Until now, rare equipment can be found in the armored units of South Korea: American-made M48A3 and M48A5 Patton tanks. For their time, these were good vehicles, but their production ended half a century ago and now these tanks cannot be called modern, even with a very big stretch. One can imagine what the combat prospects of these tanks are, even in a collision with outdated North Korean armored vehicles. The command of the South Korean armed forces realized this in the early eighties and took appropriate measures. As a result, at the moment the number of old "Pattons" has decreased to 800-850 units, which is less than a third of the total number of tanks in the South Korean army.
K1
The capabilities of its own industry allowed South Korea to build tanks, but there was no corresponding design school in the country. Therefore, to develop a promising armored vehicle, it was necessary to turn to foreign engineers. In 1979, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Korea signed a contract with the American company Chrysler, which at that time was preparing for mass production of the M1 Abrams main tank. Probably, the South Korean military hoped that American designers would apply in the new project the developments obtained during the creation of MBT for the American army, thanks to which the promising tank would not be inferior to the world's leading models.
The development of a new tank, which received the Korean designation "Type 88" and the American XK1 ROKIT (Republic of Korea Indigenious Tank - "Tank adapted for the conditions of South Korea"), took a few months. Already in 1981, the customer was shown a model of the future car. However, the following year, for a number of economic and production reasons, Chrysler handed over all the design documentation to General Dynamics. She completed all the necessary work and helped the Koreans to establish the production of a new tank.
The calculation of the South Korean military to use the developments on the M1 project was justified. The Type 88 largely resembled an American tank. The similarity primarily affected the appearance and some design features. The new XK1 ROKIT tank had a classic layout with a control compartment in the front of the armored hull, combat in the middle and power-transmission in the aft. A characteristic feature of the tank was its relatively low height. At the request of the customer, this parameter has become one of the main ones. As a result, the finished Type 88 tank turned out to be almost 20 centimeters shorter than the American Abrams and 23 centimeters shorter than the German Leopard 2. One of the factors that had a beneficial effect on the success of the “lowering” of the new tank was the relatively small average height of the Koreans. Even in a low tank, Korean fighters feel good and are able to complete all tasks. Nevertheless, space savings forced the developers to apply a new layout of the driver's workplace for that time. As on the American M1, with the hatch closed, he had to sit reclining.
According to the American project, Chobham armor, installed at large angles, was chosen as the frontal protection. According to some estimates, the frontal parts of the Type 88 tank had protection against cumulative ammunition equivalent to 600 mm of homogeneous armor. The thickness of the Chobham frontal packages, as well as the side and rear hull plates, was not disclosed. Probably, the sides and stern were protected only from small arms and small-caliber artillery. For additional protection, anti-cumulative screens were hung on the fenders.
The engine and transmission were housed in the rear of the armored hull. As the basis of the power plant, Chrysler engineers chose the German MTU MB-871 Ka-501 liquid-cooled diesel engine with a capacity of 1200 horsepower. A hydromechanical transmission of the ZF LSG 3000 model with four forward gears and two reverse gears was performed in a single block with the engine. With a tank's combat weight of 51.1 tons, such a power plant gave the tank an acceptable power density: about 23.5 hp. per ton of weight. Thanks to this, the "Type 88" had good driving characteristics. On the highway, he could accelerate to 65 kilometers per hour and up to 40 km / h over rough terrain. Own fuel tanks were enough for a march up to 500 kilometers long.
As in the design of the armored hull, the existing developments were used in the creation of the "Type 88" undercarriage. Therefore, the new Korean tank received six road wheels and three supporting rollers per side. The suspension of the tank is interesting. The first, second and sixth rollers on each side had hydropneumatic suspension, the rest - torsion bar. It is noteworthy that the driver could control the pressure in the suspension cylinders and thereby adjust the longitudinal tilt of the body. With the help of this know-how, the gun depression angle increased to 10 °. Such an opportunity was provided for expanding the combat capabilities of an armored vehicle in mountainous conditions.
