Hyundai Rotem wins $137 mn contract to overhaul S. Korean battle tanks

[K1A1]

Hyundai Rotem Co., rolling stock and ground weapon manufacturing unit of Hyundai Motor Group, said on Wednesday that it has signed a 158.5 billion won ($137.6 million) deal with the state-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration to provide depot maintenance on K1 and K1A1 battle tanks.

Depot maintenance work involves disassembling worn-out tanks and replacing inner equipment with new ones. Under the contract, Hyundai Rotem will repair dozens of K1 and K1A1 tanks, and each contract for K1 tanks and K1A1 tanks is worth 95.0 billion won and 63.5 billion won.

Ever since Hyundai Rotem was designated as a defense company producing battle tanks in 1976, it has been supplying core equipment to the Korean army including the country’s first battle tank K1, its improved version K1A1 and the K2 main battle tank. The company has supplied about 1,000 units of K1 tanks between 1986 and mid-1990s and about 480 units of K1A1 tanks since 2001. Hyundai Rotem has been carrying out depot maintenance work of battle tanks worth 100 billion won every year since 1995.

[ⓒ Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]