| K9 Thunder | |
|---|---|
K9 Thunder |
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| Type | Self-propelled artillery |
| Place of origin | Republic of Korea |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Samsung Techwin |
| Designed | 1989–1998 |
| Manufacturer | Samsung Techwin |
| Unit cost | $3.1 million |
| Produced | 1999–present |
| Variants | K10, T-155 'Firtina' (Storm) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 47 tonnes (K9) 56 tonnes (T-155 'Firtina') |
| Length | 12 m |
| Width | 3.4 m |
| Height | 2.73 m |
| Crew | 5 (Commander, Driver, Gunner, 2 Loaders) |
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| Rate of fire | 3 rounds in 15.0 seconds (Burst) 6~8 round/min (Maximum) 2 rounds/min (Sustained) |
| Maximum range | 30,000 m (HE) 38,000 m (DP-ICM base bleed) 41,600 m (Extended range full-bore-base) 52-56,000 m (BB+RAP extended range) |
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| Main armament |
52 cal (155mm howitzer) |
| Secondary armament |
12.7 mm (.50 caliber) K6 HMG |
| Engine | MTU MT 881 Ka-500 8-cylinder water-cooled diesel 1000 hp |
| Power/weight | 21 hp/ton |
| Transmission | S&T Dynamics X1100-5A3 |
| Suspension | hydropneumatic |
| Operational range |
480 km |
| Speed | 67 km/h |
The K9 Thunder is a South Korean self-propelled 155 mm howitzer developed by Samsung Techwin for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. It was developed to supplement and eventually replace the K55 self-propelled howitzers currently in South Korean service. K9 howitzers operate in groups with the K10 automatic ammunition resupply vehicle.
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The development program of this 155 mm/52-caliber self-propelled howitzer has been underway since 1989. In 1996 the first prototype of this new artillery system was tested. The contract for the new K9 artillery system was awarded to Samsung Aerospace Industries (SSA) by the Korean Government on 22 December 1998. Republic of Korea Army received its first batch of K9 in 1999.
The K9 was involved in the Bombardment of Yeonpyeong between North and South Korean artillery units on 23 November 2010.[1]
K9 is an indigenous system of an all-welded steel armour construction which is rated to withstand impact by 14.5 mm armour piercing shells, 152 mm shell fragments, and anti-personnel mines.[2] The main armament consists of a 155 mm/52 caliber ordnance with a maximum firing range of 40 km.[3] State-of-the-art mobility subsystems include a 1,000 horsepower (750 kW) engine with potential for growth and hydropneumatic suspension unit, a requirement for Korea's rugged mountainous terrain.[4]
It was designed to give the artillery wing of the Republic of Korea Army a significant improvement in capability. With a claimed range of 40 km, it offers greater mobility, longer range, higher rate of fire, and increased battlefield survivability, as it can quickly be brought into action, open fire, and come out of action. It is less likely to be engaged by counter-battery fire, by relying on shoot-and-scoot.[5] The unit also supports full CBRN protection.[2]
The K9 has the ability to fire its shells in "time-on-target" (TOT) mode. In the TOT mode, the K9 is able to fire three shells in under 15 seconds—1 shell every 5 seconds—each in different trajectories so that all of the shells will arrive on their target at the same time.[3] This is also known as Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact (MRSI).
The K10 is an automatic ammunition resupply vehicle built on the K9 platform, part of the K9 Thunder system. It shares the same chassis as K9, preserving K9's mobility, and can follow the main artillery battery without lagging behind.[6] Maximum transfer rate of shells is 12 rounds per minute, and maximum load of shells is 104 rounds.[7]
The reloading process is fully automated. The reloading is done through a munition bridge on the K10 that extends out to lock itself into a reception hole located at the rear of the K9. This allows the unit to rearm itself under harsh combat conditions without the crew having to expose themselves to the combat environment.[8]
During the Bombardment of Yeonpyeong on November 23, 2010, six South Korean Marine Corps K9s were fired by the South at North Korea[9] The K9 engines had been damaged by the antifreeze fluid used[10]. In recent times, in a newer series of military exercises; the artillery batteries of South Korea has emplaced the K9 Thunder for bewarnirg of the north border into a attack scenario in the future[11].
The first country Samsung Techwin sold the K9 to was Turkey. Turkey received its first batch of the K9 and the license to domestically produce the system in 2004, in a deal that amounted to $1 billion.[12] The domestic Turkish version was renamed as T-155 Firtina. Turkey is expected to field a force of 300 Firtinas by 2011.
The K9 is also one of the three contenders for SPH part of Australia's Land 17 Artillery Replacement Program, facing off against Krauss-Maffei Wegmann's PzH 2000.
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