The turret of the Type 88 / XK1 tank was also made taking into account previous experience, but in the end it got a shape that was different from the outlines of the Abrams turret. The design of the armored turret resembles that of the hull: frontal protection from Chobham and armor panels of the sides, stern and roof. Inside the fighting compartment there are workplaces for three crew members. Modeled on the American Type 88 tanks, the gunner and commander are to the right of the gun, and the loader to the left. The turret houses all fire control devices and ammunition load of 47 shells.
The main weapon of serial tanks "Type 88" - 105-mm rifled gun KM68A1, covered with a protective casing. This gun is the American version of the British L7 cannon, produced in South Korea. The gun is stabilized in two planes using an electro-hydraulic system. The ammunition KM68A1 included armor-piercing sub-caliber, cumulative, armor-piercing high-explosive and smoke unitary shells of Korean production. On some units with a cannon, a coaxial machine gun M60 of 7.62 mm caliber was mounted. The box of this machine gun could hold up to 7200 rounds. The second M60 with 1,400 rounds of ammunition was provided above the loader's hatch. Finally, in front of the small commander's cupola, they installed mounts for a 12.7 mm K6 machine gun (Korean licensed version of M2HB) with a box for 2000 rounds. On the front faces of the tower, next to the sides, there were two smoke grenade launchers, six barrels each.
The head enterprise for the development of the sighting system for the ROKIT tank was the Hughes Aircraft company. She coordinated the actions of several third-party organizations, was engaged in the interfacing of ready-made systems, and also developed several devices. The complex is based on a ballistic computer developed by Computing Device. On the Type 88 tanks of the first series, at the gunner's workplace, combined two-channel (day and night) periscopic sights with built-in laser rangefinders, created at the Hughes firm, were installed. Later, in accordance with the updated requirements of the South Korean Ministry of Defense, they were replaced with Texas Instrument GPTTS devices with a thermal imaging channel. GPTTS was an upgrade of the AN / VSG-2 sight, made specifically for use on Type 88 tanks with the 105mm KM68A1 gun. After updating the sighting equipment, the gunner's capabilities increased significantly. The thermal imaging channel of the new sight provided the detection and attack of targets at a distance of up to two kilometers, and the built-in laser rangefinder made it possible to work with objects at a distance of up to eight. As a spare sight, the gunner had a telescopic optical device with eightfold magnification. On tanks of all series, the commander's workplace was equipped with a French-made SFIM VS580-13 sight.
To ensure accurate shooting, the Type 88 tank received a set of sensors that collected data on external conditions: wind speed and direction, temperature outside and inside the crew compartment, vehicle movement parameters and barrel bending. The data obtained was transmitted to the tank's ballistic computer and taken into account when calculating the corrections. The speed of the sighting system made it possible to carry out full preparation for a shot in 15-17 seconds. Thus, under favorable conditions, the practical rate of fire was limited only by the physical capabilities of the loader. To communicate with each other and other tanks, the Type 88 crew received an AN / VIC-1 intercom and an AN / VRC-12 radio station, also developed in the United States.
In 1983, the new developer of the Type 88, General Dynamics, built two prototypes, which were soon tested at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. During trips to the tank course and test firing, some design flaws were identified. Nevertheless, their elimination did not take much time - on the Type 88 / ROKIT tank, components already mastered in production were widely used, so the fine-tuning was relatively simple. After testing at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, prototypes of the new tank went to South Korea, where they were tested in local conditions. At the same time, American specialists arrived at the Hyundai plant, where they were supposed to help South Korean machine builders master the production of a new tank. At the end of autumn 1985, the first Korean-assembled Type 88 tank left the shop.
Over the next year and a half, South Korean industrialists continued to master technology and assemble new tanks. In addition, in accordance with additional agreements, American enterprises provided South Korea with documentation for most of the electronic devices. Thus, almost all units of new combat vehicles could be produced by South Korean industrialists. Soon after the completion of the pre-production batch, the new tank was put into service under the designation "Type 88". In addition, the first appearance of another name formed from the project index - K1 - dates back to the same time. Both of these names are currently in use, and the codename for the ROKIT project is a thing of the past.
Production of the Type 88 / K1 main tank continued until 1998. During this time, data on the number of armored vehicles manufactured were not disclosed, but later they still became public. In total, just over 1,000 tanks were assembled. Simultaneously with the serial production and the transfer of the K1 tanks to the troops, the existing M48 machines were gradually removed from service. As a result, the new Type 88 became the most massive tank model in the South Korean armed forces. On the basis of the tank, the K1 AVLB bridge layer and the K1 ARV armored recovery vehicle were developed.
In 1997, Malaysia showed a desire to purchase at least two hundred K1 tanks, subject to their completion in accordance with the requirements set. The modernization project was named K1M. As a result, based on economic considerations, in 2003, the Malaysian military purchased less expensive Polish PT-91M tanks. The K1M project was closed and never reopened.
K1A1
The K1 tank completely satisfied the customer, but soon there was a need for a new armored vehicle with heavy weapons. Despite the fact that the DPRK did not have modern tanks, the combat capabilities of which were superior to the K1, the South Korean Ministry of Defense decided to increase the potential of its tank. The development of its modification with the designation K1A1 began in 1996. American companies were again involved in the project. First of all, the tower had to undergo modernization. It was the alteration of the combat module and its elements that influenced the change in the entire appearance of the vehicle and its fighting qualities.
During the modernization, the updated K1 received a turret that strongly resembles the corresponding unit of the American M1A1 Abrams tank. The old 105 mm rifled gun was replaced with a 120 mm smoothbore gun. The new KM256 cannon is similar to those used on the Western Leopard 2 and M1A1 Abrams tanks, but differs in the place of production. As before, the South Korean military and industrialists agreed on the licensed production of guns at their factories. Larger caliber and larger unitary shots led to a reduction in ammunition. The stowage located in the aft recess of the turret can only hold 32 shots. Auxiliary weapons remain the same.
The sighting complex has undergone solid adjustments. For obvious reasons, most of the information regarding its update was not published, but it is known about the creation of sights, which received the names KCPS (Korean Commander's Panoramic Sight - "Korean commander's panoramic sight") and KGPS (Korean Gunner's Primary Sight - "Korean main gunner's sight") … According to reports, the performance of these scopes is significantly higher compared to previous models. Also, the sighting complex received an updated ballistic computer designed to work with a larger caliber gun, and a complex of sensors. The laser rangefinder remains the same and can determine the distance to the target at a distance of up to eight kilometers.
The booking of the updated tank has undergone some modifications. Especially for the K1A1, South Korean designers, together with the American ones, created the KSAP (Korean Special Armor Plate) armor. It is used in the frontal parts of the armored hull and turret and, apparently, is a modified English Chobham armor. As a result of all the modifications, the tank's combat weight increased to 53 tons. Since the engine, transmission and suspension remained the same, the power-to-weight ratio and, as a result, the driving performance deteriorated slightly, but remained generally the same.
Serial production of the new K1A1 tanks began in 1999 and continued until the end of the next decade. According to open data, in a little over ten years, only 484 combat vehicles were produced. They did not replace the original K1 tanks, but supplemented them. By the time the serial production of the K1A1 ended, the share of American M48s had decreased and now the armored units of the South Korean army have no more than 800-850 of these vehicles. This is almost half the total number of K1 and K1A1. Thus, in recent years, South Korea has been able to significantly update its fleet of armored vehicles and significantly increase its combat potential.
