K21
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| K21 | |
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| Type | Infantry fighting vehicle |
| Place of origin | Republic of Korea |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 25 tonnes |
| Length | 6.9 m |
| Width | 3.4 m |
| Height | 2.6 m |
| Crew | 3 crew + 9 passengers |
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| Armor | N/A |
| Primary armament |
40 mm / L70 Bofors autocannon 200 rounds |
| Secondary armament |
7.62 mm machine gun |
| Engine | D2840LXE diesel 740 hp (840 hp for the PIP) |
| Power/weight | 27 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | Semi-active In-arm Suspension Unit |
| Operational range |
500 km |
| Speed | 70 km/h |
A replacement for the South Korean K200 series infantry fighting vehicles are currently being tested, designated as K300 or XK21 KNIFV (Korea Next-generation Infantry Fighting Vehicle). The initial production is set for 2008, with the ROKA planning to field approximately 1,000 units. It is designed to effectively defeat other IFVs as heavily armed and armored as the BMP-3.
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[edit] Construction
The XK21 KNIFV's chassis will be constructed entirely out of fiberglass, reducing the vehicle's load and enabling it to travel at higher speeds without bulky and powerful engines. When constructed, the NIFV will be lighter than other IFVs, including the American Bradley series and Russian BMP series, increasing both speed and payload.
[edit] Armaments
The two-men turret on the XK21 will be armed with a 40 mm L70 Bofors gun capable of firing APFSDS, high-explosive, smoke and multipurpose munitions from its main gun, combined with an advanced fire-control system and gun stabilizer usually found on third-generation main battle tanks that will make the XK21, together with the German Puma, able to move and engage the targets with high degree of accuracy at the same time. The ammunition for the autocannon is stored under the turret.
The 40 mm L70 gun can fire up to 300 rounds per minute, with the projectile velocity of up to 1,005 m/s. The improved APFSDS rounds fired from it will be able to penetrate up to 160-220 mm of armor, slightly higher than other APFSDS rounds, due to the self-sharpening process as the round penetrates the armor.
The multipurpose munition (Hangul: 복합기능탄) has several modes, including proximity, air burst, armor-piercing and fragmentation. The mode can be configured by the XK21's FCS, which then transmits the necessary data to the tiny onboard system inside the munitions before it is fired.
Anti-tank armament includes indigenous 3rd-generation ATGM, with performance similar to the Israeli Spike and armor penetration of up to 1,000 mm.
A 7.62 mm machine gun is also included.
[edit] Sensors
The fire-control system is able to spot and track targets as far away as 6,000 meters away and identify them from up to 3,000 meters away. IFF sensors are also present.
The vehicle will also have hunter-killer capabilities with its separate commander's sight (ICPS) and gunner's sight (IGPS), which can detect both ground and aerial targets.
The gunner's sight, or the IGPS, is equipped with 3rd-generation infrared optics and 1.54 um LASER range-finder. It can detect targets from 6,000 meters away and identify them from 3,000 meters away.
The commander's sight, or the ICPS, is equipped with the same system as the IGPS. This will allow the gunner to use the ICPS to engage targets even if the IGPS 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.
[edit] Armor
Although not much is known about the composition of the XK21's armor, the frontal armor of the vehicle is specifically designed to withstand up to large caliber automatic cannon rounds, primarily the 30 mm APDS munitions for 2A72 automatic cannon used on BMP-3, which has approximately 50 mm armor penetration at ranges of 1,000 m. The rear armor is designed to withstand up to 14.5 mm AP rounds, which has approximately 25 mm armor penetration at ranges of 1,000 m. The side armor can withstand shrapnels from 152 mm artillery shells exploding as close as 10 meters. Speculations have been made and is assumed that the KNIFV has multiple layer armor (with S-2 glass fiber and ceramic complex) including lightweight alluminium alloy.
The vehicle has a soft self-sealing fuel tank that can absorb the impact of a projectile, rather than shrugging it off using brute force like other hardened fuel tanks.
Automatic fire suppression system is also present inside the vehicle to extinguish any internal fires that might erupt.
The XK21 PIP 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 from various ATGMs.
[edit] Troop deployment
The XK21 is able to carry a total of 9 passengers and 3 more vehicle crew members. With the Battle Management System, the vehicle crew and passengers inside the vehicle can be instantly notified about the environment around them, improving their situational awareness. A 15-inch screen is installed inside the passenger compartment, which provides various data from the BMS. The vehicle is mounted with an external CCD camera, and the passengers inside can survey the environment using the same screen.
[edit] Mobility
The XK21 is equipped with D2840LXE V-10 diesel engine, equipped with a turbocharger. The vehicle itself is approximately 25 tonnes which, combined with the total output of the engine, gives it a power/weight ratio of approximately 27 hp/t. The XK21 PIP will feature an improved version of the engine that will give the vehicle an increased power of 840 hp.
A newly developed semi-active ISU, or In-arm Suspension Unit, is available for the XK21. The same unit is to be used on the K2 Black Panther. Despite having the same ISU used on the K2 Black Panther, the XK21 cannot change its posture.
The vehicle can travel on both land and water. Amphibious mode is made possible by a "Pontoon System" that will allow the vehicle to float on water. The traction while amphibious is presumed to be provided by hydro jets.
[edit] Pricing
The current estimated cost of the vehicle is approximately KRW₩3,000,000,000 to 4,000,000,000. (Approximately USD$3.3m to 4.4m)
