K2 BLACK PANTHER MBT Main Battle Tank - South Korea
The K2 Black Panther is a new generation of Main Battle Tank (MBT) designed, developed, and manufactured in South Korea by the South Korean Company Hyundai Rotem. The K2 was unveiled for the first time to the public during the Defense Exhibition ADEX at the Seoul Airport in October 2009. This new tank will replace the old M48 Patton main battle tank currently in service with the South Korean army. South Korean company Hyundai Rotem signed on 29 December 2015, a contract to supply an unspecified number of K2 (Black Panther) main battle tanks (MBTs) to the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA). The South Korean government and Hyundai Rotem signed a $820 million contract for 100 K2 MBTs in 2014. The ROKA currently operates 100 K2tanks fitted with a licensed-built German MTU 883 diesel engine and Renk transmission system. Overall, the ROKA has a requirement for over 600 K2 tanks (some sources say 400) complementing its K1 MBT force and replacing its aging fleet of M48 Patton MBTs as they are being slowly phased out. The Turkish-made main battle tank Altay uses the technology systems developed for the South Korean K2 MBT by Hyundai Rotem. Altay will have the stronger chassis characteristics of the K2 Black Panther MBT. It will have a re-designed Turkish turret and heavier armor than the K2. In late September 2013, South Korea entered the K2 Black Panther in the Peruvian Army's future tank competition. On January 18, 2020, a South Korean newspaper has announced that South Korea could sell 800 K2 main battle tanks to Poland. On December 22, 2020, Hyundai Rotem announced an order to produce a third batch of K2 MBTs. South Korean company Hyundai Rotem has launched the promotion of its K2 Black Panther MBT (Main Battle Tank) during the ADEX 2021 defense exhibition in South Korea to replace Leopard 2A4 in service with the Norwegian army. According to a Tweet published by Mahmoud Gamal on December 22, 2021, Egypt's Minister of Military Production and South Korean DAPA (Defense Acquisition Program Administration) held talks on the possibility to co-produce in Egypt the South Korean K2 Black Panther Main Battle Tank (MBT). In December 2021, two K2NO MBTs, the Norwegian versions of the K2 Black Panther arrived in Norway to participate in winter trials for the acquisition of a new main battle tank by the Norwegian army. On May 24, 2022, it was announced that Poland could acquire K2 tanks to replace its fleet of T-72 tanks donated to Ukraine. On July 24, 2022, Mister Krzysztof Platek, spokesman for the Armaments Office of the Polish Ministry of Defense announced that Poland would acquire 180 K2 tanks. On July 26, 2022, the Polish Ministry of Defense announced an order of 180 K2 tanks from South Korea. On December 6, 2022, Poland received the first batch of 10 K2PL main battle tanks from South Korea.

The main armament of the K2 Black Panther consists of a German-made Rheinmetall 120-mm/ L55 smoothbore gun produced under license in South Korea. The gun is fitted with an automatic loader which ensures the loading of projectiles on the move even when the vehicle moves on uneven surfaces. The 120mm gun can fire about 10 rounds per minute. With a total supply of 40 various rounds, the Black Panther can rain hellfire on an enemy position for nearly three minutes before needing resupply. A total of 16 rounds are stored in the autoloader and 24 rounds are stored inside the hull. The K2 can fire a wide range of munitions using its main gun including, but not limited to, an indigenously developed and improved tungsten APFSDS kinetic energy penetrators, which offer significantly better penetration than the previous generation tungsten rounds, and multi-purpose HEAT chemical energy rounds similar to the American M830A1 HEAT MP-T that can be used against personnel, unarmored and lightly armored vehicles on the ground as well as low-flying helicopters. A 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun is mounted to the left side of the main armament. A 12.7 mm K-6 heavy machine gun is mounted on the top right of the turret. Visual and Infrared Screening Smoke (VIRSS) grenade launchers mounted on each side at the front of the turret also complement the defensive layer of the Black Panther.