In an effort to gain a larger foothold in Latin America’s defense market, South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem manufacturer is seeking to launch a tank plant in Peru. As part of the $270 million dollar project, import for training will be followed by over a decade of domestic license-production, starting in 2029.

Since Hyundai’s K2 Black Panther main battle tank (MBT) remains the East Asian nation’s most advanced armored vehicle to date, its export capacity could be higher. Peru’s Commander General of the Army’s Logistics Command, Brig. Gen. Jorge Christian Arevalo Kalionowski, noted that the Hyundai proposal is “a 15-year plan, and during the first three years, the idea is to begin with imports that allow us to be trained in the operation and maintenance of our 8×8 vehicles and our main battle tanks.”

Since the Peruvian Army has already selected the

© The National Interest