K1 Main Battle Tank

The K1 is a South Korean third-generation main battle tank in use with the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, developed by Hyundai Precision (later Hyundai Rotem). The vehicle's early design work was based on General Dynamics' M1 Abrams, with some noticeable differences including a combined system of hydropneumatic suspension and torsion bars, and a river-crossing fording kit, to meet the required operational capability that was specific to combat operations in the mountainous and swampy terrain of the Korean Peninsula. The K1A1 entered service in 1999, upgraded with a 120mm smoothbore gun, and outfitted with more modern electronics, ballistic computers, and fire control systems developed by Samsung Electronics. Hyundai Rotem produced 1,511 K1 and K1A1 tanks between 1985 and 2010.

K1 MBT
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Republic of Korea
Service history
In service	K1: 1987–present K1A1: 2001-present
Production history
Designer	Hyundai Rotem
Manufacturer	Hyundai Rotem
Unit cost	K1: ₩2,500,000,000 K1A1: ₩4,400,000,000 (approx 4,066,000 USD)
Produced	K1: 1985-1998 K1A1: 1999-2010
Number built	K1: 1,027 K1A1: 484
Specifications
Weight	K1: 51.1 metric tons (56.3 short tons) K1A1: 54.5 metric tons (60.1 short tons)
Length	K1: 9.67 m K1A1: 9.71 m
Width	3.60 m
Height	2.25 m
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader and driver)
Armor	Classified type of composite and chobham armour
Main armament	K1: KM68A1 105 mm (47 rounds) K1A1: KM256 120 mm (32 rounds)
Secondary armament	12.7 mm K6 HMG on right pintle mount for commander 7.62 mm M60D on left pintle mount for loader 7.62 mm M60E2-1 on coaxial mount
Engine	10-cyl. water-cooled diesel MTU 871 Ka-501 1200 hp (890 kW) at 2600 rpm
Power/weight	K1: 23.4 hp/ton K1A1: 22.0 hp/ton
Transmission	ZF LSG 3000 (Four forward, two reverse)
Suspension	Hydropneumatic at front, torsion bar at rear of the chassis
Operational range	500 km
Speed	65 km/h (road) 40 km/h (cross country)

The K1A1 was accepted into Korean service on October 13, 2001, after the first one was produced on April 3, 1996 and is an upgraded version of the K1 MBT. The KM68 main gun has been replaced with the KM256 120 mm main gun (a licensed production model of the U.S. M256 which, in turn, is a licensed production model of the Rheinmetall L44) which nearly doubled the penetration power of the original vehicle. In addition, its fire control system, thermal sights, LASER rangefinder, turret and gun stabilization and armor have been improved, giving the vehicle greater survivability and lethality. The improved armor is called 'Korean Special Armour Plate(KSAP)'. The weight of the vehicle has increased along with the upgrade, and has slightly lowered its power-to-weight ratio and speed, the former of which was considered already too low for the rough Korean terrain by some critics.

The KCPS specifications for K1A1 is as follows;

• Zoom: 3× / 10× (day & night)
• Vertical scan angle (the amount of angle which the optics can move up and down): +/- 35˚
• Horizontal scan angle (the amount of angle which the optics can turn): 360˚
• Gunner's alternate sight zoom: 8×

The carbon dioxide laser rangefinder's specification is as follows;

• Range: 200 ~ 7,990 m
• Daytime magnification: 1× / 10×
• Nighttime magnification: 3× / 10×

The K1A1 can easily be distinguished from the K1 by the shape of the gun, location of the co-axial machinegun, shape of the commander's panoramic sight, and overall angular shape of the turret. (The K1A1 has more curved surfaces than the K1.) The 120 mm smoothbore gun of K1A1 is thicker than the K1's 105 mm rifled gun and has a thicker thermal sleeve a third of the way from the base of the gun. The co-axial machinegun on K1A1 is located at a much higher point compared to the K1. The K1A1 also features a somewhat cone-shaped day/night KGPS compared to day-only sight of the K1, which has a plain, tube-like appearance to it.