South Korean industrial giant Hyundai Rotem showed a mockup of its new K2 Black Panther main battle tank (MBT) at IDEX 2015 in the United Arab Emirates in February 2015. The company is considering the countries of the Middle East and Africa as potential buyers of its new tank.
New South Korean tank K2 Black Panther
In December 2014, the Korean industrial giant Hyundai Rotem Co signed a contract worth $ 820.29 million with the Defense Procurement Authority for the supply of K2 MBTs to the South Korean army. It is assumed that the initial order will consist of 100 tanks with subsequent orders for the supply of another 400 tanks.
The K2 will be the main battle tank with a "perfect concept" that will maximize combat effectiveness and optimize the human-machine interface. It features a modern cannon with lethal firepower, a compact high power diesel power unit for superior maneuverability, modern armor and active protection systems for increased survivability, a combat information management system, onboard electronics and superior fire capabilities, etc.
MBT K2 Black Panther has a crew of three crew members, including the commander, gunner and driver. The main armament consists of a 120 mm L / 55 smoothbore cannon with an automatic loading mechanism. The automatic loader provides ammunition loading on the move, even when the tank is moving on uneven surfaces. The 120mm cannon can fire at approximately 10 rounds per minute. Additional armament includes a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and one 12.7 mm machine gun mounted on the turret roof.
MBT K2 is equipped with composite armor and dynamic protection units. The active protection complex installed on the tank protects against anti-tank guided and unguided missiles.
New Turkish tank Altay
The K2 Black Panther tank was also selected by the Turkish Ministry of Defense as a base for the local Altay MBT.
Altay is a modern third generation main battle tank designed and developed by the Turkish company Otokar for the Turkish army and overseas markets.
To date, the first prototype of the Altay tank has already traveled more than 2,000 kilometers during testing. At the OTOKAR tank range, two prototypes showed a special performance to the guests of the ceremony. During this show, the driving characteristics of the ALTAY tank were demonstrated, for example, acceleration, maximum speed, lateral slope, suspension work on an area with bumps, off-road driving. At the end of the show, the guests got the impression that once the development was completed, the tank could become the most modern tank in the world.
The Altay's main armament is a 55-caliber 120mm smoothbore cannon that fires various types of shells. The Turkish company MKE has been identified as the manufacturer of the 120mm / 55 caliber cannon as part of a technology transfer from the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem.
Description
The K2 Black Panther is a new generation MBT main battle tank developed and manufactured by the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem. The K2 was first shown to the public at the Defense Exhibition ADEX in South Korea in October 2009. This new tank can replace the K1 tank and other obsolete MBTs in service with the South Korean army. The Korean company Hyundai Rotem signed a contract on December 29, 2014 for the supply of an unspecified number (probably 100) of K2 (Black Panther) tanks for the South Korean army. Currently, production of MBT K2 is underway, according to the schedule, the tanks will be delivered from mid-2015 to December 2017. The Turkish-made Altay main battle tank uses systems developed by Hyundai Rotem for the K2 MBT. Altay will have higher chassis characteristics compared to the K2 Black Panther MBT. It will have a redesigned Turkish turret and a higher booking level compared to the K2. In September 2013, South Korea submitted an application with the K2 Black Panther to participate in the competition for a promising Peruvian tank.
The options are:
K2 PIP. In the next few years, an improved version of the K2 tank from the pre-production batch will be released. The following enhancements will be implemented:
- Modernization of semi-active suspension blocks to active suspension blocks
- Integration of the high resolution terrain scanning system into the vehicle suspension system. This will allow the machine to "plan in advance the suspension behavior" by scanning the nearest terrain at a distance of up to 50 meters in all directions and calculate the optimal position of the undercarriage in order to increase cross-country ability even on uneven terrain.
- Integration of an anti-missile complex of active protection.
- Installation of non-explosive type DZ blocks (NERA).
- Theoretically replacing the 120-m L55 cannon with an electrothermal-chemical cannon, which will significantly increase the firepower and payload of the vehicle.
