A brief history of the creation of the K2 Black Panther Tank
The K2 Black Panther main battle tank was designed and developed in South Korea using exclusively Korean technology. Development began in 1995. The first prototype was presented in 2007. Starting this year, the tank began to be tested in the tank units of the South Korean army, and trial operation lasted about 7 years.
In 2014, the tests were completed successfully and the first contract for the supply and mass production of the new K2 Black Panther tank was signed. In 2016, the first batch of one hundred vehicles was demonstrated, as well as other armored vehicles based on this tank. The South Korean army needed approximately 690 units of these new tanks, but due to insufficient funding, 380 vehicles were ordered.
Production prospects
Serial production of the XK2 (K2) tank will begin in 3 years, delivery to the South Korean troops will begin in 2010. The exact volume of purchases is unknown; the value was called 680 tanks. The development of the tank was carried out by South Korean defense companies, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Rotem (a division of Hyundai Motors). The cost of the tank is estimated at $8.8 million.
PS. There is also a Russian share in this tank. The promising South Korean XK-2 tanks will be equipped with the Russian-developed Arena-E active protection system. The Arena-E complex is designed to protect the tank from guided and unguided ammunition. Projectiles (missiles) approaching the tank are detected at a distance of 50 meters, after which charges are fired towards them, destroying the ammunition or knocking it off its trajectory.
Design
At the moment, the K2 tank is considered one of the most modern main battle tanks. It surpasses all combat vehicles of North Korea and China. It is also considered the most expensive main battle tank in modern times.
Armor and security of the K2 Black Panther tank
The tank uses modular composite armor and dynamic protection. The frontal armor can withstand hits from a 120mm armor-piercing sabot projectile, as the developer claims. In addition, the tank is equipped with an active protection system, as well as a guided weapons suppression system and a smoke grenade launch system. Smoke grenades create a smoke screen that protects the tank from optical, infrared and radio command channels for weapon guidance. The tank is equipped with an NBC protection system for the crew.
Modular armor of the K2 Black Panther tank
Armament of the K2 Black Panther tank
The Black Panther tank is equipped with a Rheinmetall 120 mm/L55 smoothbore gun. This weapon is manufactured under license from a German defense concern in South Korea. The K2 is equipped with an automatic loader, which provides a maximum rate of fire of up to 15 rounds per minute. The tank's ammunition load is 40 rounds, 16 of which are loaded into the automatic loader. Structurally, the South Korean automatic loader is similar to the automatic loader of the French Leclerc tank.
Video 1: Firing of K1 and K2 Black Panther tanks (South Korea)
The fire control system installed on the tank has day, night and thermal imaging channels for targeting and tracking targets. The SDA allows you to observe targets at distances of up to 10 km, as well as aim the main weapons at enemy armored vehicles and even low-flying air targets. In addition, the Black Panther's fire control system automatically, in real time, introduces corrections and ballistic calculations to produce an accurate shot.
The 120 mm cannon is capable of firing a variety of ammunition. It is compatible with absolutely all NATO tank ammunition. In addition, it can fire the latest KSTAM (Korean Smart Top-Attack Munition) projectile. This is a “smart” homing projectile, namely a projectile, and not an ATGM, since it does not have its own engine (inertial) and does not require tracking and constant guidance to the target.
This projectile has its own guidance system, radar station, infrared and radiation sensors. The attack of enemy armored vehicles occurs in the least protected place in the upper hemisphere. This projectile can be fired either directly or from a closed position.
Smart projectile KSTAM
Additionally, there is a 7.62 mm MG 3i machine gun coaxial with the cannon, as well as a 12.7 mm K6 anti-aircraft heavy machine gun. Smoke grenade launch system. Ammunition for machine guns is 12,000x7.62 mm, as well as 3,200x12.7 mm cartridges. The K2 tank is equipped with a digital battlefield control system, as well as a navigation system.
Powertrain and suspension
The Korean tank is equipped with a domestic Doosan DV27K diesel engine, the power of which is 1500 hp. and S&T Dynamics automatic transmission. In addition, there is an additional gas turbine power plant with a capacity of 400 hp. With. It supplies power to the onboard systems if the main engine is turned off. The Black Panther is equipped with a semi-active hydropneumatic suspension; it is planned to install an active air suspension with a surface scanner at a distance of up to 50 meters along the direction of the tank's movement and select the optimal operating mode of the suspension in automatic mode depending on the terrain.
Additional tank equipment
The Black Panther has equipment to overcome water obstacles. This allows the vehicle to overcome rivers and other water obstacles up to 4.2 m deep. Previous K1 tanks, as well as K1A1 MBTs, did not have this capability. The exhaust manifold is equipped with modern mufflers and engine volume reduction systems.
