new S Korean tank...
 

I just found this: http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi...;modele=jdc_34
- looks promising, but won't become generally available before 2011 so it's not too much of an issue for the game... just curious, has anyone found some other info on this (anything not in Korean...;-))

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

IDK if something was "lost in translation" but "Korea's first domestically-made amphibious tank" is NOT "amphibious" if it needs a snorkel to "cross rivers as deep as 4.1 meters" . http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif


http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...d/rok/xk-2.htm

and this link has a lovely 3/4 top view

http://kin.naver.com/db/detail.php?d...mp;qb=yObHpQ==

as well....there's Wikipedia...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XK2
Don

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

I just went to yahoo's korean site, and the translation should be more like "submersing" than amphibious.
Here it is:
Code-named “XK2,” the tank is capable of operating in water up to 4.1 meters (13 feet) deep.

Immediately after it surfaces, the tanks can switch to combat mode, the agency said.

“The tanks are capable of crossing a river without other equipment,” said Kim Eui-hwan, who led the project at the Agency for Defense Development.

The agency also said the XK2s are the first tanks in which the gun turrets can go underwater.

The 55-ton tank is armed with an autoloading 120 mm cannon; its top speed is 70 kilometers (43 miles) per hour.

Each tank will be manned by three people.

It also has an anti-helicopter weapon system.

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

My Korean language skill is getting rusty, but here is more on the tank according to the project leader:
It will be the most high-tech tank in the world.
It can cross most rivers in Europe without special equipment.
Turkey is very interested in it.
It is superior to all North Korean tanks.

The sales pitch didn't mention the tanks' ability to take a punch.

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

It looks like it's comparable to the Leclerc in configuration - first underwater tank is a bit overstated, as all soviet tanks had snorkel equipment, while the Leopard I + II had an escape pipe or however you might call that on top of the commander's hatch... anyway, it might not be the most pressing issue for adding a new vehicle, as it won't be available too soon, I just thought the tankies among us might be interested...

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

First tanks where the gun turrets can go underwater..? What about the deep fording capability of T-series and the like.. what does this mean.. nothing new I´d say. Or is it that it can engage in combat immediately after resurfacing.. what?

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

I'll keep searching the news because I'm really wondering how the "highest tech" claim will be backed up.

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

it does not look that "Hi-tech"
this is from Jane's (JAA) Nov. 2006 (exerpted b/c of copyright)

In addition to having a very advanced passive armour package over the frontal arc, the K2 MBT is also provided with a higher level of protection against top attack weapons with explosive reactive armour (ERA) being installed on the turret roof. An anti-neutron liner is also fitted to the K2 as standard.

The K2 will also have a number of other advanced survivability features including a defensive aids suite that will include laser warning receivers, radar warning receivers and a roof mount hard kill system and a battlefield identification friend or foe (IFF) system.

Standard equipment will include a NBC system, extensive communications suite, battle management system and a position/navigation system. The commander and gunner each have a colour tactical display and on board diagnostics with a built-in test/fault isolation test as standard.

As with an increasing number of vehicles, the K2 also has an embeded training and mission rehearsal facility. When fitted with a telescopic snorkel the K2 can ford to a depth of 4.1 m.

The ROK Army already deploys two versions of the Rotem K1 MBT, the original K1 armed with a 105 mm KM68A1 rifled tank gun and the more recent K1A1 armed with a 120 mm M256 smooth bore tank gun. Both of these have been offered on the export market but there have been no sales so far.

In addition to having a very advanced passive armour package over the frontal arc, the K2 MBT is also provided with a higher level of protection against top attack weapons with explosive reactive armour (ERA) being installed on the turret roof. An anti-neutron liner is also fitted to the K2 as standard.

note that it says the snorkel needs to be fitted; instead of being organic to the tank - this allows "accelerated" fording ops (5-15min prep) as it implies the tank is actually watertight by default - however this is NOT instantenous fording capability, which means you just litteratly "drive under water", which would be seriously combat enhancing. nearlly all other tanks with fording capability (including most soviet design and I believe western MBTs as well) require "sealing" of various compartments etc. to make watertight and various bits of equipment, preperation is never under 30min and can be longer.

