South Korea to equip K2 tanks with active protection systems against future battlefield threats

South Korea plans to equip its K2 main battle tanks with active protection systems and drone jammers to counter emerging battlefield threats, while also developing a next-generation ship-to-ship missile through domestic research to sharpen long-range precision strike capability at sea.

The government convened the 177th Defense Acquisition Program Administration committee meeting Tuesday, approving two agenda items: a basic strategy for the K2 tank performance upgrade project and a basic strategy for the Ship-to-Ship Guided Missile-II project.

The K2 tank upgrade project aims to improve the survivability and combat effectiveness of the K2 against increasingly sophisticated anti-tank threats.

Under the upgrade plan, the K2 will be fitted with an active protection system (APS), drone and improvised explosive device (IED) jammers, and a remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS).

DAPA said the improvements are expected to significantly strengthen the tank's ability to counter not only anti-tank rockets and missiles but also new battlefield threats such as loitering munitions. The project runs from 2028 to 2046, with a total budget of approximately 3.45 trillion won ($2.44 billion).

The K2, developed by Hyundai Rotem, has been the Army's main battle tank since entering service in 2014 and has now reached its fourth mass-production batch. The tank recently achieved full domestic production of its powerpack — engine and transmission — following the adoption of a locally made transmission. It has also become a flagship export item for South Korea's defense industry, with 360 units confirmed for delivery to Poland and export contract talks underway with Peru.

The upgrade requirement was first approved in July 2023 in response to changes in urban combat environments and the growing use of manned-unmanned teaming systems, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff formally confirmed the requirement in April, setting the project in motion. The military plans to complete system development and testing between 2028 and 2031, with fielding to begin in 2032.

The Ship-to-Ship Guided Missile-II project seeks to develop a domestically designed next-generation anti-ship missile with extended range and improved target detection and tracking capabilities, enhancing the Navy's ability to strike surface targets at long range.

DAPA said the new missile will offer greater long-range precision strike capability than the existing Haeseong ship-to-ship missile, boosting the Navy's capacity to respond to maritime threats.

DAPA also noted the missile could potentially be exported as part of a package with domestically built warships. The project runs from 2028 to 2039, with a total budget of approximately 1.63 trillion won.

The Haeseong, which the Navy currently operates, is a domestically developed subsonic anti-ship cruise missile. The Agency for Defense Development began development in 1996, and the missile received combat-ready certification in 2003 before entering mass production and deployment in 2005.

With a range exceeding 180 kilometers, the Haeseong serves as the Navy's standard anti-ship weapon and is deployed aboard Sejong the Great-class destroyers and Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyers.

The Ship-to-Ship Guided Missile-II is the follow-on program to the Haeseong. Once development is complete, it is expected to substantially strengthen the Navy's anti-ship strike capability.