Key Points and Summary – South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem and Israel’s Rafael signed a strategic partnership this week to integrate the combat-proven Trophy Active Protection System (APS) onto the K2 main battle tank.
-The deal, announced at Poland’s MSPO expo, includes co-production and localization for South Korea’s military and for export customers, including Poland’s new K2PL fleet.
-This marks the first time a Korean platform will use the advanced Israeli system.
-By combining South Korea’s advanced tank design with Israel’s top-tier protection technology, the partnership significantly boosts the K2’s survivability and its competitiveness on the global arms market.
Hyundai Rotem and Israel’s Rafael Join Up for Active Protection System ‘Shield’
Kielce, Poland – On Wednesday, the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) Hyundai Rotem Company and the renowned Israeli missile and defense systems company Rafael announced a deal at Poland’s MSPO Defense Industry Expo.
The two companies have agreed to cooperate on the integration, production, marketing, localization, and full lifecycle support of the TROPHY APS on HRC’s K2 Main Battle Tank (MBT), and also for other future platforms for the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Over 300 of the K2 have been sold to Poland, and the South Korean company is establishing a licensed-assembly production line at the Zakłady Mechaniczne Bumar-Labędy facility in Gliwice, Poland.
What is TROPHY? As explained by Rafael: “The TROPHY system enables networked situational awareness. It rapidly detects, classifies, and engages all known anti-tank guided missiles and rocket propelled grenade threats. Since its initial interception in 2011, TROPHY has performed numerous successful interceptions, accruing over a million operating hours, with no injuries to dismounted soldiers or platform damage. Adaptable to both wheeled and tracked AFVs, TROPHY can be deployed on MBTs, 8x8s, and other medium-weight platforms.”
The agreement was signed at the MSPO Expo at the HRC stand in a ceremony attended by senior executives from both companies. In a joint statement, the two declared that the pact is “solidifying a significant step in Korean–Israeli defense cooperation.”
This strategic partnership is a follow-on to an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) previously signed by the companies. Officials from the two defense firms state that the agreement signed this week now sets a clear framework for joint activities.
Matching Israel APS Tech With ROK Armored Vehicle Design
Rafael intends to support the ROK’s APS program, a major requirement on the modern-day battlefield, and utilize the connections afforded by the cooperation with HRC to explore additional global opportunities.
“This agreement represents a shared commitment to advancing battlefield survivability for next-generation armored platforms,” said Tzvi Marmor, Executive Vice President and Head of Rafael’s Land and Naval Systems Division.
“We are proud to deepen our collaboration with Hyundai Rotem and look forward to combining Rafael’s operational combat experience with Korea’s industrial and technological strength to support both local and international defense needs.”
Hyundai Rotem announced that it will integrate Rafael’s combat-proven Trophy Active Protection System (APS) onto the K2 main battle tank, which will include the Polonized K2PL version to be manufactured locally here in Poland. This will be the first time that a Korean battlefield platform will be equipped with this type of Israeli system.
K2 Black Panther. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
HRC has high confidence in the design of the Israeli APS. In the statement, Hyung-Joon Jo, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Rotem’s Defense Solutions R&D Center, explained, “With a strong track record on the battlefield, the Trophy APS offers a significant opportunity to enhance the protection of the K2 main battle tank.”
Force Multiplier
HRC had further stated that by working through this strategic teaming agreement, both companies will be working closely to “optimize and fully integrate the APS, tailoring it specifically for the K2 while ensuring adaptability for a wide range of customers. We expect that the Trophy APS will also benefit greatly from the global market expansion of the K2 main battle tank,” continued Hyung-Joon.
Assessments from industry specialists indicate that the ROK-Israel partnership could enhance the K2’s competitiveness in numerous overseas tenders. This is particularly the case in Europe, where several countries have shown interest in the ROK battle tank.
“Part of the attractiveness of the K2 in this [European] market is that it is a lighter-weight design that has superior maneuverability in rugged terrain and muddy field conditions,” said an HRC executive. The TROPHY now combines this advanced design with a proven technology that protects the tank against ATGMs and other threats.
The newly signed agreement is symbolic of the mutual commitment by both HRC and Rafael to deliver next-generation active protection capabilities that have been designed with the requirements of the Korean land forces as the design drive. At the same time, the two will continue to expand co-development, local production, and export opportunities with one another.
Matching Rafael’s extensive APS experience with Hyundai Rotem’s advanced armored vehicle technologies is likely, as one of the HRC execs commented, to usher in a new era in increasing the survivability and operational advantages that can be achieved in modern land warfare.
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of Research at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
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