Fire control system (FCS)
The South Korean tank has a developed on-board control system, an element of which is the weapons control system. The XK2 is equipped with a millimeter-wave radar, a laser rangefinder traditional for tanks, a crosswind speed meter, and laser and radar irradiation sensors. Target acquisition for automatic tracking is possible. There is an automatic shot delay mechanism that allows you to compensate for random movements of the gun - for example, when firing on the move over rough terrain. The weapon control system allows you to hit low-flying aircraft and helicopters with a 120 mm cannon. The IVIS system allows the crew to exchange information with friendly forces, increasing the level of perception of the battlefield situation. The on-board GPS receiver allows the exchange of information about the current location within the unit. There is a sensor of environmental characteristics. The tank supports the C4I data exchange format and meets the requirements of the NATO internal standard STANAG 4579. According to unconfirmed information, the control system allows the tank to be controlled with only one crew member. In this case, the control system begins to automatically track targets, exchange information about them with other tanks to distribute targets, and opens fire without human intervention.
Profile of the XK2 "Black Panther" tank
Performance characteristics of K2 Black Panther
- Crew: 3 people (tank commander, gunner-operator and driver);
- Dimensions: hull length/with gun forward - 7.5 m/10.8 m, width - 3.6 m, height - 2.5 m;
- Tank weight: 55 tons;
- Armor: modular composite projectile resistant;
- Protection systems: NERA dynamic protection and active protection;
- Powerplant: Doosan DV27K diesel engine, power - 1500 hp. and additional power unit power - 400 hp. (to ensure the operation of tank systems with the main engine turned off);
- Transmission: S&T Dynamics automatic;
- Suspension: individual hydropneumatic;
- Caliber, type and brand of gun: 120 mm smoothbore gun Rheinmetall 120 mm/L55;
- Additional weapons: 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and 12.7 mm K6 anti-aircraft machine gun;
- Ammunition: 40 - 120 mm rounds, 12,000 - 7.62 mm rounds and 3,200 - 12.7 mm rounds;
- Gun rate of fire: 15 rounds/min;
- Firing range: up to 8 km with KSTAM projectile;
- Driving speed: on the highway - 70 km/h, on rough terrain - 50 km/h;
- Obstacles to be overcome: climb - 31 degrees, vertical wall - 1.3 m, water obstacle - up to 4.2 m (with OPVT);
- Power reserve: 450 km.
Video 2: The most expensive tank in the World K2 “Black Panther” (South Korea)
Share the article with your friends and your opinion in the comments.
Video source: our channel on Yandex.Ether and YouTube Photo source: our VKONTAKTE community and open sources.
Peculiarities
Today, the main combat unit of the K2 “Black Panther” is the most expensive tank in the world. Its estimated cost is $8.8 million. Such a high price for a Korean tank could become a serious obstacle to the supply of the K2 “Black Panther” both for export and for arming its own army. In particular, already now, due to the high cost, the South Korean Ministry of Defense was forced to reduce the order of the K2 Black Panther tank from 680 to 300 units.
TTX K-2
Firepower
The tank has at its disposal a standard 122 mm cannon for the Soviets with a one-time damage of 390 units. Armor penetration raises many more questions:
- a basic armor-piercing projectile of 196 mm, which is on par with the preferential premiums IS-6 and 112;
- with a special cumulative 270 mm like the Object 703 option 2 or IS-3 with M3.
Ammunition characteristics:
An unpleasant fact is the low speed of the projectiles , which makes it difficult to fire in advance.
In general, the situation is ambiguous, but we can immediately say that the tank can bend on gold and is unplayable in half the cases on basic shells (after all, unlike benefits, it has a full level of battles and will regularly encounter “ten”).
The K-2 has a very long reload time of 14.38 seconds, so the damage per minute is extremely sad - about 1627 units. The mixing time and accuracy are not amazing, but it could have been worse. Unlike some of the Soviet heavies, the gun here is lowered not by 5 degrees, but by 6.
Vitality
A colossal safety margin of 1700 units, more than any other premium (except for the KV-5). The frontal armor of the hull is 160 mm, but taking into account the reduction it will be over 300 mm. The turret in frontal projection is 250 mm, with the gun mantlet taking up most of the front part. The tank also has relatively thick armor plates in the rear.
Mobility and reconnaissance
Mobility is not just the “Achilles heel” of this tank, it is its “Achilles heel” . For serious armor, it pays with low speed and low specific power; it drives even worse than the double-barreled Object 703 version 2. In addition, we have a low basic visibility of 350 meters, which, in principle, is not surprising, because this is a standard representative of “scoops” at level 8 .
