DPRK showed a promising main battle tank

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On October 10, Pyongyang hosted a military parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea. This event, like all previous parades, once again became a platform for the first demonstration of several new types of weapons and equipment. One of the new products is a promising main battle tank. The appearance of this machine speaks of the application of the most modern ideas and the latest developments.

Unknown novelty


The DPRK follows its own traditions. New samples are openly shown at parades, but no details were given. Moreover, even the name remains unknown. tank... However, there is an opportunity to consider new armored vehicles and even draw some conclusions.



The North Korean industry has been developing its own MBTs over the past several decades. At the same time, as far as is known, she does not yet have the experience of fully developing tanks from scratch. All known projects were to one degree or another based on foreign models, although the latter provide for a major change in the original designs. The base for this evolution was the Soviet T-62 medium tank.

The new MBT has a modern appearance, but some structural elements show the origin of the vehicle from older models. All this speaks about the continuation of the development of existing designs by combining the mastered developments and completely new ideas. At the same time, characteristic North Korean concepts were also implemented, which distinguish the DPRK tanks from foreign ones. As a result, a rather interesting armored vehicle appeared, not devoid of prospects.


Some media outlets compare the new North Korean tank with the Russian T-14 - they pay attention to some elements of the tower and other features. However, a detailed study shows that the DPRK MBT belongs to the previous generation and can hardly be compared with the "Armata".

Design features


A characteristic feature of the latest North Korean tanks is the use of an elongated chassis. The new MBT is no exception. It receives a hull of a traditional layout with an aft engine compartment. Due to the overall length of the car, a seven-wheel chassis is used, probably with a torsion bar suspension. The parameters of the power plant are unknown. It is possible to use the developments of the Songun-915 project - this tank was equipped with a 1200-horsepower diesel engine.

The appearance of the MBT shows that one of the main goals of the project was to increase protection. This noticeably affected the appearance of the chassis and changed the contours of the turret. So, the frontal and side projections of the hull are closed by overhead and / or integrated elements. Metal armor and reactive armor are probably used. The hull stern was covered with lattice screens.

The tower is made by processing one of the old samples and has rounded contours in the base. At the same time, it was supplemented with a number of overhead and hinged elements. So, on the sides of the gun mask, frontal armored units appeared, resembling the armor of the American OB M1. The sides are reinforced and a stern box or niche is provided. A fairly thick overhead plate appeared on the roof of the tower.


Taking into account modern trends, an active protection complex has been introduced. There are four blocks along the perimeter of the tower, which can be considered KAZ radar equipment. On the forehead and sides of the tower there are launchers of protective ammunition - four blocks of three each. Smoke grenade launchers are provided near the stern. Also, new means of protection include laser radiation sensors.

In terms of proportions and dimensions, the new MBT is similar to the Songun-915, developed at the end of the 62s. This vehicle was larger than the T-44 and its derivatives, and its combat mass exceeded 45-XNUMX tons. Probably, the newest tank could retain some of the features of its predecessor and receive separate units from it, such as an engine.

Combat compartment


The new MBT weapons complex combines modern components and a specific North Korean approach to the choice of weapons. In this case, we can talk about a serious revision of the main design features. In particular, it can be concluded that the fighting compartment will be rearranged with the transfer of crew jobs.

The "main caliber" of the tank is still a smooth-bore gun of an unknown caliber - 115 or 125 mm (the DPRK has both types of systems in service). The gun is equipped with a barrel bend sensor and, apparently, does not have an automatic loader. The gun cannot use tank guided missiles, which is why two of these products are on a separate launcher on the right side of the turret. Instead of an anti-aircraft machine gun on the roof, the tank carries an automatic grenade launcher.


The machine has all the necessary optical and optical-electronic means. In front of the roof hatches there is a fixed gunner's sight and a panoramic commander's sight. Weather sensors are also installed on the tower. The exact composition of the fire control system is unknown, but one can assume a sharp increase in its characteristics in comparison with its predecessors.

The location of the sights on the turret indicates the re-arrangement of the fighting compartment. In the previous DPRK tanks, the commander and gunner were located to the left of the gun, one after another, and the right half of the turret was given to the loader. The new vehicle uses a "mirror" layout with the gunner's and commander's seats on the starboard side.

At the training ground or in the army


The current status of the new project is not entirely clear. The DPRK traditionally does not disclose information about its new projects and rearmament processes, which is why only fragmentary data are available, which does not always correspond to the real state of affairs. All this makes it difficult to evaluate new projects.

Obviously, the promising MBT passed the technical design stage and, at least, went out for testing. At the parade, nine tanks were shown at once - these can be prototypes, pre-production equipment, or representatives of a full series already supplied to the troops. Most likely, in the coming years, official data on this matter will not appear and again will have to rely only on foreign sources.


