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K1
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	South Korea
Specifications
Weight	51.1 tonnes (54.5 tonnes for K1A1)
Length	9.67 m (9.71m for K1A1)
Width	3.60 m
Height	2.25 m
Crew	4
Armor	Composite
Primary armament	K1 -- KM68A1 105 mm K1A1 -- KM256 120mm
Secondary armament	12.7 mm antiaircraft machine gun 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun
Engine	10-cyl. water-cooled diesel MTU 871 Ka-501 1200 hp (890 kW)
Power/weight	23.4 hp / tonne (22.0 hp / tonne for K1A1)
Suspension	Torsion bar & hydropneumatic (hybrid suspension)
Operational range	500 km
Speed	65 km/h

v • d • e Post-Cold War tanks
Al-Khalid · Ariete · Arjun · Challenger 2 · K1 88 · K2 Black Panther · Leclerc · Leopard 2 · M1 Abrams · M-2001 · M-95 Degman · Merkava · PT-91 Twardy · T-84 · T-90 · TR-85 · Type 90 · Type 96 · Type 99 · Zulfiqar

The K1 is a main battle tank in use with the South Korean ground forces. It is manufactured by Hyundai Precision of South Korea (being designed originally by US company General Dynamics).

Contents 1 Name 2 K1 overview 3 K1A1 overview 4 General overview 5 Operators 6 The future of K1 7 External links

The K1 is often dubbed Type 88 by foreigners, which is actually incorrect. The correct name for the tank is 88 Tank (Hangul: 88전차). Type 88 would actually translate into 88식, which is completely different as the South Korean military applies the American method of marking their equipment, such as M#A#, and not use the Type-## designations to refer to their equipment. It was introduced to the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) in 1987, but is tagged 88 to honor the 1988 Summer Olympics that took place in Seoul, Korea.

K1 is a fifty-two ton tank with a 105 mm main gun, sophisticated fire control system and composite armour. Because of the similarity of its outer appearance to that of the US Army's M1 Abrams tank, the American troops stationed in South Korea dubbed the tank "Baby Abrams". Other than the size, the K1 is different from its American counterpart in several ways: the fire control system is similar to that of the German Leopard tank; the powerplant is a German MTU diesel engine that is produced under license domestically; and the armor lacks the uranium plating inserts that characterize the M1A1 tanks.

North Korean defectors have indicated that the K1 is superior to the North Korean army's tanks^{[citation needed]}. This led the North Koreans to upgrade their T-62 (see Ch'onma-Ho) in hopes of creating an effective countermeasure against the K1. Despite the effort, the North Koreans apparently have not come up with an effective means of countering the K1 threat, and have given the K1 and the K1A1 battle tanks the nickname of "Monster Tank" (괴물전차)^{[citation needed]}.

The K1A1 was accepted into Korean service on 13 October 2001. It is similar to its predecessor, with the exception of a larger M256 120 mm main gun (the U.S. licensed product of German Rheinmetall L44 120 mm smoothbore gun) with vastly improved penetration power. The new version also includes an improved fire-control system featuring thermal image KGPS (Korean Gunner's Primary Sight), KCPS (Korean Commander's Panoramic Sight), and a new 32-bit ballistic computer along with improved survivability for the engine. The FCS gives the tank a 90% or greater chance of hitting its target while on the move, while the highest score it achieved topped off at 98%. The improved armor is roughly equivalent to that of M1A1 without its depleted uranium plating inserts. The LASER range-finder is CO2-based.

The KCPS specifications for K1A1 is as follows;

• Zoom: 3× / 10× (day & night)
• Vertical scan angle (the amount of angle which the optics can move up and down): +/- 35˚
• Horizontal scan angle (the amount of angle which the optics can turn): 360˚
• Gunner's alternate sight zoom: 8×

The carbon dioxide LASER range-finder's specification is as follows;

• Range: 200 ~ 7,990 m
• Daytime magnification: 1× / 10×
• Nighttime magnification: 3× / 10×

The K1A1 can easily be distinguished from the K1 by the shape of the gun, location of the co-axial machinegun, the shape of the commander's panoramic sight, and the overall angular shape of the turret. (The K1A1 has more curved surfaces than the K1.) The 120 mm smoothbore gun of K1A1 is thicker than the K1's 105 mm rifled gun and has a thicker thermal sleeve a third of the way from the base of the gun. The co-axial machinegun on K1A1 is located at a much higher point compared to the K1. The K1A1 also features a somewhat cone-shaped day/night KGPS compared to day-only sight of the K1 that has a plain, tube-like appearance to it.

Elbit Systems, one of Israel's largest defense electronics manufacturers and integrators, has recently been contracted by the South Korean government to supply thermal imaging kits to upgrade the K1A1's KGPS infrared sights. Samsung Thales will be responsible for supplying, installing and testing the new KGPS on the tanks. The contract is valued at approximately USD$19m.

The tank can "sit" and "stand", as well as "kneel", through the usage of its extensive suspension system that allows each of the road wheels, or "bogies", to be adjusted in height. "Sitting" gives the tank lower profile and offers better handling over roads. "Standing" allows the tank better maneuverability over rough terrain. "Kneeling" increases the angle that the tank's gun barrel can elevate and depress, which allows the tank to fire its main gun downhill—something that very few tanks can do—and gives it better ability to engage low-flying aircraft.

Its mobility allows it to climb slopes as steep as 60 degrees.

The suspension system is not completely without its own flaws, as it reportedly breaks down often from extremely intensive usage. The Hydropneumatic Suspension Unit is installed at the front axle, with a torsion bar at the rear.

Both the K1 and K1A1 have two M60 machine guns, one pintle-mounted M60D and one coaxial M60E2. It also uses the K6 heavy machine gun on a pintle mount.

Korean Army K1A1 tank

Korean Army K1 MBT prototype on display at the War Memorial of Korea

 Republic of Korea - 1000 in 2006 ^[1]

The K1 series will remain in service with the ROK Army well into the future, as the ROK Army is in the process of replacing older American M47 and M48 Patton MBTs with the newer K1A1 and the upcoming K2 Black Panther. The ROK Army & Marine Corps plans to field approximately 1,027 K1 and 484 K1A1 MBTs in the future as reserves once the Black Panther project reaches its peak.

• "2-6-1-M" K1A1 Tank Overview at Rotem Website (Best viewed in Internet Explorer).
• Type 88 K1 Main Battle Tank at GlobalSecurity.org
• K1A1 Main Battle Tank at GlobalSecurity.org
• Photos at GlobalSecurity.org
• K1A1 Photos and Walk Arounds at Prime Portal