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

here's a pic of a model of a K2 with fording equipment. does that snorkel look familiar or what?

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

I knew its superior tech and abilities were just another bull by anybody whoever makes anything ever.

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

Link here for more pics of the prototype.

I have no idea why they boast the fording capability that much, they could just as well advertise it as the First Nuclear-Proof Tank due to the neutron liner... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif
Maybe what is to be understood by "the gun turrets can go underwater" is that the main gun can fire immediately after surfacing, without needing to be emptied/dried/cleaned/whatever. I don't know how exotic that is though.
Apart for that, basic tank snorkeling as far as can be seen.

The defensive suite looks much more promising if all the components can be purchased for the series version: turret-top ERA, hard-kill device, BIFF...
Also the FCS should be largely on par with the latest Western designs.

Now let's just lean back and see how the ROKA is going to fund this one... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

Plasma, may be you've got enough pictures to build us a nice icon for the K2 ?
Cheers.

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

Sure, find me enough top-view pics from the series version and then give me two months to kitbash the Leclerc icon with a not-yet-existing K1A1 icon, all of this in Korean MERDC camo... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif
Thanks for the confidence anyway, I'll see what I can do, but Korean armor is at the bottom of my list right now. So I hope Don will jump the bandwagon before me! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

I've already started mine.... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif both K1 and K2

Don

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

Here is some more from Korea Times. I'm not sure if these guys have any clue as to what they are talking about:
Said to be the only tank in the world that can wade through up to 13.5 feet of water, the so-called XK2 Black Panther is a followup to the country's K1 unit (the X will get dropped once these go into production), and is so advanced that the official in charge of the project immodestly boasts that it has "more suberb capabilities than any other existing tank." Some of these "superb capabilities" include a 120-millimeter gun firing at 15 rounds per minute, smart munitions that can avoid obstacles to reach their targets, an active defense system against incoming artillery, and a special suspension that allows for three distinct configurations and downhill firing. With a top road speed of 44mph the XK2 is certainly no slouch, and with an estimated cost of $8.5 million per vehicle, it's certainly no bargain either. Combined with the country's already impressive army of autonomous vehicles, robotic sentries, and multi-wheeled killbots, the Black Panther should make potential aggressors think twice before they launch an attack against the Koreans (or at least make sure that they have a few good EMP's).

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

Great! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
I can't wait to see them, your Type-90 was awesome already!

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

heck, if it really has that RoF, has the active anti arty capability (which the US pioneered ages ago) and all the rest of those gadgets i take my sarcasm back...it does sound pretty good. still trying to find out you "autoseal" a main gun though, if it is done down at the beach level how would you evacuate the barrell afterwards? spinning it around with centrifugal force http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif)? treadheads enlighten us..

autoloaders are totally the way to go, to date only the yanks can afford to train their tank crews in combat conditions enough to really get a respectable RoF; read about a German vs US competition once in which the M1's were able to have twice the RoF of the Germans simply b/c their loaders were not doing the job for the first time...

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

"active anti arty capability"

What would that be ? An anti ATGM system which got mangled in translation?

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

A hard-kill anti-ATGM system with anti-top-attack capability?
That was studied at some point for the Leclerc IIRC.

Re: new S Korean tank...
 

Well, I can understand why they have to talk all this shop. What with crazy Kim in the north and the costs of the project and all. They clearly had to spend a lot of money on it, after all designing a new MBT is not cheap. I suppose Korean taxpayers are just like any others so they need to know the money was well spent. Telling them Korea has the best tank in the world might just do that. Its better than anything they have in the North. Thats a bonus I suppose.

Update on the K-2
 

Just keep that bit of info somewhere handy in case it changes again, but:

Looks like Turkey has selected a new tank a last (again)!
Of course, remember that it's at least the third time a winner was declared by external soucres in ten years, so let's wait and see.

Re: Update on the K-2
 

150 Horsepower tank? Greeks, beware http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif I bet it's 1500 though.