K21
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K21 | |
---|---|
Type | Infantry fighting vehicle |
Place of origin | South Korea |
Service history | |
In service | 2009–present |
Production history | |
Designer | Agency for Defense Development |
Designed | 1999–2008 |
Manufacturer | Hanwha Defense (originally Daewoo Heavy Industries, later renamed as Doosan DST, follow by Hanwha Defense Systems) |
Unit cost | $3.2 million |
Produced | 2009–present |
No. built | 466[1] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 25.6 t (25.2 long tons; 28.2 short tons) |
Length | 6.9 m (23 ft) |
Width | 3.4 m (11 ft) |
Height | 2.6 m (8.5 ft) |
Crew | 3 crew + 9 passengers |
Armor | 2519 aluminium alloy chassis. Layers consisting of S2 glass fiber reinforced Al2O3 ceramic armour
All round protection against 14.5×114mm API projectiles as well as 20 mm FSP Frontal armour is resistant to 30 mm APDS rounds fired from a 2A72 autocannon (standard on BMP-3 turrets) Roof armour is resistant to 155 mm artillery shell fragments Soft- and hard-kill anti-missile defense systems,Doosan- D2840LXE diesel 750 hp (840 hp for the PIP) |
Power/weight | 29.2 hp/tonne |
Suspension | Passive in-arm suspension unit (ISU) |
Operational range | 500 km (310 mi) |
Maximum speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) (road) 40 km/h (25 mph) (cross-country) 7 km/h (4.3 mph; 3.8 kn) (water) |
The K21 is a South Korean
History
Development began in 1999. A $77 million contract was awarded to
Design
Construction
The K21 KNIFV's chassis is constructed entirely out of aluminium with certain parts, like hatches, made of fiberglass, reducing the weight of the vehicle and enabling it to travel at higher speeds without bulky and powerful engines. The NIFV is to be lighter than other IFVs, including the American Bradley series, increasing both speed and payload.
The design was finally deemed production-ready in 2009, following 10 years in development and a research budget expenditure of approximately USD $80 million. More than 85% of the vehicle's design is domestic. However a redesign is in order following the sinking of two vehicles while engaged in amphibious operations. A board of inquiry found that the problem was a lack of buoyancy, a malfunctioning wave plate, and a technical problem with the drain pump, all of which are to be corrected in the new design.
Armaments
The two-man turret on the K21 is armed with an
The K236 MMFA (Multi-mode Fused Ammunition) has several modes including
Anti-tank armament includes an indigenous 3rd-generation
Sensors
The fire-control system is able to spot and track targets as far away as 6,000 metres (3.7 mi) away and identify them from up to 3,000 metres (1.9 mi) away. IFF sensors are also present. The vehicle also has hunter-killer capabilities with its separate commander's sight (IFV Commander's Panoramic Sight or ICPS) and gunner's sight (IFV Gunner's Primary Sight or IGPS), which can detect both ground and aerial targets. The sights are designed by Samsung Thales.
The gunner's sight is equipped with a third generation thermal viewer and a 1.54
. It can detect targets from 6,000 meters away and identify them from 3,000 meters away. The commander's sight is equipped with the same system as the gunner's. This allows the gunner to use the commander's sight to engage targets if his own sight is disabled or destroyed. The commander of the vehicle also has the ability to override the command to take control of the turret and gun from the gunner.Armour
Although not much is known about the composition of the K21's armour, the frontal armour of the vehicle is specifically designed to protect against large caliber automatic cannon rounds, primarily the 30 mm APDS munitions (30×165mm) for
The vehicle has a soft self-sealing fuel tank that can absorb the impact of a projectile.[9] There is also an automatic fire suppression system inside the vehicle to extinguish any internal fires that might erupt.
The K21 PIP (Product Improvement Program) will include an active protection suite and hard-kill anti-missile system similar to the AWiSS that will also be utilized for the K2 PIP. This will increase the vehicle's ability to defend itself against various ATGMs.
Troop deployment
The K21 is able to carry a total of 9 passengers and 3 more vehicle crew members. With the
Mobility
The K21 is equipped with a turbocharged
A newly developed semi-active ISU, or In-arm Suspension Unit, is available for the K21. The same unit is to be used on the K2 Black Panther. Despite having the same ISU used on the K2 Black Panther, the K21 cannot change its posture.
