South Korea acquiring Hyundai's K2 "Black Panther" tanks

[CougarKing]

The replacement for the venerable M48 tank that's soldiered on for so many years in the ROK Army, and the more recent K1 MBT.

Army Recognition

Hyundai Rotem inks a $820 mn deal to supply K2 Black Panther main battle tanks to South Korea

[armyrecognition] - December 29, 2014
Quote
Under the agreement signed with the Defense Acquisition and Procurement Agency (DAPA), Hyundai Rotem will build and provide the South Korean main battle tank, the K2 Black Panther, to the local army by 2017, the company said.

"The K-2 battle tank will allow the military to have advanced combat vehicles with improved mobility and firepower fit for future environments," DAPA spokesman Kim Si-cheol was quioted as saying by the official Yonhap news agency.

"We can overcome numerical inferiority compared to North Korea with this high-quality battle tank, and we expect the K-2 to be actively exported to foreign markets," the official added.

Mass production of the new-generation MBT, set to replace the aging K-1 and US-built M48 tanks, was originally planned to begin in 2009, but faulty indigenous engines and transmission of the tanks halted the production.

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[a_majoor]

To me the most interesting thing about the K2 is the advanced ammunition they have perfected, which seems to be the realization of the US Army's TERM (Tank Extended Range Munition) program, a form of top attack round fired from the tank's main gun. Assuming there isn't too much difficulty adapting the sight and FCS of other tanks to use the Korean Smart Top-Attack Munition, then buying these sorts of rounds for our own use would be quite useful.

 

[MilEME09]

That and combined with the recent upgrade to the L/55 to fire the LAHAT ATGM, the combination of both would make a modern tank like say our Leopards be feared even by the new Russian T-14

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Considering this is the only real "New tank" out there, I wonder if they will get any foreign buyers?

 

[CougarKing]

Considering this is the only real "New tank" out there, I wonder if they will get any foreign buyers?

Taiwan could be a possible buyer.

Taiwan has been looking to replace its aging fleet of M60s and M48s and even their upgraded M41 Walker Bulldogs. Most countries will sell anything from jets to frigates to Taiwan, but always seem to stop short of selling diesel submarines so to not rile mainland China.

Army Technology

Taiwan considering used Abrams MBT purchase from US

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) is planning to procure second-hand M1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) from the US to upgrade the country's ageing armoured tank fleet.

M1 Abrams tanks, which entered into service in 1980, were used by the US military to conduct operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, some have reportedly been put on sale by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for its allies.
MND spokesman David Lo was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying that the proposal was currently undergoing the army's evaluation, as the tanks have already been used for a while; he went on to add that US was yet to issue a formal notification.

"A lot of issues need to be considered," Lo said. "To name just a few, it's logistic support, if they could work under the current maintenance system for M60s."

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[Colin Parkinson]

would love to own one of those upgraded M41's  :nod: