Countering China on Land: South Korea Revs Up More K2 “Black Panther” Tanks

By Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor, Weapons

Earlier this month, Seoul approved the production of additional K2 Black Panther main battle tanks. For roughly $1.5 billion, the new fleet of armored vehicles will join the 260 K2s South Korea has already ordered and received in recent years.

Seoul’s Defense Projection Promotion Committee noted that, “By acquiring additional K2 tanks through this project, [we] expect them to greatly contribute to enhancing the maneuver corps’ capabilities to carry out offensive maneuver warfare.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put an emphasis on the role tanks play in modern warfare.

South Korea’s K2 may be the most expensive tank in the world, but it is also perhaps one of the most lethal and capable on the battlefield – some even say it is the best tank on Earth.

Origins of the K2 Black Panther

Seoul’s next-generation MBT evolved from the XK2 program in the early 1990s. South Korea before that time had relied heavily on foreign acquisitions to fulfill its defense needs. In the 1970s, Seoul used upgraded American-made M48 Patton tanks.

Seoul eventually acquired the K1 MBT, which was the American-made M1 Abrams delivered to South Korea, but the South Korean government wanted to increase its indigenous defense manufacturing capabilities. Seoul-based engineers began developing a new operational K1 variant, and they simultaneously began work on a completely new and homegrown prototype. Hyundai Rotem, a Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary, developed the K2 Black Panther for the Republic of Korea Army.

Specs and Capabilities

All of the K2’s design and production processes were localized to South Korea in an effort to reduce dependence on foreign allies and safeguard production in times of war. Armament-wise, the K2 sports a German Rheinmetall CN08 120mm/L55 smoothbore gun that is license-produced in South Korea. Similar to France’s Leclerc MBT, the Black Panther is fitted with an automatic loader, mounted in the turret bustle.