K2 black panther
The characteristics of the South Korean K1A1 tank make it possible to speak with great confidence about the results of its collision with the DPRK armored vehicles. However, South Korea continued to develop its MBT. This was probably due to China's rapid economic and industrial growth. For a long time this country has had armored vehicles that are not inferior in their characteristics, at least to the K1 tanks. It is worth noting that the results of the war between China and South Korea look predictable. Nevertheless, simultaneously with the project to modernize K1 tanks in the mid-nineties, the development of a new combat vehicle began, which received the K2 index and the codename Black Panther ("Black Panther").
As before, foreign companies were involved in the creation of a new main tank. However, this time, South Korea's plans included reducing the degree of dependence on foreign partners. In the course of the project, everything was done so that its own defense industry could master the production of a tank without someone else's help. This seemingly correct and useful approach ultimately affected the appearance of the tank. The fact is that in the early stages, two options for a combat vehicle were considered. In the first, the tank was supposed to have a traditional layout with a turret and represent a solidly redesigned K1A1 with appropriate weapons and equipment. The second concept was more daring: a tank with an uninhabited turret and a 140 mm gun. It was assumed that such a K2 will receive the NPzK-140 smoothbore gun of the German company Rheinmetall. However, the project for the new weapon turned out to be very difficult and in the end it was closed. At Rheinmetal, it was considered that the advantages of a 140-mm cannon would not pay off the money and effort invested in fine-tuning. So one of the variants of the "Black Panther" project was left without the main weapon and soon also ceased to exist.
It is worth noting that the course towards independent development and production of a new tank had several unpleasant consequences. Because of them, the development of the K2 tank took more than ten years. Nevertheless, in the end it turned out to be done not a deep modernization of the previous K1A1, but in fact a new tank. Almost everything has changed. For example, the armored hull became one meter longer, and the combat weight increased to 55 tons. Probably, the increase in size was due primarily to the use of new armor. According to reports, the Black Panther used a combined booking, which is a further development of the KSAP system. There is information about the possibility of using additional protection modules, including dynamic ones. It is argued that the frontal armor of the tank is capable of withstanding the hit of a sub-caliber projectile fired from the cannon used on it.
The K2 tanks use a German-made MTU MB-883 Ka-500 diesel engine with a capacity of 1,500 horsepower and a five-speed automatic transmission. Thus, the specific power of the tank exceeds 27 hp. per ton of weight, which may even be excessive for a modern MBT. In addition to the main diesel engine, the Panther has an additional 400 hp gas turbine engine. It is coupled to a generator and supplies the tank with electricity when the main engine is off. The chassis of the K2 tank continued the ideology laid down in the K1 project. The first, second and sixth of the six road wheels on each side have hydropneumatic suspension, the rest - torsion bar. In addition, the tank uses the original ISU semi-automatic hydropneumatic suspension system. It adapts to the terrain and minimizes vibration while driving. Thanks to its suspension, the K2 tank can arbitrarily increase or decrease ground clearance, as well as change the longitudinal and lateral inclination of the hull. This increases the cross-country ability and vertical guidance angles of the gun.
According to official data, the "Black Panther" is capable of accelerating on the highway to 70 kilometers per hour and covering up to 450 kilometers at one refueling. The high power density allows the car to accelerate from zero to 32 km / h in just seven seconds and travel over rough terrain at speeds of up to 50 km / h. South Korean designers are literally bragging about these indicators, because they managed to create a tank, the running characteristics of which are at the level of the world's leading models.
As a weapon for the K2 tank, the German Rheinmetall L55 120 mm cannon was chosen, which is a further development of the family of smooth-bore guns. This gun differs from its predecessors in a 55-caliber barrel. Currently, the gun is produced under license in South Korea. The stabilizer of the gun is two-plane, electro-hydraulic. Inside the tower there is an ammunition load of 40 rounds, 16 of which are in the cells of the automatic loader. It is argued that, if necessary, the assault rifle provides a practical rate of fire of up to 15 rounds per minute, regardless of the elevation angle and position of the gun. Due to the presence of an automatic loader, the loader was excluded from the tank's crew. Thus, the Panther's crew consists of a commander, gunner and driver.
