The Cheonma-2 ( Korean: 천마-2호,) (previously classified as M2020 or M2024 by foreign intelligence) is a prototype North Korean Third Generation main battle tank unveiled during the October 2020 military parade that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Worker's Party .
106-513: North Korea originally relied on Soviet and Chinese made tanks before they started developing their own tanks, starting with the Chonma-ho tank. Newer Pokpung-ho and Songun-915 (a 'Pokpung-ho' with cast turret and modified hull) tanks would be developed and introduced in the early 21st century but were still heavily influenced by old Soviet/Russian and Chinese tank designs; namely by the T-62 . At
212-550: A differently shaped loader's hatch on the turret, and distinctive bolts on the front glacis. It is commonly stated that North Korea received batches of 500 T-62s from the Soviet Union, but this is incorrect. It is much more probable that the Soviet Union provided North Korea with the required knowledge to domestically produce the T-62, possibly donating a production line in the process, with series production starting in 1978. It
318-714: A digital fire control system , laser rangefinder , and advanced night vision and sighting equipment. The tank is powered by a V12 twin-turbo diesel engine made by MTU Friedrichshafen . In the 1990s, the Leopard 2 was used by the German Army on peacekeeping operations in Kosovo . In the 2000s, Dutch , Danish and Canadian forces deployed their Leopard 2 tanks in the War in Afghanistan as part of their contribution to
424-464: A distance of 1,500 m (4,900 ft). The Leopard 2A4's armour has a maximum physical thickness of 800 millimetres (31 in) based on unofficial measurements and estimates made by former conscripts and professional soldiers of the German army. On the Leopard 2A5 and subsequent models, the thickness is increased by the wedge-shaped armour module to 1,500 millimetres (59 in). The side and
530-516: A folding launcher on the right side of the turret. The Bulsae-3 missiles are said to be reversed engineered Soviet/Russian 9K111 Fagot or 9M133 Kornet missiles. However, the diameter of the ATGM launchers appears to be 150 mm like the 9M133, rather than 120 mm of the 9K111 and thus have a higher penetration. As the T-72s received by North Korea are of early modifications, they cannot fire missiles through
636-639: A future Leopard 2 upgrade. In 1989, the Kampfwertsteigerung (combat potential improvement) programme was initiated in Germany with the delivery of first prototypes. The official military requirements were published in March 1990. The KWS programme was projected to consist of three stages. The first stage replaced the Rheinmetall 120 mm L/44 gun barrel and the corresponding gun mount with
742-607: A higher pressure 120 mm (4.7 in) gun firing new ammunition, expected to deliver 20 percent better performance than the L/55 . Mid-term efforts will focus on a Rheinmetall 130 mm (5.1 in) cannon concept offering 50 percent better armour penetration. With the Russian T-14 Armata being equipped with the Afghanit , an active protection system designed to mitigate the effectiveness of ATGM , more importance
848-404: A higher rate and supply chains are able to deliver sufficient materials. While previous models only varied in detail, the Leopard 2A4 introduced a digital ballistic computer and an improved fire extinguishing system. Starting with the sixth batch, tanks were fitted with an improved armour array and new side skirts. In 1984, the German military procurement agency stated a number of requirements for
954-432: A longer barrelled and more lethal L/55 version. This stage was adopted in the form of 225 Leopard 2A6 tanks, starting in 2001 and lasting until 2005. Stage 2 focused on improvements of armour protection and survivability: it was adopted in the form of the Leopard 2A5, starting in 1995. The base armour of the tank was exchanged and additional armour modules were installed at the turret. The first batch of 225 Leopard 2 tanks
1060-532: A muzzle reference system to improve its accuracy when firing on the move. Hard kill active protection systems (APS) are fitted on the lower part of the turret; two in the front corners and two on each side, each containing three tube launchers. This APS layout is similar to the Russian Afghanit featured on the T-14. The sensors used for the active protection systems are likely located in the front corners of
1166-472: A new 750 hp engine. The vehicle was also upgraded with rubber side skirts, and some with stowage bins on the turret rear. Another minor variant of this has also been spotted, and seems to remove the turret side ERA in place of spaced armour. Ch'ŏnma-98 , first seen in 2000 and known to western analysts as Chonma-Ho IV/Ra, was an evolution of the Ch'ŏnma-92, replacing the turret with a slightly larger one (of
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#17327730634781272-415: A new turret bustle. This would increase the turret's interior space, perhaps providing more ammunition capacity by enabling the radio and other equipment to be stored elsewhere. In 1992 (albeit initially spotted in 1985), the Ch'ŏnma was shown in a parade with external laser rangefinders over the base of the gun barrel. Multiple variants of the laser rangefinder have been seen, and they are all distinct from
1378-409: A projected weight of MLC50 , which equals approximately 47.5 tonnes (46.7 long tons; 52.4 short tons). The welded turret utilised spaced armour formed by two steel plates. The prototypes were equipped with an EMES-12 optical rangefinder and fire control system, which later was adopted on the Leopard 1A4. In mid-1973 a new turret was designed by Wegmann saving 1.5 tonnes (1.7 short tons) in weight. It
