Hyundai Rotem K2 Tank First Exhibition in Peru This Month [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Following the Wheeled Armored Vehicle, Hyundai Rotem Takes on the Latin American Market for the First Time
K2 Main Battle Tank to Be Displayed at Peru Defense Exhibition Starting on the 24th

Hyundai Rotem's K2 tank will be exhibited in Peru for the first time this month. Following last year's export of the K808 'Baekho' wheeled armored vehicle to Peru, marking its first export achievement in South America, the company intends to focus on targeting the ground weapons market.

On the 2nd, Hyundai Rotem's K2 tank was exhibited at the 'Korea International Defense Industry Exhibition' held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to Hyundai Rotem on the 7th, the 10th International Defense and Disaster Prevention Technology Exhibition (SITDEF) will be held from the 24th to the 27th of this month at the Peruvian Army Headquarters in Lima. Hyundai Rotem will showcase wheeled armored vehicles (K808), recovery tanks (K1 tank), obstacle tanks (K600), bridge tanks (K1 tank), and multipurpose unmanned vehicles (HR-Sherpa) at the exhibition. These ground weapons are mock-ups painted in desert colors in the Peruvian style (mock-ups are full-scale models). However, the K2 tank will be exhibited as an actual vehicle. The K2 tank was loaded onto the Marshall Islands-flagged vehicle carrier 'Morning Pride' at Masan Port in December last year and arrived at the Callao port in Peru on the 17th of last month.

Hyundai Rotem's participation in the Peru exhibition with a large-scale ground weapons lineup is interpreted as a determination to position the K2 tank at the forefront of Peru's 'New MBT Acquisition Program.' The Peruvian Army has about 100,000 troops, around 80 tanks, and approximately 890 armored vehicles. However, it mainly operates aging Soviet-era T-55 tanks, so the need for modernization of armored forces has been consistently raised. The Peruvian Ministry of Defense formed the Technical Operations Research Committee (CETO) at the end of November last year to set market price standards and has entered the initial stage of the force modernization project. Peru is known to invest heavily in its defense capabilities due to its history of war with Ecuador over territorial disputes in the 1940s and tense relations with neighboring Chile. Industry insiders expect the initial procurement volume to be 20 to 30 units, with a total of 200 tanks to be introduced for the modernization project.

Although Peru has not yet issued an official bidding announcement, it is analyzed that Hyundai Rotem holds a favorable preemptive position. In November last year, Hyundai Rotem signed a comprehensive agreement with the Peruvian Army Arsenal (FAME S.A.C.) in Lima for the supply of ground weapons including the K2 tank. This agreement is a contract executed prior to the future implementation contracts in the acquisition process of the Peruvian Army Arsenal. The total quantity and scale of the ground weapons supply project will be determined through this agreement. Subsequent implementation contracts will specify detailed matters such as delivery schedules, detailed specifications, training, and maintenance conditions.

Over the past decade, South Korea's defense exports to Peru have amounted to $550 million, accounting for 72.5% of South America's defense exports, establishing Peru as one of South Korea's major defense cooperation partners. Since 2012, Peru has been the only Latin American country operating Korean-made military aircraft, having introduced the KT-1 advanced trainer and KA-1 armed attack aircraft. From 2013 to 2023, the two countries jointly produced coastal patrol boats and multipurpose ships. Last year, they agreed to jointly produce four vessels for the Peruvian Navy, including frigates, offshore patrol vessels, and landing ships, locally by 2029. They are also considering purchasing FA-50 light attack aircraft.

A defense industry official said, "Peru has expressed its intention to introduce K-defense products across all domains: land, sea, and air," adding, "The delegation is expected not only to discuss follow-up cooperation measures with Peru but also to secure additional exports."