LATEST Ancient Prototypes of Proxy Warfare: The Economic and Logistical Burden of Roman and Persian Proxy Networks among Arab Tribes and Caucasian Powers
SEARCH
DB ONLINE
EN ▾
K1A1 tank
Photo: 대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
REC // INTEL FEED

K1A1tank

Tanks · South Korea · 1996
ADD TO COMPARE

K1A1tank

K1A1 tank
K1A1 tank Photo: 대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
70
Protection
60
Mobility
50
Technology
80
Reliability
75
Crew Survivability
65
Operational Range
55
Logistics
60
Historical Performance
40
Strategic Impact
30
Origin South Korea
ManufacturerHyundai Rotem
CategoryTanks
EraPost-Cold War
In service1996–2001
Operators2 countries
Quantity484
Data Quality83%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
61
Tanks MASS Rating
18/35
Post-Cold War
90/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
70
Protection
60
Mobility
50
Technology
80
Reliability
75
Crew Survivability
65
Operational Range
55
Logistics
60
Historical Performance
40
Strategic Impact
30
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
K1A1 tank
Category
Prime contractor
Production
1996–2001
Quantity
484
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · POST-COLD WAR
18
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
60
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
61
tanks category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the tanks category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
  • Tank ClassificationMain Battle Tank (MBT)
  • GenerationPost-Cold War
  • Combat Weight51 t
  • Crew Size4
  • Service Entry Year1996
◈Firepower11MOD.11
▣Protection9MOD.9
◇Mobility9MOD.9
  • Engine Power1,200 hp
  • Power-to-Weight Ratio26.67 hp/t
  • Fuel TypeDiesel
  • Transmission TypeHydromechanical
  • Suspension TypeHydropneumatic
  • Max Road Speed65 km/h
  • Max Off-Road Speed45 km/h
  • Operational Range (Road)500 km
  • Fording Depth1.2 m
◆Dimensions5MOD.5
  • Length (Hull)7.48 m
  • Length (Overall, Gun Forward)9.73 m
  • Width3.6 m
  • Height2.25 m
  • Ground Clearance0.45 m
⬢Amphibious & Special4MOD.4
▲Production & Service4MOD.4
  • Total Production Units484
  • Years in Production11 year
  • Current Service StatusActive Service
  • Notable Variants Count1
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1983Sale: South Korea
  2. 1996Production started
  3. 2001Production ended
  4. 2007Sale: Turkey (40 units)
30
years in service
5
years in production
484
units produced
2
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Operators
Operator Inventory1country · 484units
484active
K1A1 tankSALES3records
YearBuyerQuantityAmountPresent Value (2025)
2007Turkey40——
1996South Korea———
1983South Korea———
ⓘ "Present Value" is an estimated amount adjusted for inflation.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE17terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
A Battle Management System (BMS) is a command‑and‑control software suite that gathers, processes, and shares battlefield data to provide situational awareness and coordinate the actions of military units.
Armour made from multiple materials, such as metals and ceramics, to increase effectiveness.
Computerised Advanced: a tank fire‑control system generation that uses digital computers to calculate ballistic solutions and integrate sensor data for enhanced targeting accuracy.
Type of internal combustion engine fuel, refined from crude oil.
High-Explosive Fragmentation: ammunition that explodes on impact, releasing fragments.
High-Explosive Anti-Tank: a type of projectile that uses a shaped charge to penetrate armor.
Hydromechanical transmission combines hydraulic fluid power with mechanical gear components to transmit engine power to a tank's tracks.
Hydropneumatic suspension employs hydraulic fluid and compressed gas in sealed chambers to provide variable damping and ride height, allowing tanks to adjust ground clearance and improve cross‑country mobility.
Optical device that uses laser pulses to measure the distance to a target with high precision.
A main battle tank is a heavily armored vehicle with a large caliber gun, used for front-line combat.
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical protection for tank crews.
Enhanced low-light visibility through specialized optics or sensors.
Handheld or vehicle-mounted devices that release dense smoke to obscure vision, conceal movements, or screen friendly forces from enemy observation.
A smoothbore gun is a firearm with an unrifled barrel, allowing projectiles to travel without spin; it is commonly used in modern tank main guns for firing fin‑stabilized ammunition.
Thermal sights are infrared imaging devices mounted on a tank's gunner station that detect heat emitted by objects, enabling target identification and aiming in low‑visibility conditions.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Tanks entry →