K9 Thunder South Korea Military Self-Propelled Artillery

The K9 Thunder is an indigenous South Korean military self-propelled 155 mm howitzer developed by Samsung Techwin. 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 and 152 mm shell fragments. The main armament consists of a 155 mm/52 caliber ordnance with a maximum firing range of 40 km. 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.



K9 Thunder 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. Consequently, it is less likely to be engaged by counterbattery fire, relying on shoot-and-scoot.

Specifications
Weight	47 tonnes (K9) 56 tonnes (T-155 'Firtina')
Length	12 m
Width	3.4m
Height	2.73m
Crew	5 (Commander, Driver, Gunner, 2 Loaders)
Rate of fire	6~8 round/min (Maximum) 2 rounds/min (Sustained) 3 rounds in 15.0 seconds (Burst)
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)
Primary 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
Suspension	hydropneumatic
Operational range	480 km
Speed	66 km/h