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K1A2
Photo: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Christopher Antwine · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain Use of this image does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
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K1A2

Tanks · South Korea · 1985
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K1A2

K1A2
K1A2 Photo: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Christopher Antwine · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain Use of this image does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
70
Protection
60
Mobility
50
Technology
80
Reliability
85
Crew Survivability
75
Operational Range
65
Logistics
70
Historical Performance
60
Strategic Impact
50
Origin South Korea
ManufacturerHyundai Rotem
CategoryTanks
EraCold War
In service1985
Operators1 countries
Data Quality83%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
67
Tanks MASS Rating
18/89
Cold War
62/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
70
Protection
60
Mobility
50
Technology
80
Reliability
85
Crew Survivability
75
Operational Range
65
Logistics
70
Historical Performance
60
Strategic Impact
50
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
K1A2
Category
Prime contractor
Production
1985–
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · COLD WAR
18
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
60
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
67
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
◈Firepower10MOD.10
▣Protection8MOD.8
◇Mobility9MOD.9
  • Engine Power1,200 hp
  • Power-to-Weight Ratio24 hp/t
  • Fuel TypeDiesel
  • Transmission TypeFully Automatic
  • 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)7.5 m
  • Length (Overall, Gun Forward)9.7 m
  • Width3.6 m
  • Height2.25 m
  • Ground Clearance0.45 m
⬢Amphibious & Special2MOD.2
▲Production & Service4MOD.4
  • Total Production Units1,500
  • Years in Production38 year
  • Current Service StatusActive Service
  • Notable Variants Count2
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1985Production started
  2. 2013Entered service
41
years in service
1
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Operators
Operator Countries1country
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE18terms
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.
A front-mounted armored plate on a tank, primarily used for clearing obstacles, creating cover, or breaching fortifications.
Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA): Modular armor system that detonates upon impact to disrupt incoming warheads, reducing penetration of shaped charges and kinetic energy projectiles.
A fully automatic tank transmission shifts gears without driver intervention, using hydraulic or electronic controls to select appropriate gear ratios based on engine speed and vehicle load.
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.
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 →