| Chonma-215, -216 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | North Korea |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2002–present |
| Used by | Korean People's Army Ground Force |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Second Machine Industry Bureau[1] |
| Manufacturer | Ryu Kyong-su Tank Factory[2] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 44.3 tonnes (48.8 US Short Tons, 97,665 lb) |
| Length | Hull length: ~7 m |
| Width | ~3.5 m |
| Height | ~2.2 m |
| Crew | 4 |
| Armor | Composite Armour. ERA plates optional.Maximum estimated armor thickness without ERA – 500 mm vs HEAT[3][4] |
Main armament | 115 mm 2A20 (Chonma-215)125mm 2A46 (Chonma-216) |
Secondary armament | 14.5mmKPVT heavy anti-aircraft machine gun (300 rounds), 7.62 mmPKT (Chonma-215/216) Dual AGS-30 automatic grenade launcher,Dual Bulsae-4M,Dual Igla MANPADS, 7.62 mmPKT (Chonma mod.2017[5]) |
| Engine | 12 cylinder diesel engine delivering 1,000 (±150) hp |
| Suspension | Torsion-bar |
Operational range | ~370-500km |
| Maximum speed | 60 km/h |
| Pokpung-ho | |
| Hangul | 폭풍호 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 暴風號 |
| RR | Pokpungho |
| MR | P'okp'ungho |
TheP'okp'ung-ho (Korean:폭풍호), officially theChonma-215 andChonma-216 areNorth Koreanmain battle tanks (MBT) developed in the 1990s.[6] The tank may incorporate technology found in theT-62,T-72, andCh'onma-ho MBTs.[7][4] Outside parties codename the tankM-2002 because the tank went through performance trials on February 16, 2002 (therefore being officially confirmed by outside sources), although the tank may have been in existence since 1992.
The P'okp'ung-ho is only known to be used in North Korea.[4]
After thedissolution of theSoviet Union, a significant number ofT-72s were decommissioned from Soviet service and scrapped for metal. North Korea is believed to have acquired some of these scrapped T-72s and obtained core technology for use on the P'okp'ung-ho throughreverse engineering.[8] It is also believed North Korea acquired three samples ofT-80 in early 1990s from Afghanistan.[9][10] North Korea's interest in theT-90 was demonstrated in August 2001 whenKim Jong-il visited theOmsktransmash defense plant which builds the T-90 during his visit to Russia. However, North Korea failed to acquire T-90 since then, as South Korean and Russian governments agreed to cease supplying arms technology to North Korea since 1994.[7][11]
The destruction ofIraqi T-72s by western tanks such as theM1 Abrams during theGulf War demonstrated the poor combat performance of the older export variants of T-72s against top-of-the-line Western models. North Korea decided to significantly modernize its tank fleet to bridge the performance gap between its Ch'onma-ho MBTs and the South KoreanK1 MBTs, which has similar performance to the early models of the American M1 Abrams. However,economic struggles and a lack of several core technologies seem to have prevented North Korea from achieving high production numbers for the P'okp'ung-ho before the late 2000s.[12]
The first P'okp'ung-ho is believed to have been produced in 1992 in the Ryu Kyong-su Tank Factory, located inSinhung,South Hamgyong province[9] under the Second Economic Committee and Second Academy of Defense Science.[13] The capabilities of later variants have been augmented significantly. Because of North Korea's limited industrial capability, compounded by the fact that North Korea has also spent most of the resources allotted for the development of the P'okp'ung-ho on itsnuclear program, North Korea was believed to possess fewer than 250 of these tanks in 2007. However, production seems to have picked up starting in 2010. The tank was witnessed by parties outside of North Korea in 2002 and thus codenamed the M-2002. The P'okp'ung-ho was shown to the public during a North Korean parade in 2010, as well as during military exercises in 2012.[citation needed]
Unclassified images of the P'okp'ung-ho finally surfaced in 2010, which showed the tank design appeared to be developed from the later models of theCh'onma-ho and influenced by theT-72. The P'ok'pung-ho has better mobility, survivability and firepower than the Ch'onma-ho.[14] Capabilities of the tank have been speculated to be nearly identical toT-90,[9] however the limited access to technical information regarding the P'okp'ung-ho makes accurate comparisons difficult.
The P'okp'ung-ho's primary armament was almost certainly the2A20 115 mm gun in early examples; however, later versions seemed to be armed with the2A26/2A46 125 mm smoothbore gun.[14] which firesAP rounds produced in North Korea. The tank also has a heavyKPVanti-aircraftmachine gun and acoaxial machine gun, as well as foursmoke grenade launchers on the each side of the turret. The tank cannot fire ATGMs from its main gun.[15] A model displayed at an April 2017 parade was equipped with twoMANPADS launchers at the rear of the turret, two ATGM launchers mounted on the left side of the turret, and twinautomatic grenade launchers mounted on the right side of commander hatch.[16]
Although the engine compartment and the layout show some resemblance to a T-72 hull, the chassis is basically a longer heavily modified version ofT-62.[17] The glacis plate of the Pokpung-ho is heavily sloped and protected by appliqué armor in the initial version with ERA added in later versions. The turret is reinforced with wedge-shaped armor modules in Pokpung-Ho I and seems to be protected bycomposite armour similar to the later export variant T-72M1 in Pokpung-Ho II with ERA added in Pokpung-Ho III.[18] The panels along the tracks seem to be made of a light laminar armour.[citation needed]
The P'okpoong engine is likely to have around 750–1,000horsepower.[2]
Thefire control system of the P'okp'ung-ho is relatively modern and based on the presence of a meteorological mast is almost certainly computerized, and some reports claim that it may be based on theChieftain FCS, whichIran may have illegally exchanged for North Korean technology. If the P'okp'ung-ho's FCS is based on the T-72's, it may implement the PNK-3 or PNK-4 day and night sighting system with the 1K13-49 periscope combined passive/active sight guidance system.[4] However the night sighting system is most likely to be the same with obsolete T-62.[7] The quality of the equipment are likely inferior to the South Korean counterparts, but there is no proof for this claim.
The P'okp'ung-ho also has aninfrared sensor (TPN-3-49 or TPN-4), alaser rangefinder and a search light, all of which allow the P'okp'ung-ho to operate during the night.
North Korea - Estimates range from 200 as of 2010[21] in the105th Seoul Ry-Kyong-Su Guards Armored Division to 500 as of 2013.[22] In 2020, estimated production since 2002 is 600 units.[23]| Main battle | |
|---|---|
| Light /medium | |
| Prototypes, experimentals | |
Background:History of the tank,Tank classification | |
| Main battle tank |
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| Other tanks | ||
| Armored car | ||
| Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons | ||
| Self-propelled howitzers | ||
| Tank destroyer | ||
