K2 Tank to Be Equipped with Drone Interception System

Full-Scale Launch of Performance Upgrade Project to Counter Enemy Anti-Tank Threats

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

A performance upgrade project for the K2 tank, the main battle tank of the South Korean military, is set to move into full swing, with plans to equip it with an active protection system (APS) and other enhancements to counter enemy anti-tank threats.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the 177th Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee, held at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul on the afternoon of August 11, reviewed and approved a basic strategy for advancing the K2 tank's capabilities.

This project, with a total budget of approximately 3.448 trillion won, aims to retrofit all currently deployed K2 tanks with an active protection system capable of intercepting enemy anti-tank missiles and drones, in addition to equipping them with drone and improvised explosive device (IED) jammers, and a remote weapon station, among other upgrades.

The military is reported to have finalized the project requirements in the first half of this year. The project is scheduled to run from 2028 to 2046, with system development completed by 2032, after which force integration will proceed sequentially from 2033. Meanwhile, North Korea has also been accelerating the modernization of its conventional military capabilities, equipping its new main battle tank "Chonma-20"—unveiled at the October 2025 military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party—with an active protection system.

The committee also reviewed and approved a basic strategy for the domestic research and development of the Surface-to-Surface Guided Missile-II, which will offer greater long-range precision strike capabilities compared to the indigenous Haeseong-I anti-ship missile, which has a range of about 150 km. The Surface-to-Surface Guided Missile-II will be developed with a stealth design and is expected to at least double the range of the Haeseong-I. The total project cost is approximately 1.63 trillion won, and the target is to complete system development between 2028 and 2033, with mass production beginning around 2034. The missile is planned to be installed on the next Korean destroyer (KDDX), for which the lead ship construction contract was recently signed.

DAPA stated, "By acquiring the Surface-to-Surface Guided Missile-II, we will enhance our capability to respond to maritime threats, and we expect it to be exported in a package together with domestically produced warships in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.