K30 Biho
| K30 | |
|---|---|
|
K-30 on display | |
| Type | Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun |
| Place of origin |
 Republic of Korea |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1999–present |
| Used by | Republic of Korea Army |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Agency for Defense Development |
| Designed | 1983–1991 |
| Manufacturer | Doosan DST |
| Unit cost |
6,800,000,000 KRW (5.7 million USD) |
| Produced | 1996–present |
| Number built | 176 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 25 tons |
| Length | 6.77 m |
| Width | 3.3 m |
| Height | 4.065 m (radar on) |
| Crew | 4 |
|
| |
Main armament | S&T KKCB 30 mm automatic gun[1] |
Secondary armament | Shingung MANPADS |
| Engine | MAN-Doosan D2840L 520 hp (388 kw) diesel engine[2] |
| Power/weight | 20.8 hp/ton |
| Transmission | S&T HMPT500-3EK/4EK[3] |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
Operational range | 500 km |
| Speed | 60 km/h |
The South Korean K30 Biho (Flying Tiger) twin 30 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon was developed to meet the operational requirements of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for a highly mobile short range air defense system suited to the operational and terrain conditions of the Korean peninsula. It combines an electro-optically guided 30 mm gun system with a surveillance radar system on a K200 chassis. It supplements the K263A1 Chungung, a self-propelled 20 mm Vulcan system. K30 is primarily built by Doosan DST.[4]
General Characteristics
A K30 Biho system consists of twin 30mm guns, a TPS-830K surveillance and fire-control radar,[5] an electro-optical targeting system (EOTS), panoramic periscope, forward looking infrared system (FLIR), laser rangefinder (LRF), thermal sight, a TV camera, and a digital fire-control system.[4] The combined targeting system of EOTS, FLIR, and LRF has a targeting range of 7 km. The TPS-830K radar can detect and track a 2 m2-RCS target from a range of 17 km.[4] The cannons have a cyclic rate of fire of 600 rpm and an effective anti-aircraft range of 3,000 m.[1] On 27 December 2013, DAPA announced that the Biho had been integrated with the Shingung surface-to-air missile to increase its coverage to 7 km (4.3 mi).[6] Two missile pods each containing two missiles are mounted, one of each side of the turret. The missile addition to the system will be ready for service in 2015.[7]
The TPS-830K radar of K30 is an X-band (8 to 12.5 GHz) surveillance and fire-control pulse-Doppler radar, specialized for use against low-flying aircraft.[5] Its features include real-time early warning, multiple target detection, an integral L-band (1 to 2 GHz) Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) subsystem, pulse compression, frequency agility, and adaptive moving target indication as an anti-chaff measure.[5] It supplies ballistic computation data to the digital fire-control system to direct the aim of the electro-optical targeting system, which then aligns the 30 mm guns with the target for accurate fire.[5] The radar can be installed on a separate vehicle (usually a 5-ton six-wheeled truck with a self-towed generator unit) to serve as an independent surveillance platform for other short range air defense systems.[5] The secondary FLIR system and laser rangefinder supplements the TPS-830K radar to provide additional targeting means in case the radar is rendered inoperative, or is turned off to retain the element of surprise against aircraft that are equipped with radar warning receivers.
The K30 adapts the chassis of the K200 infantry fighting vehicle, but it has some differences. The K30 has an extra roadwheel in its suspension. The K30 uses a D2840L engine instead of a D2848T engine of the K200, with an increase in engine power from 350 horsepower to 520 horsepower. This increase in engine power is necessary as K30 weighs almost twice as much as the K200. Allison Transmission's X200-5K transmission is likewise replaced by S&T Dynamics' HMPT500-3EK/4EK to accommodate the more powerful engine. The modified chassis largely retains the protection and amphibious capability of the original chassis.
Users
- Republic of Korea - 176
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "30mm Automatic Cannon". S&T Dynamics.
- ↑ "K-21 보병전투장갑차<23> 동력장치 개발". The Korea Defense Daily.
- ↑ "HMPT500-3EK/4EK". S&T Dynamics.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Biho overview". Doosan DST.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "TPS-830K (Korea, South)". Jane's.
- ↑ South Korea has completed development of Bi-Ho twin 30mm gun with Shingung guided missiles - Armyrecognition.com, 27 December 2013
- ↑ South Korea to Field Hybrid Version of the BiHO VSHORAD Vehicle in 2015 - Defense-Update.com, 30 December 2013