Norway’s Kongsberg has secured a contract worth approximately NOK 700 million, or roughly $75 million, to supply PROTECTOR RS4 remote weapon stations for Poland’s expanding K2 tank program.
The agreement, finalized with South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Rotem, will equip three distinct variants of the K2 platform destined for the Polish Armed Forces: the main battle tank, the armored recovery vehicle, and the combat engineering vehicle. Kongsberg is scheduled to dispatch the initial hardware for vehicle integration in the spring of 2027.
PROTECTOR RS4 Allows Crews to Operate Weapons from Interior
The PROTECTOR RS4 system allows a vehicle’s crew to operate a roof-mounted machine gun or automatic grenade launcher from the safety of the armored interior. Utilizing a control screen fed by day and thermal cameras alongside a joystick, operators can engage targets without exposing themselves in an open hatch. The stabilized mount accommodates a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, lighter machine guns in 7.62 mm or 5.56 mm, or a 40 mm grenade launcher, enabling accurate fire while the vehicle remains in motion. The system belongs to the same family as the U.S. Army’s CROWS, with Kongsberg having delivered more than 20,000 PROTECTOR stations globally.
“This contract further strengthens the long-standing cooperation between KONGSBERG and Hyundai Rotem Company and confirms KONGSBERG’s position as a leading supplier of advanced remote weapon systems for international defence programmes,” said Kjetil Reiten Myhra, president of Kongsberg’s Defence Systems division. The agreement also incorporates an Integrated Product Support package covering initial spare parts, crew training, and maintenance services.
Poland Signs $6.5 Billion Contract for K2 Tanks
The new order stems from Poland’s second executive contract with Hyundai Rotem, signed in August 2025. That $6.5 billion agreement covers 180 additional K2 tanks and 81 support vehicles built upon the K2 chassis. The procurement plan schedules 116 tanks in the K2GF configuration for delivery across 2026 and 2027, with the first 28 units arriving in Poland in August for the 16th Mechanized Division.
The remaining 64 main battle tanks will feature the upgraded K2PL standard, incorporating an active protection system and an anti-drone defense network. Assembly for 61 of these upgraded units will take place at the Bumar-Łabędy plant in Gliwice between 2028 and 2030. Meanwhile, the 81 support vehicles—consisting of 31 armored recovery vehicles, 25 combat engineering vehicles, and 25 armored bridge layers—are slated for delivery between 2029 and 2031. Kongsberg’s contract explicitly designates hardware for the recovery and engineering variants.
Cooperation between Kongsberg and Hyundai Rotem on remote weapon stations and unmanned turrets dates back to September 2022, shortly after Poland finalized its initial order for 180 K2GF tanks, a delivery run that concluded in November 2025. Poland continues to rely heavily on defense hardware from both firms, operating fleets of South Korean K2 tanks alongside Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles within its coastal defense units.
Deliveries of the RS4 hardware to Hyundai Rotem are set to begin in spring 2027, preceding the rollout of the K2PL tanks in 2028 and the broader arrival of support vehicles in 2029.