An interesting nomenclature of ammunition for the L55 cannon. In addition to the standard shots used in NATO countries, it is possible to use Korean designs. South Korea has independently created several new types of sub-caliber and cumulative projectiles. The South Korean defense industry is proud of its KSTAM (Korean Smart Top-Attack Munition) shells. This ammunition is equipped with active radar and infrared homing heads and is designed for firing at high elevation angles. To improve the hitting accuracy, the KSTAM projectile is equipped with a braking parachute designed to reduce the speed in the final area of damage. Manual control is possible if necessary.
Additional armament of the Black Panther tank consists of two machine guns. 7, the 62mm M60 is paired with a cannon and has 12,000 rounds of ammunition. Anti-aircraft K6 12, 7 mm is placed on the roof of the tower, its ammunition - 3200 rounds. The K2 tank has the ability to set smoke screens using grenade launchers.
According to reports, the same sighting system was installed on the prototypes of the K2 tank as on the later K1A1 serial tanks. These are KCPS and KGPS sights, as well as a ballistic computer, a laser rangefinder and a set of sensors. There is information about the creation of a special millimeter-wave radar station designed to track the front hemisphere of the tower and collect information about targets. In this case, the detection range of objects approaches 9-10 kilometers. The radio-electronic equipment of the new tank also includes an intercom for the crew, a receiver for the GPS satellite navigation system, voice communication and data transmission equipment, and equipment for identifying "friend or foe". It is noteworthy that the latter is made in accordance with the NATO STANAG 4578 standard.
The first prototype of the K2 tank was built only in 2007. Over the next few months, at least four pre-production Panthers were produced. Two variants of these tanks can be distinguished: one of them is represented by three vehicles, the other - only one. These versions of the tank differ from each other in the frontal parts of the hull and turret. So, a tank with a gun mask of a characteristic box-shaped shape, a relatively large angle of inclination of the front frontal part of the hull and the barrels of smoke grenade launchers located in one row, was assembled in only one copy. Three other prototypes (possibly more) have a wedge-shaped mask and hull forehead, similar to the corresponding parts of the K1A1 tank and smoke grenade launchers with two rows of barrels.
Probably, the development of the new tank took longer than originally planned, and the same can be said about testing and development. At the end of the 2000s, it was claimed that mass production of the new MBT K2 Black Panther would begin in 2012. Then it was planned to purchase at least 600 combat vehicles. However, in March 2011, the South Korean Ministry of Defense announced that, due to problems with the engine and transmission, the assembly of serial tanks would begin no earlier than two years later. In addition, the tanks of the first batches will be equipped with original German-made diesel engines, since the Korean engine builders cannot yet ensure the proper quality of their licensed copies.
The K2 PIP (Product Improvement Program) project is already being developed. In the course of its implementation, the new Korean MBT should receive more advanced electronics, new additional protection systems, including active ones, as well as new means of communication and data transmission. There is information about the intention of Korean engineers to modify the suspension of the tank. Instead of the passive ISU system, it is planned to make its active analogue, which will significantly improve the driving performance of the car.
***
Now, no one doubts that the latest South Korean tanks are among the best, at least in East Asia. In terms of their characteristics, only the latest Chinese and Japanese developments can be compared with them. However, the benefits have a downside. Already, before the start of mass production, the Black Panther tank has become the "leader" in terms of price. One K2 will cost the customer at least 8.5-9 million US dollars. For comparison, K1 and K1A1 cost about two and four million, respectively. In terms of price, the K2 is second only to the French AMX-56 Leclerc MBT. One of the reasons that South Korean tank builders sought to produce as many components as possible at their factories is their desire to give their Panther export prospects. With such a high price for the finished tank, these prospects look dubious, and the strange situation with the start of production only exacerbates the situation.