It is known that the DPRK industry is capable of producing tanks of its own design, incl. fairly advanced designs. At the same time, the pace of production is not always high and is limited by the complexity of the project. This allows us to assume that the new Korean MBT may go into production, but will not become truly massive. Accordingly, the army will have to operate the latest tanks in conjunction with long-obsolete models.

Demonstration of potential


The recent "premiere" shows that North Korea maintains and develops its competencies in the field of tank building and is trying to catch up with the world leaders in the industry. Various limitations and difficulties still remain, but they are being overcome. How successful is unknown, but it is clear that every effort is being made for this.

The new MBT is still similar to the next version of the development and refinement of the original T-62, but the number of "inherited" features has been reduced. It is possible to use existing components, such as the original turret dome or 115-mm gun, but with the help of additional units they are improved, increasing the main characteristics.

The most important place in the new project is occupied by components and measures that meet modern requirements for MBT. Added additional protection for all projections, including active protection, improved OMS, etc. Nevertheless, the real characteristics of the resulting tank remain unknown, and so far we can speak of similarities with foreign models only at the concept level.


However, not all modern ideas are studied and mastered. So, North Korean tanks are still far from an uninhabited fighting compartment; they do not know the possibility of creating highly effective command and control systems, etc. All this so far does not allow the DPRK to claim leadership in world tank building.

It makes sense to compare the new North Korean tank with the existing models of the South Korean army. Apparently, this vehicle can on equal terms withstand the South Korean K1 and M48 tanks of all modifications. The ability to effectively deal with modern MBT K2 is questionable due to the significant difference in vehicle designs and capabilities.

Today and tomorrow


In general, the new North Korean tank is of some interest. It shows what the defense industry of an isolated country is capable of, and what views on armored vehicles are common among the military and political leadership. Apparently, it considers tanks to be the main striking force of the army and demands to continue their development.

The industry, in turn, demonstrates its ability to carry out step-by-step evolution of armored vehicles, incl. by mastering the most modern solutions. In the future, this can lead to the formation of a full-fledged school of tank building and more interesting results. How soon this will happen is unknown. In the near future, the main task of the industry will be the rearmament of the army using the recently shown model.
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27 comments
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  1. +1
    13 October 2020 06: 08
    Unexpected, but let it go. If only the MBT trade was not opened ...
    1. +6
      13 October 2020 07: 09
      What a trade, they are under the most severe sanctions. Under these conditions, they still manage to do something, and even then the tank is not very similar to the simply plastered T-62.
      1. +4
        13 October 2020 07: 13
        in the first photo, if you don't look closely, the tanks look like Abrams ...
        1. +5
          13 October 2020 07: 16
          It was just that when plastering, only flat spatulas were available.
          1. +2
            13 October 2020 07: 47
            every day now this "nedoabrams" will be shown?
        2. +1
          13 October 2020 11: 41
          Quote: PSih2097
          in the first photo, if you don't look closely, the tanks look like Abrams ...

          More precisely, on the fruit of the unnatural connection between "Abrams" and "Armata": flat "Abramov" panels in the frontal part of the tower + KAZ elements (?) In the lower part of the tower (like in the "Armata").
        3. +1
          13 October 2020 19: 54
          Quote: PSih2097
          in the first photo, if you don't look closely, the tanks look like Abrams ...

          It looks like they basically ripped off the layout (from Abrams):
          starting from the lower front plate, and ending with the shape of the tower and its layout.
          It looks like Armata, perhaps, in the shape of the wheel arch liners and bulwarks.
      2. +1
        13 October 2020 11: 49
        Quote: Sergey_G_M
        the tank is very similar to the simply plastered T-62.

        ========
        Or no less "plastered" Chinese clones of the T-72 (which, in principle, does not matter!), Which they tried to give an external resemblance to the "Armata"!
      3. +1
        14 October 2020 11: 25
        Quote: Sergey_G_M
        What a trade, they are under the most severe sanctions.

