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K2 Black Panther (Hangul: K2 '흑표', hanja: K2 '黒豹') is a Republic of Korea main battle tank that will replace the various models of M48 Patton tanks and complement the K1 series of main battle tanks currently fielded by the Republic of Korea. Full-scale mass-production is currently under way.
The K2 Black Panther features state-of-the-art technology and is certified as the world's most expensive tank by Guinness World Records, costing over US$8.5 million per unit.[2]
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Although the K1 and K1A1 have been considered to be more than adequate to counter opposing North Korean tanks, most of which are T-55s and Type 59s, development was started in 1995 for a new main battle tank with emphasis upon utilization of domestic technologies. The plan was to further modernize the South Korean military, and allow the proposed vehicle to enter the export market without problems from foreign nations relating to licensing issues.
In 1995, the Korean Agency for Defense Development (Hangul: 국방과학연구소) was given the task of developing a modern armored fighting vehicle with state-of-the-art technology. The design became production-ready in 2006, following 11 years in development and a research budget expenditure of approximately US$230 million.
Two principal designs were considered during early development: One fitted with a manned turret, and another fitted with an unmanned turret. The latter was scrapped in favour of the former at the early design stage. It was also planned for the K2 to field Rheinmetall's experimental 140 mm smoothbore gun, though this had to be abandoned when Rheinmetall ceased development upon the rationale that its current weapon, the 120 mm / L55 would be more than adequate to counter prospective armored threats for the foreseeable future. The K2's gun was subsequently reconfigured to the L55, along with necessary modifications for ammunition capacity. The vehicle is capable of mounting the 140 mm gun with minimum modifications should the need arise. The gun's autoloader is similar to that of the French Leclerc.
The Black Panther reached its production phase on March 2, 2007, when the first of three production models rolled out of the assembly line in Changwon, South Korea. Several media sources erroneously speculated at the time that the K2's main gun was the L52 (6.24 m) main gun, similar to the Leclerc's main gun.
The following agencies and companies participated in the development and manufacturing process the K2 Black Panther:
The South Korean Army currently fields approximately 2,300 tanks, many of which will are planned for replacement by the K2 and K1A1 main battle tanks.
The K2's main armament is the L55 120 mm smoothbore gun, developed under license by ADD and manufactured by World Industries Ace Corporation. It also deploys a 12.7 mm K-6 heavy machine gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. The ammunition for the main gun is loaded in a 16-shell magazine, with a total ammunition capacity of 40.
The autoloader enables the tank to fire up to 15 rounds per minute, or one round every four seconds, without being affected by the gun's angle. It has recently been confirmed by GIAT that the K2 autoloader's design is derived from that of GIAT's Leclerc. Despite the similarity of the two autoloaders, many of the components of the two designs are not interchangeable.
The K2 is equipped with an advanced Fire Control System (FCS) linked to a millimeter band radar system deployed on the frontal arc of the turret, along with a traditional laser range-finder and crosswind sensor. The system is capable of a "lock-on" mode, which can acquire and track specific targets up to a range of 9.8 km using thermal optics. This allows the crew to fire accurately while moving as well as effectively engage low-flying aircraft. The FCS is also linked to an advanced gun stabilizer and trigger-delay mechanism to optimise accuracy while moving in uneven terrain. Should the trigger on the main gun be pulled at the moment the tank encounters an irregularity in the terrain, oscillation of the gun barrel will cause temporary misalignment between a laser emitter at the top of the barrel and a sensor at the base. This will delay the FCS from activating until the beam is re-aligned, improving the chances of hitting the intended target.
The KGPS (Korean Gunner's Primary Sight) and the KCPS (Korean Commander's Panoramic Sight) are present in the Black Panther as in the original series of K1A1 tanks. The optics system on the Black Panther, however, will be further modified to utilize the advantages of the sensors and armaments offered on the new vehicle.
The commander of the tank has the ability to override the command to take control of the turret and gun from the gunner. Moreover, unconfirmed reports state that, in the event of an emergency, the vehicle can be operated by only two, or even a single, crew member. It is speculated that the FCS can automatically spot and track visible targets, compare them using the data link established with other friendly vehicles to prevent redundant target engagements, and fire its main gun without manual input.
The K2's primary anti-tank munition is an indigenously-developed, improved tungsten APFSDS kinetic energy penetrator. This new munition offers significantly greater penetration than the current generation of tungsten rounds through better heat treatment of the tungsten alloy and a technique referred to as the "self-sharpening process". The latter works by making the tungsten core sharpen rather than deform during the penetration of armor. For attacking unhardened targets, the K2 can use a multi-purpose HEAT chemical energy round, similar to the U.S. M830A1 HEAT MP-T, providing good offensive capabilities against personnel, unarmored and lightly armored vehicles on the ground as well as low-flying helicopters.
The KSTAM (Korean Smart Top-Attack Munition) is a fire-and-forget, top-attack anti-tank munition with an effective operating range of 2-8 km, developed specifically for use with the Black Panther. It is launched as a kinetic energy projectile, fired from the main gun in a high trajectory profile comparable to that of a mortar. Upon reaching its designated target area, a parachute deploys, giving onboard millimeter band radar, IR and radiometer sensors time to seek and acquire stationary or moving targets. When a target is acquired, an explosively formed penetrator is fired from a top-down position, to exploit the weaker top armor of tanks. Target acquisition can also be directed manually by the tank crew via a remote-link. These characteristics allow the launch vehicle to remain concealed behind cover while firing successive rounds towards the known location of an enemy, or provide effective indirect fire support against targets hidden behind obstacles and structures.