1484-614: A result, the modification of the Leopard 2 prototypes in order to meet the US Army requirements was investigated. Following a number of further talks, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on December 11, 1974, between Germany and the US, which declared that a modified version of the Leopard 2 should be trialed by the US against their XM1 prototypes, after the Americans had bought and investigated prototype PT07 in 1973. The MoU obliged
1590-561: A tank jointly with France as a successor to both the Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks. Technologies and concepts will be investigated to determine what capabilities are needed in a future tank. Deployment of the new tank, titled Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), will be preceded by incremental upgrades to the Leopard 2, including a new digital turret core system and situational awareness system and an active protection system (APS). A short-term lethality increase will come from
1696-560: A way that it would match the firepower requirements of the MBT-70. A high first-hit probability at ranges of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) and the ability to accurately engage targets on the move using a computerised fire control system were the main goals of the experimental development. The resulting vehicles were nicknamed Keiler ("tusker"). Two prototypes (ET 01 and ET 02) of the Keiler were built in 1969 and 1970, both of them being powered by
1802-535: Is also often inaccurately claimed that the initial Ch'ŏnma had worse armour quality than the T-62, but this is also unfounded – no nation that operated the Ch'ŏnma complained about the armour quality, and studying of the American-captured Ch'ŏnma in Iraq in 2003 didn't reveal any armour defects either. The Ch'ŏnma underwent a few minor upgrades in its initial form. In 1986, the Ch'ŏnma was first seen with
1908-461: Is being placed on direct-fire weapons. The Leopard 2 uses spaced multilayer armour throughout the design. The armour consists of a combination of steel plates of different hardness, elastic materials, and other non-metallic materials. Steel plates with high hardness and high ductility are used. The armour is a result of extensive research about the formation and penetration mechanism of shaped charge jets. The Leopard 2's armour might be based on
2014-444: Is evidence, however, that North Korea has purchased entire engines, or engine components, from Slovakia . Furthermore, it is thought that ceramic components, possibly for an upgraded armour scheme, are from foreign sources, as well as fire control components, such as from Iran. It is not clear how much is indigenously produced in regards to the different variants of the Ch'ŏnma. The figure of 90% could have changed considerably between
2120-497: Is one of North Korea 's secretive indigenous main battle tank designs. The tank is also known by the name of 천리마 전차 (千里馬 or the " Chollima Tank") . The Ch'ŏnma is based on the Soviet T-62 . There are at least seven different operational versions of the Ch'ŏnma. Since its inception, the Ch'ŏnma has undergone several extensive upgrades. Little public information is available about this tank, and its most recent public appearance
2226-506: Is possible that Russia is supplying North Korea with several components for North Korea's tank projects which include the Ch'ŏnma and quite possibly the Pokpung , although no hard evidence can support this claim. In August 2010 North Korean media revealed images of its new main battle tank the P'okp'ung (also known as the M-2002), which had been rumoured to have been under development since
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#17327730634782332-678: Is unusual considering there are no deserts in the Korean Peninsula. The choice of color is speculated to be intended for the tank to be compared to Western, Russian, and/or Chinese tanks or to be appealing as an exportable weapon. The Cheonma-2 is stated to be a testament to the North Korean defense industries' ingenuity despite being under an arms embargo and international sanctions . The Cheonma-2s (along with other paraded weapons) are also seen as North Korea's efforts to modernize its military. In an interview with Professor Sung Woo,
2438-482: Is very possible that the Ch'ŏnma will equip the spearhead and elite of North Korea's armoured forces. They are apparently deployed in sufficient numbers to be strategically significant. There might be as many as 800 T-62s in addition to the over 1000 Ch'ŏnma's in the North Korean army, of which any number could be one of the five Ch'ŏnma variants. Ethiopia purchased and used Ch'ŏnma tanks against rebels during
2544-548: The Ethiopian Civil War . Some Ch'ŏnma tanks were found abandoned when rebels overran the capital Addis Ababa . Background: History of the tank , Tank classification , Tanks in the Cold War Leopard 2 The Leopard 2 is a third generation German main battle tank (MBT). Developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s, the tank entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as
2650-795: The International Security Assistance Force . In the 2010s, Turkish Leopard 2 tanks saw action in Syria . Since 2023, Ukrainian Leopard 2 tanks are seeing action in the Russo-Ukrainian war . Even as the Leopard 1 was just entering service, the West German military was interested in producing an improved tank in the next decade. This resulted in the start of the MBT-70 development in cooperation with
2756-779: The United States Congress in 2000, the North Korean military had up to 2,000 tanks garrisoned along the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) alone. Although not much is known about the North Korean military after the Korean War, it is known that they have many different types of tanks. These include the Chinese Type 59 and Type 62 , as well as the Soviet T-54/55. The T-54 was probably sold to North Korea between 1960 and 1970, while
