznań. 

“We have ordered 1000 tanks under the contract with South Korea. 180 of these tanks will be delivered in the first process. They will be delivered directly from Korea. The next ones will already be co-produced and then manufactured right here in Poznań,” announced the head of the Ministry of Defence. 

Military Automotive Works S.A. has been operating on the Polish arms market since 1945. The company is responsible for the production, modernisation, repair and maintenance of military heavy tracked vehicles.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński