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 ▾
K2 Black Panther
Photo: Staff Sgt. Jason Cochran · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
REC // INTEL FEED

K2BlackPanther

Tanks · South Korea · 2014
ADD TO COMPARE

K2BlackPanther

K2 Black Panther
K2 Black Panther Photo: Staff Sgt. Jason Cochran · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
92
Protection
78
Mobility
88
Technology
94
Reliability
75
Crew Survivability
80
Operational Range
70
Logistics
65
Historical Performance
40
Strategic Impact
60
Origin South Korea
CategoryTanks
EraModern Era
In service2014
Operators11 countries
Quantity440
Data Quality85%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
79
Tanks MASS Rating
4/24
Modern Era
15/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
92
Protection
78
Mobility
88
Technology
94
Reliability
75
Crew Survivability
80
Operational Range
70
Logistics
65
Historical Performance
40
Strategic Impact
60
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
K2 Black Panther
Category
Production
2014–
Quantity
440
Unit Price (current)
$12.8M↗ 50% inflation · 2009→2025
Original Price
$8.5M (2009)
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · MODERN ERA
4
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
88
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$12.8M
Original: $8.5M (2009)
Inflation: +%50
79
tanks category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the tanks category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
◈Firepower12MOD.12
  • Main Gun Calibre120 mm
  • Main Gun TypeSmoothbore
  • Main Gun Length (Calibres)55
  • Muzzle Velocity (Max)1,750 m/s
  • Effective Range (Main Gun)8,000 m
  • Ammunition Stowage40
  • Can Fire APFSDSYes
  • Can Fire HEATYes
  • Can Fire HE-FragYes
  • Can Fire ATGMYes
  • Coaxial / Secondary MG Count1
  • Auxiliary Armament1× 12.7mm K6, 1× 7.62mm; KSTAM top-attack guided round; auto-loader
▣Protection5MOD.5
◇Mobility8MOD.8
  • Engine Power1,500 hp
  • Power-to-Weight Ratio27 hp/t
  • Fuel TypeDiesel
  • Transmission TypeHydromechanical
  • Suspension TypeHydropneumatic
  • Max Road Speed70 km/h
  • Max Off-Road Speed50 km/h
  • Operational Range (Road)450 km
◆Dimensions5MOD.5
  • Length (Hull)10.8 m
  • Length (Overall, Gun Forward)10.8 m
  • Width3.6 m
  • Height2.4 m
  • Ground Clearance0.45 m
⬢Amphibious & Special2MOD.2
▲Production & Service3MOD.3
  • Total Production Units260
  • Current Service StatusActive Service
  • Notable Variants Count6
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 2014Production started
  2. 2022Sale: Poland (180 units)
  3. 2023Sale: South Korea (150 units)
12
years in service
440
units produced
11
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Variants
▚ WEAPON FAMILY
K2 Black Panther 2014
// DERIVATIVES
K2PL 2022
05 / Operators
Operator Inventory3country · 494units
494active
K2 Black PantherSALES6records
YearBuyerQuantityAmountPresent Value (2025)
2023South Korea150——
2022Poland180——
—Poland180——
—South Korea100——
—South Korea106——
—South Korea54——
ⓘ "Present Value" is an estimated amount adjusted for inflation.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE20terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
Active Protection System. A defensive system that detects and intercepts anti-tank threats.
Anti-Tank Guided Missile: a missile designed to destroy tanks.
Automated loading system for tank guns, reducing crew workload.
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.
Type of internal combustion engine fuel, refined from crude oil.
Fire control systems using digital data buses to link components, enabling sensor fusion and integration with battlefield networks.
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 →