South Korea to deliver 54 K2 Black Panther tanks to Peru in first Latin American deal.

Peru and South Korea have signed a framework agreement outlining future delivery of 54 K2 tanks and 141 K808 armored vehicles, pending later implementation contracts.

On December 9, 2025, Reuters announced that Peru and South Korea formalized a framework in Lima establishing the planned acquisition and support structure for 54 K2 Black Panther tanks and 141 K808 8x8 wheeled armored vehicles. Defining future contract terms for production and assembly through Hyundai Rotem and FAME S.A.C., the agreement will also represent the tank’s first sale into Latin America, once implementation contracts are completed.
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The agreement, the largest South Korean export of military vehicles to Latin America to date, was signed between the two governments during ceremonies in Lima marking the 201st anniversary of the Battle of Ayacucho and the Day of the Peruvian Army. (Picture source: South Korean Army)

Including the delivery of 195 vehicles produced by Hyundai Rotem in cooperation with the Peruvian state-owned factory FAME S.A.C., this contract features provisions for industrial participation, local assembly, and technology cooperation intended to expand Peru’s domestic capacity for production, maintenance, and modernization activities for K2s and K808s. South Korean authorities indicate that the cooperation covers complete vehicles, long-term support, and coordination with Peruvian facilities to structure a sustained introduction of the K2 and K808 fleets. The signing occurred in the presence of Peru’s president, the president of Congress, the prime minister, the minister of defense, senior commanders, the South Korean ambassador, the head of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and Hyundai Rotem executives.

The cooperation framework outlines general principles for industrial projects and financing mechanisms and establishes the basis for later contracts that will specify schedules, training, maintenance, and technical configurations. Peruvian Army planning related to this effort includes long-term objectives to eventually reach around 150 K2 tanks by 2040 and around 280 K808 armored vehicles by 2034. The December 2025 ceremony also featured the presentation of the first K808 delivered to Peru in desert camouflage, and the Army displayed the first ten KIA KLTV 4x4 vehicles, stating its intent to field KLTV units progressively to create a fleet structure combining South Korean tracked, wheeled, and light vehicles. Authorities describe this approach as a means to equip the Peruvian Army with modern vehicles aligned with current operational requirements while supporting industrial activity through FAME S.A.C.

The agreement also concludes a long search by Peru for a successor to its 280 aging T-54 and T-55 tanks, which have formed the core of its armored forces for decades. Earlier attempts examined several candidate platforms, including the T-90S, M1A1 Abrams, and T-84, but previous competitions did not lead to a contract. South Korea began proposing the K2 to Peru in the early 2010s, and cooperation increased through a ground systems agreement between Hyundai Rotem and FAME that enabled local activities around Korean-designed armored vehicles. The K2’s display at SITDEF 2025 and the development of a New MBT Acquisition Program clarified Peru’s interest. Moreover, the K2’s mobility characteristics, such as its suspension and powerpack configuration designed for hilly and mountainous terrain, were viewed as relevant due to similarities between the Korean Peninsula and Peru’s interior geography.

The K2 Black Panther is a modern South Korean main battle tank introduced into service with the South Korean Army in the mid-2010s to replace earlier K1 tanks. The Black Panther uses a 120 mm, 55 caliber smoothbore gun with an autoloader carrying 40 rounds, supported by a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial weapon for secondary armament. Its 1,500-horsepower diesel powerpack allows a top road speed close to 70 km/h and supports high mobility across varied terrain. A hydropneumatic in-arm suspension system enables the hull to raise, lower, or tilt, improving gun depression angles, stability, and adaptability when operating in hilly and mountainous environments, which was noted as relevant for Peru’s interior regions. Its fire control system is designed to detect and track targets while the tank itself is moving and integrates thermal imaging, a laser rangefinder, and a ballistic computer to support accurate engagement.

The K2’s protection system uses modular composite armor supplemented by optional reactive armor and soft-kill systems, with provision for future integration of hard-kill active protection systems and a remote weapon station. Korean modernization plans include upgrades that would introduce 360-degree situational awareness, improved counter-missile measures, and enhanced features for urban and complex terrain. The tank weighs around 55,000 kg, balancing mobility with survivability, and is adapted for further adaptation to export customer requirements (as exemplified by the K2EX and K2ME). The Peruvian framework agreement would make Peru the first K2 operator in Latin America if implementation contracts proceed.

The K808 is an 8x8 wheeled armored vehicle designed to transport infantry and support elements and to complement tracked platforms such as the K2 within combined formations. It is intended for amphibious operations and high mobility on roads and uneven surfaces, carrying a crew and embarked personnel while providing ballistic and mine resistance in line with contemporary standards for armored personnel carriers. Variants can mount remote weapon stations with heavy machine guns or automatic grenade launchers, and command post versions include digital communications and battle management systems. The Republic of Korea Army has received more than 500 vehicles of this family, and Peru had an earlier agreement to receive K808 units before this larger framework expanded the planned total and integrated local participation.

For South Korea, this agreement adds to the export record of the K2 following major contracts in Europe, particularly with Poland. In August 2025, Poland signed a second agreement for 180 additional K2 tanks, complementing an earlier 180-unit acquisition for a combined total of 1,000 tanks that include direct deliveries (K2 and K2GF) and licensed production (K2PL). The Peruvian framework is described by South Korean authorities as the largest export of Korean ground systems to Latin America, and if executed in full, it would open a new regional market for the K2 beyond Europe. During the Lima ceremony, the Peruvian Army also presented a commemorative book marking fifty years of its General Headquarters building, highlighting its construction history and the evolution of the institution’s facilities. The Army connected this historical commemoration to the signing of the modernization framework as part of a broader force renewal effort.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.