[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Joint Chiefs of Staff will make the final decision on the 4th batch production of the K2 'Heukpyo' tank on the 22nd. Since the largest number of K2 tanks produced sequentially will be decided, the defense industry is paying close attention.
On the 21st, a government official said, "The Joint Chiefs of Staff are expected to make the final decision on the 4th batch production of the K2 'Heukpyo' tank, with an anticipated quantity of 183 units."
The K2 tank, developed by the domestic defense company Hyundai Rotem, has been produced in three batches: 1st (100 units), 2nd (106 units), and 3rd (56 units). However, as the tanks deployed in the Army's 7th Corps and the Army Capital Mechanized Infantry Division (Sugi-sa) have become severely aged, there have been calls for their replacement.
The Army is advocating for additional procurement of the K2 tank because it is a world-class tank developed with domestic independent technology. Moreover, if additional production of the existing K1A1 tanks is pursued, the production line would need to be rebuilt, and the production cost per tank is expected to rise from the initial launch price of 4.7 billion KRW to 7 billion KRW.
If the 4th batch procurement of the K2 tank is finalized, there will also be interest in whether the powerpack (engine + transmission), which is the heart of the tank, will use domestic components. Up to the 3rd batch production, the K2 tank's powerpack has used a domestic engine and a German transmission. Although efforts to domestically produce the transmission have been underway, performance issues have caused ongoing controversy, leading to the decision to equip the existing 'mixed powerpack.' However, if the 4th batch production also uses the mixed powerpack, domestic defense companies developing domestic powerpacks could suffer significant damage.
A government official stated, "Whether the 4th batch K2 tanks will use domestic powerpacks remains to be seen, but it is impossible to ignore the efforts and technological capabilities that domestic defense companies have developed so far."
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