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Photo: 대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
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K21

Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) · South Korea · 2009
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K21

K21
K21 Photo: 대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
75
Protection
70
Mobility
80
Troop Capacity
65
Anti-Armour Capability
60
Situational Awareness
75
Survivability
70
Amphibious Capability
85
Technology
80
Cost-Effectiveness
75
Origin South Korea
ManufacturerHanwha Aerospace
CategoryInfantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV)
EraPost-Cold War
In service2009
Operators5 countries
Quantity466
Data Quality86%
72
Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) MASS Rating
5/22
Post-Cold War
10/83
All-Time
Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) · 10 axes scored
Firepower
75
Protection
70
Mobility
80
Troop Capacity
65
Anti-Armour Capability
60
Situational Awareness
75
Survivability
70
Amphibious Capability
85
Technology
80
Cost-Effectiveness
75
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the infantry fighting vehicles (ifv) category.
01 / Overview
K21
Prime contractor
Production
2009–
Quantity
466
Unit Price (current)
$3.2M
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLES (IFV) · POST-COLD WAR
5
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
80
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$3.2M
Inflation: +%0
72
infantry fighting vehicles (ifv) category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the infantry fighting vehicles (ifv) category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General6MOD.6
  • Service Entry Year2009
  • Combat Weight25.6 t
  • Crew3
  • Passengers / Dismounts9
  • Vehicle ClassInfantry fighting vehicle
  • In ServiceYes
◈Armament7MOD.7
  • Main ArmamentSNT Dynamics K40 40×365mmR autocannon
  • Main Gun Calibre40 mm
  • Gun Typeautocannon
  • Secondary Armament7.62 mm M60 GPMG
  • ATGM CapableYes
  • Stabilized GunYes
  • Ammunition Stowage240
▣Protection3MOD.3
◇Mobility8MOD.8
  • Engine TypeDoosan- D2840LXE diesel
  • Engine Power750 hp
  • Power-to-Weight29.2 hp
  • SuspensionPassive in-arm suspension unit (ISU)
  • Max Road Speed70 km/h
  • Max Off-Road Speed40 km/h
  • Operational Range500 km
  • AmphibiousYes
▤Dimensions3MOD.3
  • Length6.9 m
  • Width3.4 m
  • Height2.6 m
⬢Production3MOD.3
  • Total Production466
  • Production Start2,009 year
  • Unit Cost4.5 USD
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 2009Production started
17
years in service
466
units produced
5
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Operators
Operator Inventory2country · 529units
529active
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE11terms
Active Protection System. A defensive system that detects and intercepts anti-tank threats.
Anti-Tank Guided Missile: a missile designed to destroy tanks.
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.
A vehicle-mounted night vision system enabling drivers of infantry fighting vehicles to navigate and operate in low-light conditions.
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 navigation system combining Global Positioning System (GPS) for absolute positioning and Inertial Navigation System (INS) for dead reckoning, providing continuous and accurate location and orientation data.
A hunter-killer capability in an infantry fighting vehicle allows the gunner to engage targets while the commander independently searches for new targets, typically using separate optics and control systems.
Optical device that uses laser pulses to measure the distance to a target with high precision.
A firearm or automatic weapon mounted on a vehicle and equipped with a gyroscopic or hydraulic system to reduce recoil and maintain aim during movement.
Thermal sights are infrared imaging devices that detect heat signatures to provide a visual display for target detection and navigation in low‑visibility conditions.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) entry →