In the mid-1980s North Korea had to confront superior tanks from South Korea. These tanks were not as powerful as Western tanks. South Korea then had more advanced versions, the M-1 as well as the K-1. They also increased their air power capabilities. The United States also had the M-1 Abrams, and the M-24. These tanks were able to fire missiles out of the gun tube. North Korea was unable to buy these tanks in the United States. In order to develop a tank with performance comparable to these Western tanks, North Korea had to develop a third generation tank.
It took ten long years to develop a third generation tank. After the fall of the Soviet Union, North Korea was allowed to hire specialists from Eastern Europe to help them build their tank. Their goal was to design a tank that would perform in the same classes as the T-90S. The result was a Xianjun915 tank.
The Ryu Kyong-su Tank Factory developed the tank, which is located at Shinhung in South Hamgyong Province. The tank weighs in at 44 tons and is 2.416m high. The tank is powered by a 1200 horsepower diesel engine. It can transport four crews. It comes with a 125mm smoothbore rifle and two SA-18 anti aircraft missiles. The tank's speed will be around 70 kilometers per hour. The tank is thought to be equipped with a thermal imager as well as an autoloader. It was believed to have received a number of armor upgrades from the T-90S, but it is unclear how many were implemented.
The front of the tank features a "big eye". This symbol is used frequently by Soviet tanks. It is believed to be a precursor to the "Kimmata", a tank that North Korea is developing. The main tank can easily be pierced using large-caliber gunpowder. The tank is equipped with reactive armor and two mounts of surface-to air missiles. It is believed that the tank also has an angular tower, which is a replica of the Russian "Amata".
A prototype was presented in April 2017 for the tank. It was also said to have passed performance tests in Pyongyang. A 30-mm grenade-launcher and an antitank missile, "Firebird", were believed to have been included on the tank. The tank was believed to be a combat vehicle. North Korea has not yet released details on the tank's performance. The tank's prototype will be unveiled at a ceremony on October 2010.
The North Korean main battle tanks are large. But, they are still thirty years behind their time. They can be pierced by large-caliber weaponry and are not comparable to Western tanks. The country has declared their desire to produce the best tanks in the world. They have improved their reverse engineering and have started improving their weapons manufacturing. They were also able acquire tanks from other nations. In the 1990s, North Korea's main battle force consisted of around two to three thousand tanks. In 2010, 55 new tanks had been produced.