is k2 black panther the best main battle tank

It can be used with a variety of munitions and is compatible with all standard NATO tank rounds. The 120mm gun can reportedly fire approximately 10 to 15 rounds per minute. The MBT’s main armament is a Rheinmetall 120mm L/55 smoothbore gun, produced under license in South Korea and equipped with a domestically-designed automatic loader – which can ensure the loading of projectiles on the move including when on uneven surfaces. The K2 Black Panther MBT has a crew of three members including a commander, gunner, and driver. In addition, the K2 also is equipped with an active protection system as well as countermeasure systems that include NBC (nuclear-biological-chemical) protection.

It relies on both an undisclosed modular composite armor and Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) blocks, and according to reports can withstand direct hits to the front from a 120mm tank round. It is considered one of the most advanced MBTs in the world, outclassing any tanks in service with North Korea or even China. The K2 was developed utilizing indigenous technology only, and the first prototype was unveiled in 2007, while production commenced for the first 100 K2 tanks in 2014. The K2 was meant to complement – rather than replace – the K1 series that are currently fielded by the South Korean military. However, Seoul has moved forward with an entirely new design: the K2 Black Panther, a next-generation MBT developed by the South Korean Agency for Defense Development and manufactured by Hyundai Rotem. The new South Korean-made tank entered service in the late-1980s and has been steadily improved, with the K1A2 entering service in 2013. Following the war, the South Korean military bolstered its armored fleet with a variety of U.S.-made tanks but attempts made to obtain the M60A1 Patton main battle tanks (MBTs) in the 1970s ended in failure.Īlways fearing that its neighbor to the north would launch an attack across the DMZ, South Korea took matters into its own hands and developed a domestically produced tank – the K1, which was based on the early designs of the American XM1 program that led to the development of the M1 Abrams. Not unexpectedly the M24s fared poorly against North Korea’s Soviet-built T-35-85s. Is South Korea’s K2 Black Panther the Best MBT on the Planet? – During the Korean War, the first tanks deployed by the United Nations forces were the American M24 Chaffee light tanks.

Is k2 black panther the best main battle tank