2862-461: The geography of the Korean Peninsula . The roof of the turret features panoramic sights and a meteorological mast on the right side, and smoke grenade launchers at the rear of the turret protected by slat armor. The commander and gunner have separate sights, which are believed to have thermal imaging devices. If true, then it would improve the tank's hunter-killer and night fighting capabilities compared to older North Korean tanks. The tank possesses
2968-499: The APU and the mechanical loading assistant. Due to the design and production of the Leopard 2AV taking more time than expected, the shipment to the US and the US evaluation was delayed. It was not possible to test the Leopard 2AV before 1 September 1976. Despite the German wish that the Leopard 2AV and the XM1 prototypes would be evaluated at the same time, the US Army decided not to wait for
3074-648: The British Burlington armour , which had already been demonstrated to West Germany in 1970. Later, in the mid-1970s, full details about Burlington were handed over to the West German government. The frontal arc of the Leopard 2's armour is designed to withstand large caliber kinetic energy penetrators and shaped charge projectiles. During the 1980s, it was estimated that the Leopard 2's front would resist 125 mm (4.9 in) armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds fired from
3180-642: The Ch'ŏnma-98 is located in the Korean People's Army Museum in Pyongyang. Ch'ŏnma-214 , first seen in 2001 and known to western analysts as Chonma-Ho V/Ra, was effectively the serial production version of the Ch'ŏnma-98. The vehicle shared the same upgrades as the Ch'ŏnma-98, and added add-on armour on the front turret, as well as rubber flaps on the lower front hull (similar to those on the Soviet T-80U ). This add-on armour appears to be similar to
3286-697: The Cheonma-2 may be classified as somewhere between a third and fourth generation main battle tank based on comparisons to older North Koreans and modern foreign tanks. He concluded that the Cheonma-2 can become a serious threat to the K1 and the K2 tanks and that the South Korean military should improve networking capabilities and develop active protection systems to counter the Cheonma-2s. There are doubts over
Cheonma-2 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3392-477: The Chinese VT-4 . There is speculation that the Cheonma-2 may have been assisted by Russian or Chinese technological transfers due to its very modern design. The nine tanks displayed at the military parade are believed to be prototypes or proof of concept intended for future development or production in the future. Curiously, the Cheonma-2 sported a desert tan camouflage scheme during the military parade, which
3498-448: The DMZ. The Ch'ŏnma is a product of North Korea's approach of Juche , or self-reliance, which also includes several indigenous self-propelled artillery pieces. The idea of juche comes from a North Korean sentiment of abandonment by their allies, China and Soviet Union/Russia. This accounts for their drive towards overproduction and for recent North Korean nuclear developments, as well as
3604-582: The DPRK held a rare night time military parade to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea's foundation. During the parade, nine of the new tanks were unveiled, alongside new armored fighting vehicles , rocket artilleries , and ballistic missiles, such as the Hwasong-16 and Pukguksong-4 missiles. The tanks displayed were stated to be prototypes. As of March 2024, 9 are known to exist in
3710-562: The Diehl tracks had a higher endurance, while the tracks used on the XM1 prototypes failed to meet the Army's requirements. The heat signature of the MTU diesel engine was much lower. The fire control system and the sights of the Leopard 2 were considered to be better and the 120 mm (4.7 in) gun proved to be superior. The projected production costs for one XM1 tank were US$ 728,000 in 1976, and
3816-497: The Federal Republic of Germany to send a complete prototype, a hull, a vehicle for ballistic tests and a number of special ballistic parts to the US, where they would be put through US testing procedures for no additional costs. The Leopard 2AV ( austere version ) was based on the experiences of the previous Leopard 2 development. It was created in order to meet the US requirements and the latest protection requirements of
3922-537: The German MoD. The T14 mod turret was used as the base for the Leopard 2AV's turret, but meeting the required level of protection for the hull required several attempts until the final ballistic trials on 23 to 26 June 1976. Following the US' preference of laser rangefinders , the turret of prototype PT19 was fitted with a laser rangefinder developed together with the American company Hughes . In comparison with
4028-619: The Krupp Atlas Elektronik EMES-13 fire control system and the 120 mm (4.7 in) Rheinmetall gun. The Leopard 2AV fully met the US requirements. A study made by the American FMC Corporation showed that it was possible to produce the Leopard 2AV under licence in America without exceeding the cost limits set by the US Army. Before the trials were finished, it was decided that instead of
4134-413: The Leopard 1A4 with 105/120 mm smoothbore gun, improved armour protection, a new fire control system and a 890 kilowatts (1,190 hp) or 1,100 kilowatts (1,500 hp) engine. Various changes were applied to the Leopard 2 design before the series production started in 1979. The engine, transmission, and suspension were slightly modified and improved. The ballistic protection of the turret and hull
