According to Daum on January 15, 2026, Morocco has begun evaluating a potential acquisition of up to 400 K2 Black Panther tanks from South Korea as part of a broader reassessment of its land forces. If pursued, the move would mark a major diversification away from the reliance on U.S. and Russian tanks, as well as positioning Rabat as the first African operator of the K2 Black Panther tank.

This follows a visit to Seoul in April 2025 by Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, during which interest in the K2 was formally communicated to South Korean counterparts. The same exchanges also reportedly covered KM-SAM air defense systems, K9 howitzers, and KSS-III submarines, indicating that the tank is being considered within a broader modernization framework. To date, no contract or delivery schedule has been confirmed, as the process remains at the stage of technical, industrial, and strategic assessment. If concluded, the deal would make Morocco the first African operator of the K2.

Morocco already fields a large and diverse tank force, centered on 384 U.S.-supplied Abrams tanks, with 222 M1A1s and 162 M1A2s in service. In addition to the American tanks, the army operates about 142 T-72 tanks, 54 Al-Khalids/VT-4s, around 260 M60 Pattons, and roughly 225 older M48 Patton tanks, which increases the number of support chains that must be sustained in parallel. However, Moroccan authorities assess that Abrams tanks alone do not fully cover current and future operational requirements, particularly in terms of fleet expansion flexibility.

The K2 Black Panther is powered by a 1,500-horsepower diesel engine, coupled with an automatic transmission, which enables a maximum road speed of 70 km/h and an off-road speed of approximately 50 km/h, with an operational range of nearly 450 km. Its main armament is a 120 mm L55 smoothbore cannon with an automatic loader and a total ammunition capacity of 40 rounds, including 16 in the autoloader and 24 in the hull, and the gun can fire a variety of kinetic energy and high-explosive rounds, with a practical firing rate in the range of roughly 10 rounds per minute. Secondary weapons include a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. The K2 is also equipped with a hydro-pneumatic in-arm suspension that allows a better adjustment to the terrain, as well as a combination of composite armor with add-on explosive reactive armor and a soft-kill active defense system, while optical and thermal sights with range-finding sensors support target acquisition at several kilometers.