ACD13219 R.O.K. Army K9 Thunder self-propelled Howitzer

The first prototype of the new weapon, designated the K9 Thunder, appeared in 1996. The weapon was obviously based on the same design concept as the M109A2 but had a larger turret, roomier, more optimized hull (the M109 was originally designed to float with aids and that dictated part of its design, even when the requirement was eventually dropped) and a massive 52 caliber barrel howitzer. (That is an odd description, considering howitzers used to have a theoretical barrel length of 12-25 calibers, but I digress). The commander is located on the right side of the turret and the gunner on the left, with the driver in the left front of the hull. The two loaders are in the rear of the turret. Loading is automated and the gun is capable of firing three rounds in 15 seconds at different elevations and fuse settings so all shells can impact simultaneously on a mid-range target. The gun can fire to 30,000 meters with standard NATO 155mm ammunition or with special rounds (DP-ICM, ER-BB, or BB-RAP) it can reach out as far as 56,000 meters.The gun is powered by an MTU 881 engine of 1000 HP and has a top speed of 67 kph. As of this writing the ROK Army reportly has 390 in service and as of June 2009 had ordered an additional purchase of 1,000 more guns. Each gun is paired with a K10 automated ammunition supply vehicle (the M109A2 is to the K9 as the M992 FAASV is to the K10). Fire control is automatic and the K9 is assessed by the Koreans to be superior to the US M109A6 Paladin both in range and performance. Turkey is purchasing 300 of these guns and Australia is preparing to evaluate it for purchase as well.

Eén uitvoering mogelijk;

• R.O.K. Army.