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The K1A1 is an upgraded version of the K1 main battle tank designed and manufactured by the South Korean Company Hyundai Rotem. The production of the K1 began in 1984. In 1996, the production of the two first prototypes of K1A1 were completed. These two prototype vehicles successfully passed all severe testing conducted through February 1997. The South Korean Army will have procured 484 K1A1 tanks by the end of 2010. Its lethality and combat firing range are much enhanced by mounting a 120mm smoothbore gun as its main armament, improving Gun/Turret Drive System and adopting a ballistic computer for 120mm ammunitions, while it retains the K1 MBT's outstanding maneuverability and technology oriented fire control system; 2-axis stabilized sight, a thermal imager usable at night and in all weather conditions and the "hunter-killer" function. The K1A1 is the standard main battle tank of South Korean. It will be replaced at the production line by the advanced K2 Black Panther in the next few years.
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| Armament |
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The main armament of the K1A1 consists of one 120 mm M256 smoothbore gun which is also installed in the General Dynamics Land Systems M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams MBTs. The cannon can fire a full range of ammunition including the 120mm HE DM 11 and the 120mm KE DM63 / DM53 A1 with a maximum effective range of 3,000m. A 7.62 mm M60E2 coaxial machine gun is mounted on the right of the main armament. The loader hatch has a 7.62 mm M60D machine gun and one 12.7 mm K6 machine gun is mounted on the commander hatch. A bank of six electrically operated smoke grenade dischargers is mounted on each side at the front of the turret. Turret drive and weapon elevation is electro-hydraulic with manual controls for emergency use. Stabilisation is provided in both elevation and traverse.
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| Design and protection |
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The layout of the K1A1 is similar to all modern main battle tank with the driver's compartment at the front, turret in the middle and engine and transmission at the rear. The welded steel hull and turret are designed to give the tank maximum ballistic protection. Crew survivability is maximized by the use of and advanced armour package of the Chobham type at the front of the hull and on turret an front and sides, which provides greater protection for the crew and equipment against chemical and kinetic energy projectiles. The K1A1's unique compact configuration provides the tank with a low silhouette, total height of 2.25 m form the ground to the top of turret roof. It has a chassis ground clearance of 0.46 m, exceptionally high in comparison with other tanks. The K1A1 has a crew of four with the driver is seated front left, commander is seated on the right of the turret with the gunner below and forward of his position and the loader on the left.
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| Mobility |
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The K1A1 is motorized with a turbo-charged 1,200 horsepower diesel engine MTU MB 871 Ka-501 providing a power to weight ratio of 22.6 hp/ton. The Renk LSG 3000 automatic transmission has a planetary gear train with 4 forward and 2 reverse speed modes. The transmission is also equipped with a hydrodynamic torque converter. Shifting the automatic transmission through the various speed ranges requires only a slight force applied to the shift selector. This shifting arrangement allows the driver to concentrate completely on his driving and tactical maneuvers. In high gear, the K1A1 can attain a maximum road speed of approximately 65 km/h. The K1A1 can travel 500 km without refueling. To further enhance the K1Al's maneuvering capability, the vehicle can pivot around its vertical axis within its own length at the driver's discretion. This maneuver is accomplished by permitting one track to move in the forward direction while reversing the other. Also, its ground pressure of 0.9 kg/cm2, which is equivalent to or lower than that of any 40 ton-class tank, enables it to successfully maneuver in swamp/marsh terrains. The K1A1 uses a hybrid suspension system with improved torsion bars in the center and hydro-pneumatic suspension units at each end. This allows the tank to kneel so that the main armament can be depressed to -10º. The tank is also equipped with a remote track adjusting system with two mode settings. The torsion bar suspension of K1A1 consists on each side of six dual rubber-tyred road wheels and track-return rollers, with drive sprocket at the rear and idler at the front. The upper part of the suspension is fully covered by three armoured plates. The K1A1 can climb 60° slopes, 30° side slope and vertical obstacles of a maximum of 1 m. It can negotiate a trench of 2.74 m and a fording depth of 1.2 m without preparation and 2.20 m with a water kit.
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| Accessories |
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Standard equipment of K1A1 includes Day/Night thermal sight for commander and gunner, a passive image intensification periscope for the driver, hydraulic bilge pump, heater, automatic Halon fire detection and suppression system for both crew and engine compartments and a VRC-947K and/or VRC-964K and a VIC-7K for intercom system. The commander has a Korean Commander's Panoramic Sight (KCPS) which increases firepower performance compared the earlier K1 MBT. The fire control system of the K1A1 includes a thermal imager with 288x4 focal plane array, KGPS gunner's sight with thermal imager, eye-safe laser rangefinder, dual field of view day TV camera and a KBCS 32 Bit digital ballistic computer with a number of sensors with a crosswind and allows the tank to engage both stationary and moving targets while it is stationary or moving. The K1A1 tank's dual-axis stabilized fire control system is equipped with day and night vision capabilities, which, in conjunction with the electro-hydraulic gun laying system, makes it capable of acquiring a target accurately within a minimum time frame.
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| Specifications |
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Armament
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One 120mm gun, one coaxial 7.62mm machine, one self-protection 7.62mm, and one 12.7mm machine
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Country users
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South Korea
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Designer Country
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South Korea
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Accessories
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Day/Night thermal sight, hydraulic bilge pump, heater, laser rangefinder, day TV camera, digital ballistic computer,NBC protection system, fire detection system
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Crew
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4
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Armor
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Standard protection against firing of small arms and shell splinters advanced armor package of the Chobham type
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Weight
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53,200 kg
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Speed
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65 km/h road - 45 km/h cross-country
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Range
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500 km
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Dimensions
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Length: 7.47 m; Width: 3.59 m; Height: 2.24 m
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