Creating its own military industry, South Korea relied on the assistance of U.S. partners. So, in 1979, was contracted by Chrysler to design specifically for the Korean main battle tank. Layout machine was demonstrated in 1981 In 1982, the contract went to the firm General Dynamics. ” The design used a variety of elements already established by American and German machines, which greatly accelerated the development. Three-phase program of tests pre-production samples was performed simultaneously with the preparation for commercial production. In 1985 he started serial production of this tank at the enterprises of the South Korean firm Hyndai. Part of the assemblies and parts of the tank is made under license from foreign firms. In 1983, “General Dynamics has built two prototypes of the tank HC-1 ROKIT (Republik of Korea Indigenous Tank), passed in late 1983 – early 1984 successfully tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground in the U.S. and most of South Korea.
Main Battle Tank K1/88
The first tank was built on a new production line of the South Korean company Hyundai Presizhi “in November 1985 In 1987, the machine accepted parameters adopted South Korean army, under the designation” 88. ” Tank has a classic scheme of arrangement. “American origin” is clearly affected in its resemblance to the M1 “Abrams”. The essential difference in this regard is its low height – the requirement of low silhouette was included in the original job, “88″ to 190 mm below the sneaker M1 “Abrams” and 230 mm – tank Leopard 2. Last but not least is associated with a small average increase in Koreans. In front of the tank site is located to the left of the driver. When he closed suite is in “recline.” In the tower on the right of the gun placed the commander and gunner on the left – the loader. The commander has a low cylindrical turret. The tower is set 105-mm rifled gun M68A1. It has an ejector, heat-proof casing, the device controls the curvature of the barrel. The gun is stabilized in two planes guidance. Gun and turret – electro, B ammunition includes shots of South Korean production of armor-piercing projectiles subcaliber and cumulative.

With Cannon paired 7.62-mm. M60 machine gun, the same gun as an anti-aircraft turrets mounted on the loader’s hatch above. Hatch over the commander installed turret with a 12,7-mm machine gun M2NV Browning. Ammunition – 2000 rounds 12.7 mm, 7200 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun rounds and 1400 – to the zenith. The fire control system developed by American firm Hyoz Aircraft “, but includes elements of various firms. For example, a digital ballistic computer created by the Canadian firm “Computing Device”. In the first 210 machines installed at the gunner’s periscope sight combined company Hughes Aircraft, “with stabilized in two planes, a field of vision, thermal night channel and built-in laser rangefinder. On the next series of tanks used by the gunner periscope sights GPTTS, developed by Texas Instruments based on serial AN/VSG-2 specifically for the M60A3 and “88″. It combined a visual day and night channel thermal channel (wavelength range 7,6-12 mm) with a range of up to 2000 m, field of view is stable. Laser rangefinder, made on the CO2 runs at a wavelength of 10.6 microns, the limit of measurement range – 8000 m. In the production of sights participating South Korean firm Samsung Aerospace, Advanced gunner has a telescopic sight 8-fold increase. For the commander panoramic sight mounted VS580-13 French firms SFIM with independent stabilization of the visual field in two planes.
Main Battle Tank K1/88
The sight is associated with a digital ballistic computer. The latter receives information from several sensors (wind, temperature, charge, angle of the cannon, etc.). Fire from the gun can lead gunner or commander. Time of preparing the first shot but more than 15 seconds. Tank “88″ is separated from the reservation on the use of critical sections of combined armor type Chobhem. Helps improve the security of a large slope of the upper front hull and installation of sloping sheets of the tower. According to some foreign experts, the resistance of the frontal projection is equivalent to a homogeneous steel armor thickness of 370 mm (from the kinetic shells), 600 mm – against chemical weapons. Additional protection for the tower creates a ZIP attachment to her sides. To place a smoke screen on the tower on both sides of the mask gun fixed two smoke grenade in the form of monolithic six-blocks. The tank is installed multifuel four eight diesel MV871Ka company MTU-501 with a V-shaped arrangement of cylinders and liquid cooling system. In a single unit with the engine mounted double-flow hydromechanical transmission ZF LSG 3000, provides four forward and two backwards. The hydrostatic transmission allows you to smoothly change the turning radius. High power density (23.5 hp / t) and the automatic transmission allows the tank to pick up speed 32 km / h in 9.4 sec. Chassis includes six support (such as installed on the M1 Abrams) and three support rollers on the board. A characteristic feature is the combined independent suspension: the third, fourth and fifth nodes have torsion bar suspension, and the first, second and sixth – hydropneumatic. Control, tilt housing in the longitudinal plane can give the gun angle of declination 10 degrees with a low height of the tower.

The caterpillar is similar in design caterpillar M1 Abrams. Its tension can be adjusted to place the driver. Chassis covered board protivokumulyativnymi screens. The tank is capable without training to overcome a ford deep 1,2 m, with special equipment – 1,8 m. The tank is equipped with American-style radio AN/VRC-12 and tank intercom AN/VIC-1. There is a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction and high-speed fire suppression. Most of the units and units of the tank produced in South Korea under license from American, German and French firms. Tentatively scheduled to put the South Korean army 700 tanks. On the base of the tank, “88″ have been developed BREM and armored vehicle launched bridge. Subsequently, based on a series of K1 also produced K1A1 tank with 120-mm gun M256 (Ammo 32 shots).

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL
FEATURES
Combat weight, t 51
Crew. 4
Dimensions, m length
7.47

width 3.6

the height of the roof of the tower 2,248
Gun

Caliber, mm / type: 105 / NA

Mark

M61A1
Machine guns, count x caliber / brand 2h7.62 / M60
Anti-aircraft machine gun, caliber / brand 7.12 / M2
Ammunition, 47 rounds
Engine Brand
MV871 Ka-501

Type diesel
Power, hp 1200
Maximum speed 65 km / h
Average speed, km / h 40
Cruising range, km 500
Obstacles m vertical wall
1

The width of the pit 2.7

depth of the ford without preparation 1.2

ford with preparation 1.8
Rise, 30 deg
Laser Rangefinder
There is a thermal imager
Smoke grenade launchers 2 x 6 pcs
Stabilizer Electro
Ballistic computer electronic
The armor protection of the Combined