Bucharest is considering purchasing K2 tanks from South Korea which, if approved, could arrive in Romania in record time. Unlike the American Abrams. Defense Express writes about this today, November 14.
According to the Vice Minister of Defense of South Korea Sun YilaThe K2 tanks could be delivered to Romania in a few months, which is much faster than the expected delivery of the M1 Abrams tanks from the United States, scheduled for 2026.
South Korea’s production capabilities allow it to achieve the volume necessary to prioritize NATO requests.
“In particular, Poland already received its first tanks and self-propelled howitzers from South Korea only 102 days after the signing of the contract. Romania could also benefit from this speed if it chooses K2 tanks to reinforce its armored forces.” – write the post.
The source notes that Romania’s interest in tanks such as the K2, Abrams and possibly the Leopard 2 is influenced by a change in its battlefield flexibility strategy and the loss of domestic production capacity to modernize armored vehicles.
Negotiations on the terms of the contract began in December 2022, but Romania has not yet made a final decision. The reasons for this delay are still unclear. At the same time, the South Korean authorities emphasize that they are ready to quickly deliver the tanks.
“We have an unusually high delivery speed. We can say that this is a world record. While we have mass production capabilities in Korea to meet the needs of our military, we also have capabilities to supply allied countries. “Fast delivery is one of our top priorities and strengths.” Sun Il confirmed.
