North Korea’s New Tanks vs. South Korea’s K2 Black Panther: Which is Better? – Part 1

Among the world’s top ten tanks, Germany’s Leopard 2A7+, the United States’ M1A2 Abrams, the United Kingdom’s Challenger 2, South Korea’s K2 Black Panther, and Israel’s Merkava MK4 dominate the leaderboard. Standing proudly among these prestigious tanks is South Korea’s own Black Panther.

The Black Panther began its domestic development in 2003 and was completed by 2008. It was given the designation K2, symbolizing its position as the second main battle tank of the Korean Army. Its nickname, Black Panther, was derived from the black leopard.

While most main battle tanks worldwide are classified as third-generation, the Black Panther falls under the 3.5-generation category. Advanced tank-producing countries such as the United States, Germany, and Russia have started developing fourth-generation tanks. These tanks are based on stealth capabilities, unmanned operation, and an integrated control system utilizing the latest Information Technology (IT). Following this trend, the Korean military has also initiated the development of fourth-generation tanks.

North Korea also revealed the exterior of its new tank at a military parade in October 2020 and a weapons exhibition in October 2021. While the tank’s performance remains a mystery, experts predict it applies technologies of the third generation or higher based on its exterior analysis. This article compares the performance of the South Korean Army’s “main battle tank, K2 Black Panther,” and North Korea’s new tank, “M-2020.” If the two tanks were to face off, which would emerge stronger?

North’s New Tank Enhances Armor Compared to Existing Tanks

North Korea’s new tank was first revealed in October 2020 at a military parade to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

The official name of this tank has not yet been disclosed. In the West, the naming convention for such tanks is the year of first identification. Thus, it has been named the M-2020 tank, but the Korean military has not assigned a name to this tank.

What is the background of North Korea’s new tank development? Overall, it seems to have integrated the chassis and turret from Iran’s Zulfikar-3 tank, the reactive armor design of North Korea’s Songun-Ho tank, and the advanced design concepts of Russia’s T-14 tank. Considering the design and completion, this tank represents a significant advancement in North Korea’s military capabilities.

Shin Jong-woo, a senior researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, analyzed: “The interior space has expanded, and reactive armor has been installed on the front and top, enhancing its defensive capability.” He also said, “It has changed to carry two anti-tank guided missiles, an active protection system, and external optical cameras to provide a broader view outside the tank.” The North Korean military’s new tank is expected to replace the existing main tanks, Chonma-Ho and Pokpung-Ho.

North Korea’s new tank has distinct exterior changes compared to its predecessors. Notably, the height of the tank has been reduced while the length has significantly increased. It reflected the technology of the latest overseas tanks to improve survival rates. Unlike the flat design of previous models to reduce the probability of being hit, the turret and front armor have been significantly reinforced, making the front of the body longer. As a result, compared to the previous main tank, Songun 915 (Songun-Ho), this new tank has an additional road wheel, totaling seven, which is a notable difference in their structure.

This design method is a technology employed by major military powers like the United States, Russia, and China. TK2 Black Panther (Korea), VT4 (China), Karrar (Iran), and other new tanks share similar appearances to increase survival rates by having a high probability of deflecting incoming shells from the front. North Korea has belatedly made this choice.

It also appears to have applied the core technology of the 3.5-generation tank, the “Active Protection System (APS),” featured in the K2. It looks similar to that installed on Russia’s T14 Armata. APS is designed to intercept missiles and shells flying towards the tank. In addition, it has applied radars and sensors capable of detecting anti-tank weapons flying at high speeds in real-time. It seems that they have secured some Russian technology.

To Read Part 2…
To Read Part 3…
To Read Part 4…