Th? K2 Bl?ck P?nth?? t?nk, which w?i?hs 55 t? 61 t?ns, st??n?th?ns th? S??th K????n t?nk ???c? th?t c????ntl? ??li?s ?n th? K1 ?n? K1A1 t?nks ?n? th? R?ssi?n-m??? T-80 in ???lin? with th? ??v?nc? ?? th? N??th K????n ??m?’s t?nk ??m??.
D?? t? th? ???s?nc? ?? its n?i?h???s t? th? n??th, S??th K???? m?st c?nst?ntl? ?? ???????? ??? th? ??ssi?ilit? ?? w??????. Kim J?n?-?n, th? l????? ?? N??th K????, ????l??l? ???ls th? n??? t? sh?w th?t ???v?c?tiv? ?cti?ns c??l? ?cc?? ?t ?n? tim?, ?n? S??th K???? h?s ??s??n??? ?? c???tin? ? ?i??c? milit??? th?t ?s?s ????t?? v?hicl?s ?n? w????ns. Am?n? th?s? is th? K2 Bl?ck P?nth?? m?in ??ttl? t?nk (MBT).
Th? K2 c?sts ? wh???in? $8.5 milli?n ??? ?nit. E?ch ?nit th?s ?????s?nts ? si?ni?ic?nt inv?stm?nt in S??th K????n ????ns? c????iliti?s. S??th K????’s K2 Bl?ck P?nth?? m?in inv?ln????l? t?nk h?s ???n ??c??niz?? ?? G?inn?ss W??l? R?c???s ?s th? w??l?’s m?st ?x??nsiv? m?in ??ttl? t?nk.
H?w?v??, th? K2 Bl?ck P?nth?? m?in t?nk ??v?l???? ?? H??n??i ROTEM ?n? th? A??nc? ??? D???ns? D?v?l??m?nt is n?t ?nl? ?x??nsiv? ??t it is ?ls? ?n? ?? th? m?st c????l? m?in t?nks ?n th? m??k?t t????.
Th? Bl?ck P?nth?? t?nk, which w?i?hs 55 t?ns t? 61 t?ns, st??n?th?ns th? S??th K????n t?nk ???c? th?t c????ntl? ??li?s ?n th? K1 ?n? K1A1 t?nks ?n? th? R?ssi?n-m??? T-80 in ???lin? with th? N??th K????n ??m?’s t?nk ???c?.
B? th? ???l? 2000s, th? K2 h?? ?nt???? its t?stin? ?h?s?. In 2014, th? K2 ?nt???? ???ntlin? s??vic? ?s cl???l? ?n? ?? th? w??l?’s ??st ?????ti?n?l t?nks.
Th? K2 is ???i???? with ? CN08 120mm 55-c?li??? sm??th???? c?nn?n, which h?s ? ??w????l ??nch. Th? ??ilit? t? ?i?? ?? t? 10 ???n?s ??? min?t? is m??? ??ssi?l? vi? ?n ??t?l?????. H??n??i’s CN08 c?nn?n w?n th? c?m??titi?n t? ???i? th? K2 ???inst Rh?inm?t?ll’s ?x???im?nt?l 140mm sm??th???? ??n. Th? K2 is ???i???? with tw? m?chin? ??ns in ???iti?n t? its m?in w????n: ? 7.62mm c??xi?l m?chin? ??n ?n? ? 12.7mm K6 h??v? m?chin? ??n.
