JERUSALEM — Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem Company (HRC) have signed a teaming agreement to “cooperate” on getting Rafael’s Trophy Active Protection System (APS) on HRC’s K2 Main Battle Tank, according to an announcement from Rafael.
The agreement, which includes the “integration, production, marketing, localization, and full lifecycle support” of the system, was signed Thursday at HRC’s booth at the MSPO conference in Poland last week.
“This agreement represents a shared commitment to advancing battlefield survivability for next-generation armored platforms,” said Tzvi Marmor, Rafael’s executive vice president and head of land and naval systems division, according the release. “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.”
Hyung-Joon Jo, senior vice president and head of Hyundai Rotem’s Defense Solution’s Research and Development Center added that Trophy “offers a significant opportunity to enhance the protection of the K2 main battle tank.”
The Trophy has been integrated on Israel’s main battle tanks for more than a decade, and recently it has seen success on the battlefield in Gaza and Lebanon. It is also has been put on US Abrams and has been integrated on the German Leopard 2.
Last week’s deal builds on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the two companies had previously signed, according to Rafael’s statement.
A Rafael spokesperson noted that the agreement will also make Trophy available for the K2 tanks that Poland is acquiring while enabling development of Trophy for the Republic of Korea.
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Both Korea and Poland have been steadily increasing their defense investment. The Rafael spokesperson noted that Korea is a key ally “and Western partner with great potential for deepened industrial cooperation.”
An additional Rafael official with the company’s Land and Naval Systems Division, whose name could not be used for security reasons, told Breaking Defense, “We are finalizing an agreement for the supply of the K2PL tanks for Poland. These tanks are expected to be manufactured over the next two years in Poland. That’s the first aspect.”
Poland has been acquiring K2s over the last half decade, and in 2023 decided the tanks will be produced and serviced locally in Poznan.
The partnership with the Korean company is also for “the support and development of a Korean APS based on the Trophy system,” according to that official. “Some components will be designed and produced in South Korea to meet the specifications of the current K2 tank—and potentially its next version and other platforms Hyundai Rotem manufactures.”