In the mid-1980s North Korea faced superior tanks from South Korea. However, these tanks were not comparable to Western tanks. South Korea then had more advanced versions, the M-1 as well as the K-1. They also increased their airpower capabilities. In addition, the United States had the M-1 Abrams and the M-24. These tanks were capable of firing missiles from the gun tube. These tanks could fire missiles from the gun tube. However, North Korea couldn't buy them from 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. But, North Korea was able, following the collapse of Soviet Union, to hire experts from Eastern Europe for 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 was responsible for the design of this tank. It is located in Shinhung Province. It weighs 44 tons and measures 2.416 meters in height. It's powered by a 1200 horsepower diesel engine. It can carry up to four crew members. It also comes equipped with a smoothbore gun of 125mm length and two SA-18 Anti-Aircraft Missiles. The tank can travel around 70 km/h. The tank is thought to be equipped with a thermal imager as well as an autoloader. Although it was thought that the tank received several armor upgrades from T-90S, it is not clear how many.
The tank's front is marked by a "big-eyed" eye. This is a symbol for 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. On the right side, the tank features reactive armor and a twin mount with surface-to-air rockets. An angular turret is also thought to be on the tank, which is believed a copy from the Russian "Amata".
A prototype was presented in April 2017 for the tank. It was reported to have performed performance tests outside of Pyongyang. A 30mm grenade rocket launcher and an anti-tank missile "Firebird" were also thought to have been fitted to 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 is expected to be unveiled in October 2010.
The North Korean main battle tanks are large. They are however thirty years behind modern times. They are not as strong as Western tanks and can be easily pierced with large-caliber weaponry. The country has declared their desire to produce the best tanks in the world. They have improved their reverse engineering capabilities and have begun to improve their weapons production. They are also able to purchase tanks from other countries. In the 1990s, North Korea's main battle force consisted of around two to three thousand tanks. In 2010 alone, 55 new tanks were produced.