Hyundai Rotem Signs Contract for K1 Tank Performance Improvement Project... Aiming to Enhance Efficiency and Stability
"Contributing to National Defense Enhancement through Stable Delivery and Continuous R&D"
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] Hyundai Rotem has signed a contract for the performance upgrade (K1E1) project of the K1 tank.
On the 13th, Hyundai Rotem announced that it had signed a contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration for the K1 tank performance upgrade project. The K1E1 project is aimed at sequentially upgrading the performance of the existing aging K1 tanks to adapt to the changing future battlefield environment. The process involves overhaul maintenance, which dismantles and repairs K1 tanks that have been in service for a certain period, restoring them, along with installing the latest components as part of the performance upgrade.
The main goal of the performance upgrade project is to enhance the combat efficiency, survivability, and stability of the K1 tank on the battlefield. The K1E1 tank has added features that support real-time operational response capabilities, such as a digital battlefield management system, navigation devices, and friend-or-foe identification systems.
Additionally, front and rear surveillance cameras and a thermal sight for the driver have been added to enable efficient tank operation. The tank has a top speed of 60 km/h, an engine output of 1,200 horsepower (hp), and can accommodate a crew of four.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Rotem completed the development of the first Korean-made tank, the K1, in 1984. It later upgraded the K1 tank’s 105mm main gun to a 120mm main gun to increase firepower and produced the K1A1 tank, which applied upgraded special armor. Subsequently, Hyundai Rotem embarked on a development project to introduce next-generation tanks, successfully developing the K2 tank, the main ground weapon of the Korean military, using domestic technology in 2008, and began mass production in 2014. The military deployment of the K1E1 began in earnest in 2014.
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A Hyundai Rotem official stated, “We will do our best to ensure the stable delivery of the K1E1 tanks,” and added, “We will continue systematic research and development to contribute to the enhancement of the Republic of Korea’s defense capabilities.”
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