2 weeks Ago By Lee Jun-sung
Hyundai Rotem has participated in South America's largest defense exhibition, showcasing the K2 tank as part of its strategy to penetrate the South American market. On April 25, Hyundai Rotem announced its participation in the "10th International Defense and Disaster Prevention Technology Exhibition (SITDEF 2025)", held in Lima, Peru from April 24 to 27. SITDEF is a representative defense industry event in the South American region, held biennially since 2007.
This exhibition marks Hyundai Rotem's first marketing efforts following the export contract for wheeled armored vehicles with Peru and the general agreement on ground weapon exports signed last year. In 2022, Hyundai Rotem exported the K808 wheeled armored vehicle to the Peruvian Army, marking the first overseas deployment of a domestic military equipment, and subsequently signed agreements for the export of additional weapon systems, including the K2 tank. At the exhibition, Hyundai Rotem displayed the K2 tank, a wheeled command vehicle, and the future unmanned combat vehicle “HR-SHERPA” for the first time in the region, capturing significant interest.
The K2 tank, known for its excellent mobility and firepower, has proven its competitiveness in the global market through technology exports to Turkey (2008) and complete product exports to Poland (2022). During the exhibition, demonstrations of the K2’s mobility performance and turret operation were also conducted. Hyundai Rotem emphasized its network-based battle command capabilities with the introduction of the wheeled command vehicle.
This vehicle facilitates real-time information sharing on the battlefield and commands during movement, with 27 initial production units delivered to the South Korean military at the end of last year. Additionally, the HR-SHERPA, a fourth-generation unmanned vehicle equipped with advanced technology from the group, features a six-wheel electric drive system based on in-wheel motors, allowing each wheel to move independently and providing high mobility and flexible driving capabilities. This technology is implemented for the first time in the domestic defense sector.
The exhibition also showcased a prototype of the "Peruvian wheeled armored vehicle," designed to match the terrain and environment of Peru. Based on the K808, it features enhanced underbody protection for operations in mountainous and tropical rainforest environments. Moreover, a series of vehicles including recovery vehicles, obstacle clearance tanks, and bridge layers based on the K2 tank were introduced, highlighting the competitiveness of an integrated ground weapon platform capable of responding to various operational situations.
"This exhibition is an important opportunity to directly present the K2 tank and key ground weapons to the South American market," said Hyundai Rotem. "We plan to expand export opportunities throughout South America, starting from Peru.".
