Peru purchasing South Korean tanks in major defense deal
Friday, December 19th 2025 – 08:18 UTC
Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026, with local assembly of the vehicles projected to start in 2029
Peru has signed a strategic framework agreement with South Korean defense firm Hyundai Rotem to purchase 54 K2 Black Panther battle tanks and 141 K808 armored personnel carriers, signaling a total modernization of the South American country’s capabilities in this regard.
Arguably the largest land-defense export from South Korea to Latin America to date, the deal was valued at over US$1.4 billion, marking a major geopolitical shift for Peru, which is moving away from decades of reliance on German and Soviet-era hardware.
A central component of the deal is the transfer of technology and the establishment of a domestic industrial base. Major General Jorge Arévalo Kalinowski, chief of the Army Logistics Command, revealed that South Korean partners plan an initial US$270 million investment to construct a specialized industrial complex in Peru.
Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026, with local assembly of the vehicles projected to start in 2029. The project will involve a joint venture between the state-owned Army Weapons and Ammunition Factory (FAME) and Hyundai Rotem.
Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez stated that the new K2 tanks will replace obsolete Soviet T-55 models, which he noted no longer possess deterrent capability.
The South Korean presidential office highlighted the deal as the first entry of the K2 tank into the Latin American market, following its massive success in Europe, specifically a recent US$6.5 billion agreement with Poland.
South Korean defense manufacturers have gained global prominence for their rapid production cycles and reliability, which were shaped through decades of high readiness against North Korea. South Korea currently ranks as the world’s tenth-largest arms exporter and aims to reach the fourth spot by 2027.
Peruvian officials insisted the move seeks to recover lost operational capacity rather than trigger an arms race.
In a separate move to bolster military logistics, Peru also confirmed the arrival of a second batch of three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters donated by the United States, part of a nine-aircraft agreement signed last year.