4240-609: The Leopard 2 was tested by MaK. The AGT-1500 was from the United States and required deep modifications to the Leopard 2's chassis. However, driving tests at the WTD 41 revealed a number of drawbacks such as high fuel consumption and the poor performance of the transmission including the brakes. This project was thus terminated. In January 1977 Germany ordered a small pre-series of three hulls and two turrets which were delivered in 1978. These vehicles had increased armour protection on
4346-492: The Leopard 2, the costs of the XM1 Abrams , U.S. prototype tank developed after the MBT-70, could be reduced. A German commission was sent to the US to evaluate the harmonisation of components between the XM1 and Leopard 2. However, under American law it was not possible for a public bidder to interfere in a procurement tender after a contract with intention of profits and deadline was awarded to private sector companies. As
Cheonma-2 - Misplaced Pages Continue
4452-407: The Leopard 2. The first encompasses tanks produced up to the Leopard 2A4 standard and are characterised by their vertically faced turret armour. The second tranche, from Leopard 2A5 onwards, has an angled, arrow-shaped, turret appliqué armour , together with other improvements. The main armament of all Leopard 2 tanks is a smoothbore 120 mm cannon made by Rheinmetall . This is operated with
4558-516: The Leopard 2AV and tested the XM1 prototypes from Chrysler and General Motors beforehand. Two new prototype hulls and three turrets were shipped to the US: PT20 mounting a 105 mm (4.1 in) rifled L7 gun and a Hughes fire control system, PT19 with the same fire control system but able to swap out the gun for the 120 mm (4.7 in) Rheinmetall smoothbore gun, and the PT21 fitted with
4664-423: The Leopard design. The projected upgrades added an autoloader , a coaxial autocannon and an independent commander's periscope. The anti-air machine gun could be operated from inside the vehicle and a TV surveillance camera was mounted on an extendable mast. The shape of the turret and hull was optimised using cast steel armour, while the suspension, transmission, and engine exhaust vents were improved. Following
4770-468: The MB 872 engine. The MBT-70 was a revolutionary design, but after large cost overruns and technological problems, Germany withdrew from the project in 1969. After unsuccessful attempts at saving the MBT-70 by conceptual changes in order to eliminate the biggest issue—the driver being seated in the turret—it became clear in late 1969 that Germany would stop the bi-national development. The assistant secretary of
4876-689: The Soviet 'BDD' armour present on their upgraded T-55Ms and T-62Ms . North Korea is rumored to have received a few examples of the T-72s after 1992, and possibly a single T-90 S main battle tank in August 2001. However, any conclusion regarding whether the Ch'ŏnma has been upgraded to the standards of either the T-72 or the T-90S is highly speculative. Around 90% of the Ch'ŏnma-ho is indigenously produced. There
4982-625: The Soviet KTD-1 and KTD-2. These variants were not distinguished in North Korean service by different names, and are thus all called Ch'ŏnma. However, western sources often refer to the variant with the laser rangefinder as Ch'ŏnma-Ho II. The first major upgrade of the Ch'ŏnma is known as the Ch'ŏnma-92 in North Korea (referred to as either M1992 or Ch'ŏnma-Ho III/Da in Western sources). It
5088-567: The T-62 was reportedly sold in the mid-1980s. It is known that the North Koreans still make limited use of vintage World War II T-34s as well as the Soviet-era PT-76 amphibious tanks. Up to 5,400 tanks are coupled with at least 12,000 self-propelled artillery pieces and thousands of other towed artillery pieces of unknown type and quantity. The Ch'ŏnma has been issued to North Korea's premier armored formations, and would lead
5194-417: The US Army possibly adopting the Leopard 2AV, the focus was shifted to the possibilities of common components between the two tanks. FMC, after having acquired the licenses for the production of the Leopard 2AV, decided not to submit a technical proposal, as they saw little to no chance for the US Army adopting a vehicle not developed in the US. The US Army evaluation showed that on the XM1 a larger portion of
5300-430: The United States beginning in 1963. However already in 1967 it became questionable whether the MBT-70 would enter service at any time in the foreseeable future. Therefore, the West German government issued the order to research future upgrade options for the Leopard 1 to the German company Porsche in 1967. This study was named vergoldeter Leopard ( Gilded Leopard ) and focused on incorporating advanced technology into
5406-408: The XM1. Instead of using actual performance data, the calculated hypothetical acceleration was used. The XM1 was found to have a slightly higher rate of fire despite having internal layouts similar to the Leopard 2AV because the XM1 prototypes were manned by professional crews, while the Leopard 2AV had to be manned by conscripts in order to prove that the Leopard 2AV was not too complicated. Firing on
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#17327730634785512-481: The XM150 gun/launcher weapon of the MBT-70. In 1971, 17 prototypes were ordered but only 16 hulls were built as the production of hull PT12 was cancelled. Ten were ordered initially before another seven were ordered. The 17 turrets were designated T1 to T17, and the hulls were designated PT1 to PT11 and PT13 to PT17. To test a larger number of components and concepts, each prototype was fitted with components not found on
5618-404: The armour has been gradually improved over the years. A modified version of spaced multilayer armour was introduced beginning with the 97th vehicle of the 6th production batch. The same batch also introduced an improved type of heavy ballistic skirts. The Leopard 2A5 upgrade focused on increased armour protection. While upgrading a Leopard 2 tank to the Leopard 2A5 configuration, the roof covering