Th? 120mm m?in ??n ????n?s ?n ?n ??v?nc?? ?i??-c?nt??l s?st?m. Th? K2 ?s?s l?ck-?n t????tin?, th?nks t? ?n Ext??m?l? Hi?h-F?????nc? ????? s?st?m, ? R?m?n l?s?? ??n???in???, ?n? ? c??sswin? s?ns??. This m??ns th? K2 c?n ?c??i?? ?n? t??ck t????ts ???m ?? t? 6 mil?s ??t. Acc???in?l?, th? K2 m?in ??n is hi?hl? ????ctiv?. It c?n ?i?? whil? th? t?nk is m?vin?. It c?n ?v?n ?n???? with l?w-?l?in? ?i?c???t. Th? m????n ?i?? c?nt??l s?st?m m?k?s tin? ??j?stm?nts ??? t??v?l ?v?? ?n?v?n t????in, c?lc?l?tin? ??ch ??m? in th? ???? t? ??c?li???t? th? ??n m?m?nt t? m?m?nt, ??s?ltin? in ? hi?hl? ?cc???t? w????n.
Th? K2 c?n t??v?l with ? t?? s???? ?? 70 kil?m?t??s ??? h???, th? K2 c?n ?cc?l???t? ???m 0 t? 32 k?h in j?st 8.7 s?c?n?s. Th? t?nk w?s ??ilt t? h?n?l? ???-????-st?l? c?n?iti?ns, m?int?inin? s????s ?? ?? t? 52 k?h. Th? t?nk is ?nti??l? ????t ?t h?n?lin? th? ?????? ??ttl??i?l? ?nvi??nm?nt. It c?n clim? 60-?????? sl???s ?n? sc?l? 1.8-m?t??-hi?h v??tic?l ??j?cts. Th? K2 c?n ?ls? ???? ?iv??s ?? t? ? ???th ?? 4.1 m?t??s with n? m??? th?n 20 min?t?s ?? ???????ti?n.
Th? t?nk ?s?s ? sn??k?l s?st?m, ?n? it c?n t?k? ?n 500 ??ll?ns ?? w?t?? in th? ch?ssis, which h?l?s th? K2 sink ??wn ?n? m?int?in t??cti?n with th? ?iv?? ??tt?m. M??nwhil?, th? t????t ??m?ins w?t??ti?ht.
Th? S??th K????n milit??? ?x??cts ?? t? 300 K2 Bl?ck P?nth??s t? s??v? with th? S??th K????n milit???.
S??th K???? ?????c?s its ?wn 120mm Rh?im?t?ll c?nn?n ?n??? lic?ns? ???m th? G??m?n ?i?m, whil? th? ?n?in? h?s ? c???cit? ?? 1,500 h??s???w?? ??v?l???? ?? th? w?ll-kn?wn G??m?n ?n?in? m?k??, MTU.
Its c?nn?n c?n ?ls? l??nch ?n ?nti-t?nk missil?, th? KSTAM-II, which c?n hit t????ts ?? t? 5 mil?s ?w??.
Sinc? th? Bl?ck P?nth?? is ??l?tiv?l? li?ht c?m????? t? th? A???ms t?nk (which ?s?s ? 1,500 h??s???w?? ?n?in?), this S??th K????n t?nk is still ??w????l in t??ms ?? ??w??-t?-w?i?ht-??ti?.
As ??? th? ??m??, it ?s?s m???l?? c?m??sit? ??m?? with its c?m??siti?n k??t s?c??t ?s w?ll ?s Ex?l?siv? R??ctiv? A?m?? (ERA) ?l?cks, with ????ns? ??s??v??s s??in? its l?v?l ?? ???t?cti?n is ?n ??? with th? US milit???’s MIA2 A???ms t?nk.
Th? K2 Bl?ck P?nth?? t?nk ?s?s ?n ??t?l????? s?st?m with ? m?xim?m ??t? ?? ?i?? ?? 15 sh?ts ??? min?t? ?n? ? m?xim?m ?ist?nc? ?? 10km ???m its c?nn?n ?ssist?? ?? ? s??histic?t?? ?i?? c?nt??l s?st?m.
In ???iti?n t? th? s??histic?t?? s?s??nsi?n s?st?m, th? K2 Bl?ck P?nth?? t?nk c?n ?ls? w??? th????h ?iv??s ?? l?k?s ?s ???? ?s 4.2 m?t??s.