Specifications
Armament
The main armament of the K2 Black Panther is the L55 120mm smoothbore cannon manufactured under license from the German company Rheinmetall in South Korea. The gun has an automatic loader, which provides loading even while driving on uneven surfaces. The 120mm cannon has a rate of fire of up to 10 rounds per minute. With 40 rounds of various types of ammunition on board, the Black Panther tank can "arrange a fiery hell" on enemy positions for almost three minutes before needing to replenish the ammunition. The automatic loader in the case accommodates only 16 shots and 24 shots. The K2 can fire a variety of ammunition from its cannon, including, but not limited to, locally developed, locally developed, improved armor-piercing APCR shells with a tungsten core, which have significantly better armor penetration compared to previous generation tungsten shells, as well as universal cumulative anti-tank shells (HEAT) similar to the American M830A1 HEAT MP-T, which can be used against personnel, unarmored and lightly armored vehicles on the ground and low-flying helicopters. A coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun is installed to the left of the main cannon. 12.7mm K-6 heavy machine gun mounted on the turret roof to the right. Visible and infrared (VIRSS) smoke grenade launchers (VIRSS) are installed on each side in front of the turret, which also increases the defensive level of the Black Panther tank.
Construction and protection
The layout of the K2 tank is traditional, the driver's compartment is in front, the fighting compartment is in the middle and the power unit is in the rear. The Black Panther's protection consists of an unknown type of composite armor and an active protection system that uses remote sensing units. The K2 tank has a crew of three: the driver sits in the center of the hull in front, the commander and the gunner in the turret. Protection systems MBT K2 include a tower-mounted millimeter-wave radar, which works as a missile attack warning system (MAWS). The tank's computer triangulates the attacking ammunition, immediately alerting the crew and firing VIRSS smoke grenades, which effectively block optical, infrared and radar signatures (signs of visibility). When installing an anti-missile system, the radar is responsible for tracking and targeting attacking missiles. The K2 tank also has a radar warning receiver and a radio jammer. Four all-angle laser warning receivers also warn the crew that the vehicle has become "visible" and the computer can signal to launch VIRSS grenades in the direction of the beam source.
Mobility
The K2 Black Panther is powered by a Tognum MT 833 diesel engine. 1500 hp engine allows to obtain a specific power of 27, 3 hp / t. The fully automatic transmission of the K2 tank includes five forward gears and three reverse gears. MBT K2 on paved roads develops a maximum speed of 70 km / h, while in off-road conditions it is able to maintain a speed of up to 48 km / h. It accelerates from 0 to 32 km / h in seven seconds. It can overcome slopes of 60 degrees and vertical obstacles with a height of 1, 3 meters. The undercarriage of the K2 Black Panther tank: on each side there are six double rubberized road wheels, support rollers, a drive wheel at the rear and a steering wheel at the front. The upper part of the chassis is covered with armored screens. Tank K2 Black Panther is equipped with an advanced suspension system with hydropneumatic In-arm Suspension Unit (ISU), which allows you to separately control the travel of each support wheel. This allows the tank to tilt so that the main armament can have a depression angle of up to -10º.
Examples of hydropneumatic suspension units
Instruments and accessories
The K2 Black Panther is equipped with a modern fire control system connected to a millimeter radar mounted in the front of the turret, as well as a traditional laser rangefinder and a wind sensor. The system is capable of operating in automatic tracking mode, when it captures and tracks specific targets at ranges up to 9.8 km using thermal imaging optics. This allows the crew to conduct accurate fire while driving, as well as effectively hit low-flying targets. The gunner's sight is designated Gunner's Primary Sight (KGPS), the commander's sight is Korean Commander's Panoramic Sight (KCPS). The commander has the ability to take control of the turret and cannon instead of the gunner. Tank K2 Black Panther is equipped with a system of collective protection against weapons of mass destruction. The ammunition compartment is equipped with a knockout panel to protect the crew from an ammunition explosion. The automatic fire extinguishing system is programmed to detect and extinguish any fire that occurs inside the vehicle, atmospheric sensors warn the crew about the entry of the tank into the danger zone. The K2 tank can cross rivers 5 meters deep using an air intake pipe, which also serves as a control room for the commander. System preparation takes about half an hour. The tower becomes watertight when crossing an obstacle, but the chassis can take about two tons of water to eliminate the excess buoyancy that occurs due to the presence of air inside the machine and maintain a strong grip of the tracks to the bottom. In addition, the tank is ready for battle as soon as it appears on the surface.
