Army Reconciliation: Iraq to replace 140 American Abrams tanks with 250 Korean ones.
Army Reconciliation: Iraq to replace 140 American Abrams tanks with 250 Korean ones.
10-14-2025
Iraq is evaluating a large-scale purchase of approximately 250 K2 Black Panther main battle tanks from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem, according to reports from Milley Recharge. The proposed $6.5 billion deal is under government
and military review and would replace a portion of Iraq’s US-supplied Abrams tank fleet, along with aging T-90S and T-72 tanks, as the country seeks to unify its armored units under a single, modern platform.
The report added, “According to South Korean media, Iraq is likely preparing a large-scale acquisition deal centered on the K-2 Black Panther main battle tank from South Korea, valued at approximately 9 trillion won (roughly $6.5 billion). A high-level Iraqi delegation, led by the army’s chief of staff, is expected to visit Hyundai Rotem’s production facilities later this year to conduct a detailed review of the assembly lines, training environments, and operational tanks before formal negotiations begin.
” It continued, “This would likely represent one of the largest foreign armored vehicle purchases in Iraq’s modern history, and this visit will play a crucial role in the final decision-making process, as Baghdad intends to base its selection on direct assessments of production capacity, operational performance, and delivery schedules.”
The report explained that “Given the limited time available to Baghdad to conduct a full international competition, this urgency is due to the expected withdrawal of US forces, which will leave the regular Iraqi army with the responsibility of filling a significant operational gap in armored deterrence and maneuver capabilities. In this scenario, Seoul’s proven ability to deliver large quantities on compressed schedules provides a framework that Iraq can use to meet the urgent timelines while maintaining operational compatibility with Western standards.”
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