Details of the composite armor of the Black Panther are classified. The frontal armor has been proven to be effective at defeating the 120 mm APFSDS round fired from the L55 gun. Explosive Reactive Armor blocks are also present, with the addition of Non-Explosive Reactive Armor planned for the K2 PIP version (See below).
Defense against incoming missiles is currently provided by a soft-kill anti-missile system. The K2 PIP will likely deploy a hard-kill anti-missile defense system when it is released within the next few years.
The millimeter band radar system mounted on the turret is capable of operating as a Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS). The vehicle's computer in turn can triangulate incoming projectiles, immediately warn the vehicle crew and fire off Visual and Infrared Screening Smoke (VIRSS) grenades, which can effectively block optical, infrared and radar signatures. Once the hard-kill AMS is installed, the radar system will also be responsible for tracking and targeting the incoming missiles for the AMS. The K2 also has a Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and radar jammer. Four all-bearing Laser warning receivers (LWR) are also present to alert the crew should the vehicle become "painted", and the computer can also fire off VIRSS grenades in the direction that the beam is coming from.
An automatic fire-suppression system is programmed to detect and put out any internal fires that may occur, and atmospheric sensors alert the crew if the tank enters a hazardous environment.
The K2 can travel at speeds of up to 70 km/h on road surfaces, accelerate from 0 to 32 km/h within 7 seconds, and maintain speeds of up to 52 km/h in off-road conditions. It can also climb 60 degree slopes and vertical obstacles 1.3 meters in height. Due to the relatively compact design of the engine, the designers were able to fit an additional Samsung Techwin gas-turbine engine into the remaining compartment space. This is capable of producing 100 horsepower (75 kW), and intended to act as an auxiliary power unit with which the tank may power its on-board systems when its main engines are turned off. It will also allow the tank to conserve fuel when idling and minimise the vehicle's thermal and acoustic signatures.
The vehicle can cross rivers as deep as 4.1 meters using a snorkel system, which also serves as a conning tower for the tank commander. The system takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare. The turret becomes watertight while fording, but the chassis can take in 440 liters (116 gallons) of water to prevent excessive buoyancy from air inside the vehicle and keep the tracks planted firmly on the ground. Furthermore, the tank can enter combat-ready status as soon as it resurfaces.
The Black Panther fields an advanced suspension system, called the In-arm Suspension Unit (ISU), which allows for individual control of every bogie on the tracks. This allows the K2 to "sit", "stand" and "kneel", as well as "lean" towards one side or a corner. "Sitting" gives the tank a lower profile and offers superior handling over roads. "Standing" gives the vehicle higher ground clearance for maneuverability over rough terrain. "Kneeling" augments the angular range in which the tank's gun barrel can elevate and depress, allowing the vehicle to fire its main gun downhill as well as engage low-flying aircraft more effectively. The suspension unit also cushions the chassis from vibrations when travelling over uneven terrain, as the bogies can be adjusted individually on-the-fly.
It was originally planned for the K2 to feature a powerpack comprising a Doosan Infracore Corporation 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) 12 cylinder diesel engine and a S&T Dynamics transmission. However, this was not ready for service during early stages of prototype testing, during which the MTU-890 was used as a temporary stopgap. When it was finally implemented, the domestic powerpack encountered recurrent technical problems in testing, necessitating the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to delay operational deployment of the K2 until 2013.[4]
The K2 houses the following features which help to improve situational awareness for the crew:
Work is also under way to integrate the XAV unmanned wheeled reconnaissance vehicle into the Black Panther's systems, giving the tank's crew the ability to remotely scout an area without exposing its position.
The K2 PIP is an improved version of the initial production model of the K2 that will be released within the next few years. Improvements will include:
In March, 2011, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has stated that the mass production of K2 Black Panther MBT, which the Army was expecting to deploy in 2012, will not happen until 2013 due to mechanical problems involving the tank's engine and transmission.
Mass production of the new-generation MBTs, which are set to replace the aging K1 and largely obsolete US-built M48 tanks, was originally planned to begin in 2009, but faulty indigenous engines and transmission of the tanks halted the production.
Production of the K2 tank has been suspended since then as the homegrown engine and transmission, known as a “power pack,” was found to be defective, the Associated Press reports.
“Given the circumstance of development for the domestically built power pack, a deployment date of the K2 tank was delayed to 2013 from 2012,” DAPA spokesman Jeong Jae-un was quoted as saying.
The “power pack” of Black Panther, based on the German-made MTU-890, is made up of a 1,500-horsepower diesel engine and transmission. According to DAPA spokesperson Jeong Jae-un, Korea will replace the defective Korean-made parts with German-made parts if the defects are not corrected by October 2011.
After competing against the Leclerc and Leopard 2, the K2 finally established its first export customer in Turkey. In June 2007, South Korea and Turkey successfully negotiated an arms deal contract worth ₩500 billion (approximately US$540 million) licensing the design of the K2, as well as exporting 40(+15) KT-1 trainer planes, to Turkey.[5]
On July 30, 2008, South Korea's Rotem and Turkey's Otokar signed a contract worth $540 million for technological and design assistance, also technology transfer of some of the parts of the K2. The technology is to be incorporated to Turkey's own indigenous future main battle tank, dubbed MİTÜP Altay. As of May, 2009, no design details of the Altay tank have been made public. Despite sharing many subsystems with the K2, such as protective armor and main gun, it is expected to feature a different look and have different performance characteristics.
In July 2011, Indonesian Army interested to buy K-2 for MEF till 2014