The vehicle can travel on both land and water. A pontoon system gives more buoyancy to float on water when additional weight is put on to the vehicle.
Pricing
The average cost per unit is approximately ₩3.95 billion ($3.5 million USD) (2014).[10]
Variants
Light tank
Doosan DST and Belgian firm Cockerill joined in early 2013 to develop the Cockerill XC-8 turret for the K21 to provide a medium weight
In 2014, CMI Defence and Doosan DST publicly revealed the K21-105, a
Hanwha Defense (previously Doosan DST) now labels the K21-105 as a medium tank.[13]
Operators
Current operators
- South Korea
- 550 units in Republic of Korea Army service.
Future operators
- Australia
- 129 units to be ordered for the Australian Army.Hanwha Defense, proposed a derivative of the K21 known as the AS21 Redback for the Australian Army's Land 400 Phase 3 IFV project.[15] In March 2019, Rheinmetall's Lynx KF41 and the Redback AS21 were shortlisted for consideration for the project.[16] The same month three prototype AS21s were delivered to the Australian Army for testing purposes.[17] Testing was supposed to begin in 2019 and last two years, but it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] In July 2023, the AS21 Redback was announced as the successful bidder for the project.[15] The Redback weighs 42 tons and is powered by a MTU America MT881 Ka-500 diesel with an Allison transmission.[18][14] It has a maximum range of 525 km (326 mi) and a top speed of 65 km/h (40 mph).[14] It can carry eight passengers and has a crew of three.[14] The Redback has a Soucy Defense single piece composite rubber track.[18] The Australian designed EOS (Electro Optic Systems) T-2000 turret based on the Elbit Systems MT30 Mk 2 features an ATK Mark 44S Bushmaster II 30mm auto cannon, fitted with a two round Rafael Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system, a EOS R400 Remote Weapons Station (RWS) and a coaxial mounted MAG58 7.62mm machinegun.[18][14] The Redback is equipped with the Elbit Iron Fist active protection system (APS) and an Elbit IronVision system that provides the crew with a 360 degree view.[18][19][14] The Redback is protected by Plasan armour.[20] Originally 450 vehicles were planned to be acquired to replace Australia's M113AS4 APCs on a one-for-one basis, but this was reduced in April 2023 by the Defence Stragetic Review.[15][21] The review recommended that the acquisition be accelerated.[15][21][14] The first Redback is planned to be delivered in early 2027 with deliveries completed by late 2028 at an acquisition cost of between AU$5-$7 billion (US$3.4-$4.7 billion).[15] The Redback will be built in a purpose-built Australian factory.[15] HDA has proposed a small initial tranche be built in South Korea to meet the accelerated delivery date.[22]
Potential operators
- Latvia
- Latvia is testing the capabilities of multiple IFVs and has expressed interest in the platform.[23]
- Romania
- Romania has a budget of $3.3 billion for 298 infantry fighting vehicles. According to local observers and public information, the potential candidates are the ASCOD 2, the Hanwha AS-21 Redback, and the Rheinmetall KF-41 Lynx. The award procedure is ongoing, a winner will be selected in 2024, and the contract should also be signed in 2024. [24][25]
Unsuccessful bids
- Poland
- The AS21 Redback was tested in Poland at the end of October 2022 as a potential heavy IFV to serve alongside the lighter, amphibious Borsuk.[28] However, according to unofficial sources (no official test reports are available) it did not perform well. On November 29, 2022 at the Polish-Korean Defense Industry Cooperation Conference, Hanwha proposed to co-develop a Redback-based heavy IFV with HSW. That IFV would have been called PL-21 and armed with the Polish ZSSW-30 unmanned turret. This proposal was not chosen however as Poland ultimately decided to develop their own heavy IFV using the Krab SPG powerpack and suspension as well as experiences gained during the development of the Borsuk IFV.[29]
See also
- ASCOD – Austro-Spanish armoured fighting vehicle
- Bionix AFV – Singaporean infantry fighting vehicle
- BMP-3 – Soviet infantry fighting vehicle family
- BWP Borsuk– Polish infantry fighting vehicle
- CV90 IFV – Swedish Infantry fighting vehicle
- Dardo IFV – Italian infantry fighting vehicle
- FV510 Warrior – British infantry fighting vehicle
- M2 Bradley IFV – American infantry fighting vehicle
- Schützenpanzer Puma– German infantry fighting vehicle
- Tulpar IFV– Turkish infantry fighting vehicle
- WPB Anders – Family of Polish medium, tracked combat vehicles
- ZBD-97– Chinese infantry fighting vehicle
- Hunter AFV – Singaporean armoured fighting vehicle
References
- ^ "K 21 보병전투차 120여대 추가 양산". 22 December 2021. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Guns & Artillery Systems" (PDF). SNT Dynamics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "K-21 K21 Doosan tracked armoured infantry fighting technical data sheet description information UK". Archived from the original on 26 October 2018.
