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Kimchi armoured vehicles: K1, K2, K21 and other AFVs from Worse Korea


Zadlo

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From the Rumor Mill:

 

 

- Frontal Hull protection The same Publicly Stated to be. 614MM against KE 1513 Against HEAT

- Protection between the two...... Frontal Turret: K2 and Altay have the same Frontal Protection... According to hyundai Rotem the K2 Completely Stopped the A M829A2 (760MM pen at 2 KM) And Dm63 (780MM at 2km) at point blank with a Extra 150 MM untouched. Meaning 910 MM Front

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There is a fairly slow future ahead for the M48A3Ks. To keep it short, gradual replacement probably with K1E1s and with the some talk about more production runs of K2s with the goal of replacement of the more elderly tanks still in service with the ROK. If that is true it may come to pass sooner than later if everything goes according to the hopes of the ROK.

 

Recent article (in Korean) about the "South Korean military speeding up the fourth mass production of K2 tank and additional K21 armored vehicles." :https://www.bizhankook.com/bk/article/21600

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What ammunition does the M48A3Ks currently use?

The main limitation of the M48 is probably it's 90mm, which is fine against most AFV, but will struggle against even vanilla T-55 and T-62 in service in NK.

 

I know that AML 90 and ERC 90 Sagaie have been engaged against T-54/55 in Israel and in Africa and sometimes defeated their armor, if barely.

So a 90mm can probably pack enough punch to defeat a T-55 or a T-62 frontally, especially using modern ammo.

But since 90mm were replaced fairly quickly by a 105 mm amongst most NATO members, I don't know how much efforts were made to develop relevant ammunition for the M48's 90mm.

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1 hour ago, Alzoc said:

What ammunition does the M48A3Ks currently use?

The main limitation of the M48 is probably it's 90mm, which is fine against most AFV, but will struggle against even vanilla T-55 and T-62 in service in NK.

 

I know that AML 90 and ERC 90 Sagaie have been engaged against T-54/55 in Israel and in Africa and sometimes defeated their armor, if barely.

So a 90mm can probably pack enough punch to defeat a T-55 or a T-62 frontally, especially using modern ammo.

But since 90mm were replaced fairly quickly by a 105 mm amongst most NATO members, I don't know how much efforts were made to develop relevant ammunition for the M48's 90mm.

 

Poongsan produces the domestic K241 APFSDS in 90mm, as well as the licensed M431A2 HEAT and M71 HE (along with M353A2 training) - I assume these are the currently stocked rounds.

 

The old IHS Jane's ammo handbook quotes 152mm @ 60 degrees @ 1km for its performance. Take that with a grain of salt, although it is a tungsten rod.

 

Spoiler

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Cockerill themselves don't make ammunition, Mecar (now part of the Nexter group) does, but the Nexter ammunition catalog does not contain any 90mm for the M3 family. It does, however, contain many ammo types for various Cockerill 90mm guns, including the spicier ones, and presumably transplanting those projectiles (perhaps with driving and obturating band modifications) onto the correct case would not be a hassle.

Incidentally, the Nexter catalog lists penetration for the M690A1 APFSDS for the high pressure Cockerill 90mm mk 8 as a NATO single heavy (150mm at 60) at 2000m.

 

Regardless, I am led to believe the primary use of the M48s is coast defence, in which role they are used in concert with pedestal mounted guns taken from M47s (and still used with the original mantlets!) 

In that setting, the HE round is likely the most important, and any AP flavor will be able to adequately deal with amphibious vehicles.

 20130503134202.jpg

 

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