5724-483: The armour modules is cut open and new armour modules are inserted. New additional armour modules made of laminated armour cover the frontal arc of the turret. They have a distinctive arrowhead shape and improve protection against both kinetic penetrators and shaped charges. The side skirts also incorporate improved armour protection. A 25 mm (0.98 in) thick spall liner reduces the danger of crew injuries in case of armour penetration. The Leopard 2A7 features
5830-660: The beginning of the 21st century, North Korea was able to obtain T-72 tanks through various channels and various parts of it, which would be used in the development of their tanks, such as with the Songun-915. In 2016, a tank commander in North Hamgyong Province claimed a K1 88-Tank was at a tank research center in North Korea, but the Republic of Korea Armed Forces denied such a claim. On October 10, 2020,
5936-548: The costs for one Leopard 2AV were US$ 56,000 higher. After the American evaluation of the Leopard 2AV and the US Army's decision to opt for the XM1 Abrams, both American and German sources blamed the other side. US Army test officials discovered that the PT19 Leopard 2AV prototype used for mobility trials did not contain special armour. In Germany, the test conditions were criticised for being unrealistic and favouring
6042-681: The design and capabilities of the Cheonma-2. While it is believed to be a leap over predecessor tanks, the Cheonma-2 is likely no where near as advanced as the M1 Abrams or the T-14 Armata. It is unknown if sensors, communication, networking, and composite armor technologies seen in advanced third and fourth generation main battle tanks are present in the Cheonma-2s. Background: History of the tank , Tank classification Chonma-ho The Ch'ŏnma ( Chosŏn'gŭl : 천마; Hanja : 天馬 meaning 'Pegasus'), often inaccurately referred to as Chonma-Ho,
6148-441: The development based on the earlier Keiler project of the late 1960s, instead of finishing the development of the Eber . In 1971, the name of the design was determined as Leopard 2 with the original Leopard retroactively becoming the Leopard 1, and Paul-Werner Krapke became the project officer of the Leopard 2 program. Originally two versions were projected: the gun-armed Leopard 2K and the Leopard 2FK, which would be armed with
6254-439: The driver's station. The bottles are connected to pipes and hoses and are activated automatically by the fire detection system when temperatures rise above 82 °C (180 °F) inside the fighting compartment, or manually via a control panel in the driver's compartment. An extra 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) halon fire extinguisher is stored on the floor beneath the main gun. Following Leopard 2's introduction into service in 1979,
6360-422: The earlier Leopard 2 prototypes, the fire control system was simplified by replacing the EMES-12 optical rangefinder and removing the crosswind sensor, the air pressure and temperature sensors, the powder temperature sensor, the PERI R12 commander sight with IR searchlight, the short-range grenade launcher for use against infantry, the retractable searchlight, the spotlight, the retractable passive night vision sight,
6466-440: The early 1990s and to have undergone performance trials in 2002. While precise details of its capabilities remain unclear, the P'okp'ung appears to be simply a further improvement of the Ch'ŏnma. It is unknown which units of the Korean People's Army might be outfitted with the Ch'ŏnma. It is clear that the Ch'ŏnma is a general replacement for previously employed tanks, including the T-34 , T-62 and Type 59 medium tanks. It
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#17327730634786572-415: The end of the Gilded Leopard study in 1967, the West German government decided to focus on the Experimentalentwicklung (experimental development) in a feasibility study and to develop new components for upgrading the Leopard 1 and for use on a future main battle tank programme. At first 25 million DM were invested, but after the industry came to the conclusion that with such a low budget the development of
6678-405: The exception of Dutch Leopard 2s, which are equipped instead with a Dutch-designed smoke mortar system with six barrels on each side. Swedish Stridsvagn 122 utilises French GALIX smoke dispensers, similar to the system found on the French Leclerc. The Leopard 2 is equipped with a fire protection system. Four 9 kg (20 lb) halon fire extinguisher bottles are installed on the right behind
6784-498: The explosion and fire away from the crew. The crew is also protected against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) threats, as the Leopard 2 is equipped with a Dräger NBC overpressurization system, which provides up to 4 hPA over-pressure inside the vehicle. Two groups of four Wegmann 76 mm (3.0 in) smoke mortars are mounted on either side of the turret and can be electrically fired either as single rounds or in salvos of four. They are mounted on most Leopard 2 models, with
6890-457: The flanks of the turret and hull, while slat armour can be adapted at the vehicle's rear. The armour modules provide protection against the RPG-7, which depending on the warhead can penetrate between 280 millimetres (11 in) and 600 millimetres (24 in) of steel armour. The Leopard 2A6M CAN increases protection against rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) by including additional slat armour . Additional armour packages have been developed by
6996-435: The front of the hull. One of the hulls was fitted with the earlier T21 turret and was used by the German army school in Munster for troop trials until 1979. In September 1977, 1,800 Leopard 2 tanks were ordered, to be produced in five batches. The main contractor was Krauss-Maffei, but Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK) was awarded a contract for producing 45% of the tanks. The first batch consisted of 380 tanks. The delivery of six tanks
