2K12 Kub vs Pongae-5: Specs Compared

AAir defence

2K12 Kub

Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system

BAir defence

Pongae-5

Surface-to-air missile

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

2K12 KubLength

5.8 m

Length source ↗

Pongae-5Length

6.8–7.25 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

2K12 Kublarger figure on 0 of 4

None

Pongae-5larger figure on 4 of 4

Length+21%
Diameter+42%
Mass+150%
Warhead mass+425%

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

16 of 50 rows sourced on both sides

5.8m

6.8–7.25m

Length

All recorded figures & sources

5.8 m

Length

Single source

5,800 mm^[source]

6.8–7.25 m

Length

Single source

6.8–7.25 m (22.3–23.8 ft)^[source]

1.25m

—

Wingspan

All recorded figures & sources

1.245 m

Wingspan

Single source

1.245 m^[source]

335mm

0.45–0.5m

Diameter

All recorded figures & sources

0.335 m

Diameter

Single source

335 mm^[source]

0.45–0.5 m

Diameter

Single source

0.45–0.50 m (1.5–1.6 ft)^[source]

599kg

1,300–1,700kg

Mass

All recorded figures & sources

599 kg

Mass

Single source

599 kg^[source]

1,300–1,700 kg

Mass

Single source

1,300–1,700 kg (2,900–3,700 lb)^[source]

24kmOperational; Operational range

≥ 150kmOperational; At least

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

24 km

Operational; Operational range

Single source

24 kilometres (15 mi)^[source]

≥ 150 km

Operational; At least

Single source

At least 150 km (93 mi)^[source]

59kgWarhead weight

120–500kgWarhead weight

Warhead mass

All recorded figures & sources

59 kg

Warhead weight

Single source

59 kg^[source]

120–500 kg

Warhead weight

Single source

120–500 kg (260–1,100 lb)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

2K12 Kub and Pongae-5 configuration
Specification	2K12 Kub	Pongae-5
Speed	Mach 2.8^[source]	—
Type	Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system^[source]	Surface-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	Soviet Union^[source]	North Korea^[source]
In service	1967–present^[source]	Korean People's Army Air Force^[source]
Used by	See list of operators^[source]	North Korea^[source]
Wars	List Yom Kippur War Angolan Civil War Chadian Civil War Western Sahara War Iran–Iraq War 1982 Lebanon War Gulf War Yugoslav wars Kosovo War Syrian Civil War Russo-Ukrainian War Russian invasion of Ukraine Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war^[source]	—
Designer	NIIP / Vympel MMZ ( GM chassis )^[source]	—
Designed	1958–1967^[source]	—
Manufacturer	Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant (SURNs) ZiK (TELs)^[source]	North Korea industries^[source]
Produced	1968–1985^[source]	2017^[source]
No. built	500 launchers, 10,000 missiles^[source]	—
Variants	2K12 Kub, 2K12E Kvadrat (export version), 2K12M3, 2K12M4^[source]	—
Main armament	3 3M9M4(or variants) guided missiles^[source]	—
Engine	Integral rocket motor/ ramjet booster and sustainer motor^[source]	solid propellant rocket engine^[source]
Guidance system	Command guidance with terminal semi-active radar homing (SARH)^[source]	Radar, data link, track-via-missile^[source]
Warhead	Frag-HE^[source]	explosive HE^[source]
Detonation mechanism	Contact and proximity^[source]	—
Propellant	integral rocket motor/ramjet booster and sustainer motor^[source]	solid^[source]
Flight altitude	Max. 14,000 metres (46,000 ft) Min. 100 metres (330 ft)^[source]	—
Launch platform	2P25 TEL^[source]	TEL, 6x6 KamAZ-55111 truck (Taebaeksan 96)^[source]
Reported operators	Reported operator · Algeria Reported operator · Angola Reported operator · Armenia Reported operator · Bosnia and Herzegovina Reported operator · Bulgaria Reported operator · Chad Reported operator · Cuba Reported operator · Czech Republic Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Germany Reported operator · Hungary Reported operator · India Reported operator · Kazakhstan Reported operator · Myanmar Reported operator · Poland Reported operator · Romania Reported operator · Serbia Reported operator · Slovakia Reported operator · Syria Reported operator · Tanzania Reported operator · Turkmenistan Reported operator · Ukraine Reported operator · Vietnam	Reported operator · North Korea

FORCETALLY

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2K12 Kub

Pongae-5

Speed

Mach 2.8^[source]

—

Type

Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system^[source]

Surface-to-air missile^[source]

Place of origin

Soviet Union^[source]

North Korea^[source]

In service

1967–present^[source]

Korean People's Army Air Force^[source]

Used by

See list of operators^[source]

North Korea^[source]

Wars

List Yom Kippur War Angolan Civil War Chadian Civil War Western Sahara War Iran–Iraq War 1982 Lebanon War Gulf War Yugoslav wars Kosovo War Syrian Civil War Russo-Ukrainian War Russian invasion of Ukraine Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war^[source]

—

Designer

NIIP / Vympel MMZ ( GM chassis )^[source]

—

Designed

1958–1967^[source]

—

Manufacturer

Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant (SURNs) ZiK (TELs)^[source]

North Korea industries^[source]

Produced

1968–1985^[source]

2017^[source]

No. built

500 launchers, 10,000 missiles^[source]

—

Variants

2K12 Kub, 2K12E Kvadrat (export version), 2K12M3, 2K12M4^[source]

—

Main armament

3 3M9M4(or variants) guided missiles^[source]

—

Engine

Integral rocket motor/ ramjet booster and sustainer motor^[source]

solid propellant rocket engine^[source]

Guidance system

Command guidance with terminal semi-active radar homing (SARH)^[source]

Radar, data link, track-via-missile^[source]

Warhead

Frag-HE^[source]

explosive HE^[source]

Detonation mechanism

Contact and proximity^[source]

—

Propellant

integral rocket motor/ramjet booster and sustainer motor^[source]

solid^[source]

Flight altitude

Max. 14,000 metres (46,000 ft) Min. 100 metres (330 ft)^[source]

—

Launch platform

2P25 TEL^[source]

TEL, 6x6 KamAZ-55111 truck (Taebaeksan 96)^[source]

Reported operators

Reported operator · Algeria
Reported operator · Angola
Reported operator · Armenia
Reported operator · Bosnia and Herzegovina
Reported operator · Bulgaria
Reported operator · Chad
Reported operator · Cuba
Reported operator · Czech Republic
Reported operator · Egypt
Reported operator · Germany
Reported operator · Hungary
Reported operator · India
Reported operator · Kazakhstan
Reported operator · Myanmar
Reported operator · Poland
Reported operator · Romania
Reported operator · Serbia
Reported operator · Slovakia
Reported operator · Syria
Reported operator · Tanzania
Reported operator · Turkmenistan
Reported operator · Ukraine
Reported operator · Vietnam

Reported operator · North Korea