        That does not prevent them from trading arms with some countries, including the exchange of missile technologies.
  2. +4
    13 October 2020 06: 52
    There are too many "maybe" and "maybe" to seriously talk about this model of armored vehicles.
  3. +1
    13 October 2020 08: 04
    Do you know anything about the engines installed on DPRK tanks?
    1. 0
      13 October 2020 10: 42
      known
      that even the PRC in the tank biathlon vomited a skating rink - this is a reflection of the tank building school
      in the DPRK I think it's still sadder
  4. +1
    13 October 2020 11: 34
    So on Abrams from a different angle to Armata
  5. -2
    13 October 2020 11: 48
    Once again I am surprised at the success of the DPRK (with all the understanding of the cost of these successes)
    As for the automatic loader - is it needed in their conditions? The 115mm caliber allows you to use a loader, there is some gain in the volume of ammunition and weight, which can be scattered over the armor of the same turret. The gain in reducing the crew is not particularly critical for them (against the background of the general, small volumes of the series, apparently), the rate of fire also has no principle. meaning, because the DPRK has a lot of tanks in general, and they clearly plan to push through quantitatively.
    1. 0
      13 October 2020 18: 59
      Quote: Knell Wardenheart
      115mm caliber allows the use of a loader
      It depends on what kind of anthropology. On average, 115 mm for a North Korean is not a very small projectile.
      Quote: Knell Wardenheart
      there is some gain in the amount of ammunition and weight that can be scattered over the armor of the same turret
      And with whom will he fight? Give some 130/140/152 mm, but in this tank 115?
      1. 0
        13 October 2020 19: 31
        I can assume that the DPRK intends to massively use sub-caliber anti-tank missiles - especially since they have raw materials (depleted uranium) as a side effect of their nuclear program.
        In the case of a really massive use of tanks, this would be a completely justified decision.
        Perhaps also in the fight against modern South Korean tanks, the DPRK also relies on its artillery systems - which they have consistently created and improved for many years. And he sees the function of his tanks not so much from the point of view of dueling qualities, but as a tool of a blitzkrieg in the complex.

        All this is purely speculation, but it would be logical in conditions where the transition to a larger caliber would write off most of the DPRK's tank fleet to the dustbin of history and would force them to spend fierce sums on re-equipment / slandering shells of the required caliber and different types.
    2. 0
      16 October 2020 19: 49
      Quote: Knell Wardenheart
      As for the automatic loader - is it needed in their conditions?

      Have you seen the average Korean? They are shit.
      No, you can, of course, fatten up on dog meat soup, and crickets, the Korean analogue of the American Negro-loader, but kmk, it still won't help wassat
    3. 0
      23 October 2020 18: 48
      115 mm - yes, because there is a well-established technology for the manufacture of T-62 guns and ammunition. Here's the whole answer.
  6. 0
    13 October 2020 15: 31
    I already wrote that this is a copy of the M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams and that's why, from Armata, you will stick your head out of the tower
    because it is uninhabited.
  7. +2
    13 October 2020 16: 35
    Quote: APASUS
    I already wrote that this is a copy of the M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams and that's why, from Armata, you will stick your head out of the tower
    because it is uninhabited.

    This is not a copy of either Abrams, or Armatu. Or Chinese tanks. They did what they are capable of and they like.
    An uninhabited tower, automatic loader, KAZ have advantages and disadvantages, so this is a question of choosing an optimal solution.
    1. 0
      13 October 2020 19: 02
      Quote: Kostadinov
      This is not a copy of either Abrams, or Armatu. Or Chinese tanks. They did what they are capable of and they like.
      Not a copy. However, it seems to me that they made a tank similar (remotely) to Abrasha by using T-14 solutions (protective-decorative covers).
  8. -1
    13 October 2020 22: 22
    The night parade looked beautiful.
    A lot of technology is similar to the modern one.
  9. +1
    13 October 2020 22: 30
    Useful to discuss! They covered everything they could with false panels. Normal people have already disassembled the entire parade from frames - a solid fake.
  10. 0
    13 October 2020 23: 21
    Quote: "affftor"
    resembling the armor of the American OB M1

    Maybe OKA M1 - 100 hours of shame and you are in Iraq with a broken board from the KVPT (etc.)
    Again, nothing, but it was interesting (s)
  11. 0
    14 October 2020 00: 25
    Dummy tank to frighten neighbors from the south wassat
  12. -1
    14 October 2020 19: 28
    The tank is completely unlike any modern tank. Nothing to do with Abrams or T-14s and Leopards or Leclercs. not simular. I can only say that the designers of the DPRK are great. Americans are shocked! The DPRK will not attack anyone just like that - there are few resources for a global war. But any aggression will give an adequate response to the American and Japanese militarists. If you want peace, prepare for war.
  13. 0
    25 December 2020 18: 36
    I read the article and comments.
    Yes, there is a purely visual resemblance in the tower with an abrams at a glance - no more. 7 road wheels - definitely not Soviet equipment was plastered (more like something new, the tower is interesting).
    With this in mind, they are tormented by questions:
    1. What kind of engine is installed? The same 1200-horsepower diesel engine or its modernization?
    2. I don’t see the similarity with 62, do you have any ideas what they took as a basis, or new? The same Songun-915 has 6 road wheels. Deep processing? ...
    3 mm or 115 mm gun? Who has an eye - calibrate from the photo :) And now it is interesting - then what about the ammunition - unitary or separate? Automatic loader?
    4. Something seems to me - it weighs under 50 tons. And how is North Korea doing with steel?

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