7102-411: The gun barrel, although gun-launched missiles are constrained by the barrel diameter and have less penetration. Given that the tank uses one piece ammunition, it is also possible that the gun is a smaller 115mm gun with a longer caliber to compensate for the lower penetration of this caliber. However, detailed information was censored in the footage released by Korean Central Television . The Cheonma-2
7208-473: The head of the Department of Military Drones at Shinhan University and a former policy advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (South Korea) , he stated the Cheonma-2 is a technological leap over existing North Korean tanks. He also stated that the tank's development may have been assisted by Iran by using technologies and designs from the Zulfiqar-3 tank . North Korea and Iran are known to cooperate with regards to their militaries. Professor Sung Woo has implied that
7314-470: The hull (like mines with bending wire triggers) and explosively formed penetrator mines. The weight of the Leopard 2A6M is 62.5 tonnes (61.5 long tons; 68.9 short tons). The latest version of the tank is the Leopard 2A7, which entered service in an initial batch of 20 tanks in 2014. Already before the first Leopard 2A7 tank was handed over to the German Army, plans for upgrades were made. At this time an "extensive" increase in combat value, while retaining
7420-409: The initial artillery disruption. In that sense, North Korean military strategy is very mobile, and the large numbers of tanks underscores this. The Ch'ŏnma is an attempt to partially address the technology gap between its current dated tank forces and South Korean K1A1 and the US M1 Abrams tank. The first Ch'ŏnma manufactured were simply license-produced T-62s with some minor differences, such as
7526-422: The initial attempts to break through South Korean defences. Other armour is relegated to a secondary role in this corps or to North Korea's four mechanized corps. To underscore North Korea's concept of combined arms and the importance of armour, and therefore the importance of the Ch'ŏnma, North Korea's sole armour corps is directly grouped with two mechanized corps and a single artillery corps. However, this forms
7632-442: The latest generation of passive armour and belly armour providing protection against mines and IEDs. The Leopard 2A7 is fitted with adapters for mounting additional armour modules or protection systems against RPGs. For urban combat, the Leopard 2 can be fitted with different packages of modular armour. The Leopard 2A4M CAN, Leopard 2 PSO (Peace Support Operations) and the Leopard 2A7 can mount thick modules of composite armour along
7738-420: The main battle tank of the West German army . Various iterations of the Leopard 2 continue to be operated by the armed forces of Germany , as well as 13 other European countries, and several non-European countries, including Canada, Chile, Indonesia, and Singapore. Some operating countries have licensed the Leopard 2 design for local production and domestic development. There are two main development tranches of
7844-476: The military procurement division of the German Ministry of Defence suggested reusing as many technologies developed for the MBT-70 as possible in a further programme, which was nicknamed Eber ("boar") due to his being named Eberhardt. The Eber used a modified MBT-70 turret and hull, with the driver being seated in the hull. Only a wooden mock-up was made. One year later, a choice was made to continue
7950-467: The move was demonstrated on flat tracks, which nullified the better stabilization systems of the Leopard 2AV. Germany later withdrew its tank from consideration. The decision to put the Leopard 2 tank in production for the German army was made after a study was undertaken , which showed that adopting the Leopard 2 model would result in a greater combat potential of the German army than producing more Leopard 1A4 tanks or developing an improved version of
8056-461: The new thermal night-sight system, which was later retrofitted to the earlier models. After the original five batches, three further batches of Leopard 2 tanks were ordered, increasing the number of Leopard 2 tanks ordered by Germany to a total of 2125. The sixth batch was ordered in June 1987 and consisted of 150 tanks, which were produced between January 1988 and May 1989. The seventh batch of 100 tanks
8162-497: The original Ch'ŏnma and the Ch'ŏnma-214 although it should be kept into consideration that many of the major features are probably purchased from abroad – especially for the upgrades of the tanks. It is not clear how much North Korea can afford to produce on its own, or how much it can afford to import for that matter. It is thought that North Korea is considerably low on resources, especially money, and this belief has been perpetuated after North Korea's nuclear test incidents in 2006. It
8268-560: The original mobility of the Leopard 2, was planned. The optics of the tank will also be improved. In April 2015, Welt am Sonntag claimed that tungsten (wolfram) rounds used in Leopard 2 cannot penetrate the Russian T-90 or the modernized version of the T-80 . They also stated that the German military will develop a new improved round, but it will be exclusively developed for the Leopard 2A7. In 2015 Rheinmetall disclosed that it
8374-426: The other prototypes. Ten of the turrets were equipped with 105 mm (4.1 in) smoothbore guns and the other seven prototypes were equipped with a 120 mm (4.7 in) smoothbore gun. Hulls PT11 and PT17 were fitted with a hydropneumatic suspension based on the MBT-70 design. The running gears of these two hulls had only six road wheels. Different types of auxiliary power units (APUs) were mounted in
8480-412: The production of long-range missiles which provide North Korea with its longer range striking power. This all manifests itself within the 'triangle' of North Korean military development – armour, artillery and missiles. In fact, this seems reminiscent from Soviet military theory, including the application of overwhelming artillery support and the use of large amounts of armour to create a breakthrough after
8586-404: The prototypes. All turrets were equipped with a machine gun for air defence, except the turret mounted on PT11, where a 20 mm (0.79 in) remotely operated autocannon was mounted. With the exception of hulls PT07, PT09, PT15, and PT17, all prototypes used the MB 873 engine. The road wheels were taken from the MBT-70 and the return rollers from the Leopard 1. The prototypes were designed with
8692-440: The rear of the tank protect against heavy machine guns, medium caliber rounds, and older types of tank ammunition. The side of the hull is covered by armour skirts to increase protection against projectiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) . The frontal third of the hull sides is covered by heavy ballistic skirts, while the rest of the hull sides is covered by steel-reinforced rubber skirts. For increased protection against mines,
8798-399: The same shape), thus implying a revised composite array layout. The placement of smoke grenade launchers was altered. It has been theorised that this variant received a new thermal gunner sight and fire-control system , possibly imported from Iran (such as those used on their Chieftains ), but this is unconfirmed and purely speculation. It was only produced in limited numbers. An example of
8904-416: The second echelon of North Korea's deployment to the DMZ, with the first echelon composed of four infantry corps, and the rest in strategic reserve. This may also play a part in a defensive strategy, as the North Korean army is arrayed in depth, and the armour might be strategically placed to both provide offensive power and a second echelon composed of mobile defences to plug a South Korean breakthrough along
9010-419: The sides of the hull floor are sloped by 45° and the floor is reinforced with corrugations. The Leopard 2's design follows the concept of compartmentation. Possible sources of fire or explosions have been moved away from the crew. In the turret, the ammunition and the hydraulics are located in compartments separated from the crew. In case of a detonation, the blow-off panels on the compartment roofs will direct
9116-405: The sides, with slat armor on the rear sides protecting the engine just like the T-14. The glacis plate of the Cheonma-2 is slightly different from the T-14 and the driver's position is located at the center front of the hull. The tank is equipped with composite armor that is believed to be on par with ones equipped on third generation main battle tanks and is possibly modular in design. Parts of
9222-445: The tank's surface was covered by special armour (composite armour arrays) than on the Leopard 2AV. Differences in armour protection were attributed to the different perceptions of the expected threats and the haste in which the Leopard 2AV was designed to accommodate special armour. On mobility trials the Leopard 2AV performed equal to better than the XM1 prototypes. The AGT-1500 turbine engine proved to consume about 50% more fuel and
9328-495: The turret appear to have armor up to 10 cm thick to defend against top attack munitions. Compared to the Songun-915 tank, the commander sits in the right side of the turret. The change in position may indicate an addition of an autoloader inside the turret, but the 4th crew member makes this unlikely. The tank has seven road wheels, indicating that it is bigger than previous North Korean tanks (which have six wheels). These road wheels are protected by rubber plates or skirts. The tank
9434-556: The turret. This design is similarly seen on the M1A2C (SEPv3). KCTV has published footage of the APS intercepting an RPG-7 style round at the testing grounds in Kusong at the “Weapons and Equipment Exhibition 2023” in Pyongyang, which Joost Oliemans of Oryx has called "a laudable achievement for North Korean engineers". While the biggest highlight of the 75th anniversary Worker's Party parade
9540-419: The two projected testbeds was not possible, a total of 30 to 32 million DM was invested. The experimental development was contracted to the company Krauss-Maffei, but with the obligation to cooperate with Porsche for the development of the chassis and with Wegmann for the development of the turret. Two prototypes with different components were built with the aim of improving the conception of Leopard 1 in such
9646-538: The updated M2024 standard, but mass production is believed to be planned at the Kusong tank plant. Visually, the Cheonma-2 appears to be a mixed design of the American M1 Abrams and the Russian T-14 Armata or Iranian Zulfiqar tank , although its overall layout is more similar to the latter. The front of the turret's armor is angled similarly to the M1 Abrams. The hull of the tank features armor plates on
9752-488: Was also seen with new ERA during a parade on July 27, 2023, with this design being dubbed M2024 . The tank's main gun is likely derived from the Soviet 2A46 125 mm gun , which are also used on the Chonma-216 and Songun-915 tanks. A coaxial machine gun is located left of the main gun and an AGS-30 grenade launcher is located on the left side of the roof of the turret. The tank also has two Bulsae-3 anti-tank missiles in
9858-542: Was believed to powered by a 1,200 horsepower engine used on the Songun-915 tanks, but stills of the engine shown during the May 28, 2024 visit to Academy of National Defense Science show visual similarities to the engine of the Leopard 2 , casting this assumption in doubt. The estimated mass of the tank is 55 tons, or above 50 tons. The tank is noted to be relatively compact in size, which is advantageous for armored fighting vehicles traversing hilly and mountainous terrains, such as
9964-534: Was chosen over the passive EMES-13 rangefinder. The EMES-13 system was considered to be the superior solution, but the Hughes system was cheaper and fully developed. The German company Krupp-Atlas-Elektronik acquired the licence of the Hughes design and modified it to meet the needs of the German army. The modified rangefinder received the designation EMES-15. The installation of the US AGT-1500 turbine engine in
10070-514: Was demanded in late 1973 and the Spitzmaus-Turm was never produced. The weight limit was increased from MLC50 to MLC60, which equals approximately 55 tonnes (54 long tons; 61 short tons). The T14 turret was modified to test a new armour configuration, taking on a blockier-looking appearance as a result of using vertical modules of spaced multilayer armour . It was also used to test the new EMES-13 optical rangefinder. The modified T14 turret
10176-454: Was designated T14 mod . and was fitted with a fully electric turret drive and stabilization system, which was developed jointly by General Electric and AEG Telefunken . In July 1973 German Federal Minister of Defence Georg Leber and his US counterpart James R. Schlesinger agreed upon a higher degree of standardisation in main battle tanks being favourable to NATO. By integrating components already fully developed by German companies for
10282-467: Was developing a new 130 mm (5.1 in) smoothbore gun for the Leopard 2 tank and its successor. This gun will offer a 50% increase in performance and penetration. Marketing for the new gun was slated to begin in 2016. The Leopard 2 first entered service in 1979, and its service life is anticipated to end around 2030. In May 2015, the German Ministry of Defence announced plans to develop
10388-468: Was first spotted in 1992 but officially presented on 25 April 2002, for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army . The upgrade consisted of a new welded turret (with composite armour) with ERA on the sides (in 3 rows of 3-4-4 elements), a thermal sleeve for the gun, a new laser rangefinder (still externally mounted) and smoke grenade launchers on the front turret, as well as
10494-504: Was improved and weak spots were eliminated. The turret bustle containing the ready ammunition racks and the hydraulic system was separated from the crew compartment and fitted with blowout panels. The development of several new components was introduced to the Leopard 2 during the Leopard 2AV development and after the US testing was completed. For the series version, the Hughes-designed laser rangefinder made with US Common Modules
10600-527: Was nicknamed the Spitzmaus-Turm (shrew turret) due to the highly sloped front. This design was only possible with the new EMES-13 optical rangefinder, which required a base length of only 350 millimetres (14 in) instead of the previous 1,720 millimetres (68 in). Based on experiences in the Yom Kippur War , a higher level of protection than the prototypes' heavily sloped spaced armour
10706-487: Was produced between May 1988 and April 1990. The last batch for the German army totalling 75 tanks was produced from January 1991 to March 1992. During its production run during the Cold War, 16 Leopard 2 tanks were being produced per month. The vehicles were produced at a slower rate in the following decades, however KMW still retained the capacity to return to such manufacturing levels should they need to be made again at
10812-505: Was projected. It was never finalised, but the 140 mm (5.5 in) NPzK tank gun was tested on an older prototype. In 1995, it was decided to cancel due to changes in the political environment. The funds were redirected to the Neue Gepanzerte Plattformen (New Armoured Platforms) project of the German army. The Leopard 2A6M was developed with a kit providing enhanced protection against mines that can detonate below
10918-499: Was scheduled for 1979, 114 for 1980, 180 for 1981, and 300 tanks each following year. The first series-production tank was delivered on 25 October 1979. By 1982, all of the first batch of 380 Leopard 2 tanks had been completed. 209 were built by Krauss-Maffei (chassis no. 10001 to 10210) and 171 by MaK (chassis no. 20001 to 20172). The first production tanks were fitted with the PzB-200 image intensifier due to production shortages of
11024-588: Was the 70th Anniversary Parade held in Pyongyang , North Korea, on 9 September 2018, celebrating the 70th anniversary of North Korea's foundation. After the Armistice Agreement of the Korean War in 1953, North Korea found itself in need of much more modern equipment. Prior to the start of open hostilities, North Korea had acquired 379 T-34s from the Soviet Union. According to a report to
11130-612: Was the unveiling of the Hwasong-16 ballistic missile, the appearance of the Cheonma-2 has also taken observers and defense experts by surprise. The Cheonma-2 is strikingly distinct in that it does away with the older T-62 design in many preceding North Korean tanks in favor of a more modern design. As such, the tank has been compared to the American M1A2 Abrams, the Russian T-14 Armata, and to some extent,
11236-491: Was upgraded to Leopard 2A5 configuration between 1995 and 1998; a second batch of 125 followed from 1999 to 2002. The third stage was the planned replacement of the Leopard 2 turret by a new turret fitted with a 140 mm (5.5 in) NPzK tank gun, an autoloader, and the IFIS battlefield management system. The ballistic protection at the hull was to be improved. Originally a total requirement for 650 Leopard 2 tanks with KWS 3
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