- ^ "노봉 40mm 쌍열 함포". Hanwha Defense. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ Lee Chiheon (9 July 2020). "K21 보병전투장갑차의 개량이 필요한 이유". Defense Today. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ Yang Nakgyu (13 June 2020). "육군 최초의 대공포 M2A1". Asia Economy. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "K-21 개량". Bemil. 25 July 2020. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ 복합재 동체 복합재 방호판 Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine Dacc Co., Ltd
- ^ "복합재 연료탱크". Archived from the original on 5 July 2015.
- ^ "A Study on Developing a CER Using Production Cost Data in Korean Maneuver Weapon System" (PDF). Bemil. September 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ CMI Defence and Doosan DST Present a New 120/105mm Medium Tank Concept Archived 14 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine - CMIgroupe.com, 18 February 2013
- ^ K21-105 Archived 20 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine - Military-Today.com
- ^ K21-105 Medium Tank (경전차), archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 6 October 2021
- ^ a b c d e f g Kerr, Julian (27 July 2023). "Hanwha wins lucrative Army IFV contract". Australian Defence Magazine. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Yeo, Mike (28 July 2023). "Australia selects South Korea's Hanwha in military vehicle competition". Defense News. Sightline Media Group. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ Acting Minister for Defence Marise Payne; Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds; Senator Jim Molan (12 March 2021). "Infantry Fighting Vehicle contenders unveiled". Department of Defence Ministers (Press release). Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Prototype vehicles arrive for assessment". Department of Defence (Press release). 3 March 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d Blenkin, Max (March–April 2021). "Title fight". Australian Defence Business Review. Vol. 40, no. 2. Felix Defence. pp. 40–41. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Team Redback Completes Key Capability Tests". Electro Optic Systems (Press release). 19 March 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ Yeo, Mike (12 January 2021). "Hanwha unveils Redback IFV for LAND 400 Ph 3". Australian Defence Business Review. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ ISBN 9781925890662. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ Kajal, Kapil (4 August 2023). "Hanwha lays out short-term plan for Australian Redback IFVs". Janes. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "K-21 장갑차, 라트비아 수출될까…3파전 속 지난달 시험평가". SPN 서울평양뉴스 (in Korean). 16 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ Adamowski, Jaroslaw (22 January 2024). "Romanian government readies fighting vehicle, howitzer deals in 2024". Defense News. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "România - planuri mari privind achizițiile din Coreea de Sud. Obuziere K9, mașini de luptă și K239 Chunmoo, versiunea coreeană a HIMARS".
- ^ Beinart, Matthew (26 July 2021). "Oshkosh Defense's OMFV Concept Utilizes Hanwha's Redback Chassis". Defense Daily. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ Here's who will move forward in the Bradley replacement competition. Defense News. 26 June 2023.
- ^ "AS21 Redback testowany w Żelaznej Dywizji". MILMAG (in Polish). 20 October 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ "Umowy na dostawy ciężkich BWP, nowych KTO i Lekkich Pojazdów Rozpoznawczych". DziennikZbrojny.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 21 August 2023.
External links
- K21 - Armored Vehicles - Hanwha Defense
- K-21 video
- K-21 on Armour.ws
- South Korea's Deadly Infantry Fighting Vehicle Is a Terror on the Battlefield - National Interest