FORCETALLY
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At a glance
Challenger 2larger figure on 1 of 2
K1 tanklarger figure on 1 of 2
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
Gun forward
Single sourceLength
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | Challenger 2 | K1 tank |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Main battle tank[source] | Main battle tank[source] |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom[source] | South Korea[source] |
| In service | 1998–present[source] | K1: 1987–present K1E1: 2014–present K1A1: 2001–2024 K1A2: 2013–present[source] |
| Used by | British Army Royal Army of Oman Ukrainian Ground Forces[source] | See operators |
8.3 m (27 ft 3 in), 13.5 m (44 ft 3 in) gun forward[source]
K1A1 gun forward
Single sourceK1 gun forward
Single sourceK1: 9.67 m (gun forward) K1A1: 9.71 m (gun forward)[source]
Base mass; excludes the separately stated 75-tonne add-on armour configuration
Single sourceMass
Single sourcewith combat armour modules
Single source64 t (63 long tons ; 71 short tons ), 75 t (74 long tons; 83 short tons) with combat armour modules[source]
K1
Single sourceK1A1
Single sourceMaximum; Maximum road speed
Single sourceMaximum; Off-road
Single sourceMaximum; On road
Single source37 mph (59 km/h) on-road, 25 mph (40 km/h) off-road[source]
Maximum; Cross-country
Single sourceMaximum; roads
Single sourcePerkins CV12-6A V12 diesel 26.1 L (1,590 cu in)
Single sourcePerkins CV12-6A V12 diesel 26.1 L (1,590 cu in) 1,200–1,500 bhp (890–1,120 kW)[source]
STX Engine / MTU Friedrichshafen MB871Ka-501 8-cylinder water-cooled turbocharged diesel engine @ 2,600 rpm
Single sourceSTX Engine / MTU Friedrichshafen MB871Ka-501 8-cylinder water-cooled turbocharged diesel engine 1,200 hp (890 kW) @ 2,600 rpm[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Wars | UNMIBH Kosovo War Iraq War Russo-Ukrainian War[source] | — |
|---|
| Designer | Vickers Defence Systems[source] | Chrysler Defense General Dynamics Land Systems Hyundai Precision Industry Agency for Defense Development[source] |
|---|
| Designed | 1986–1993[source] | K1: 1978–1985 K1A1: 1991–1996[source] |
|---|
| Manufacturer | Alvis plc Vickers plc BAE Systems Land & Armaments[source] | Hyundai Precision Industry (1985–2000) Hyundai Mobis (2000–2001) Rotem Co., Ltd. (2001–2007) Hyundai Rotem (2007–present)[source] |
|---|
| Unit cost | £4,217,000 (FY 1999)[source] | K1: ₩ 2.3 billion (1994) K1A1: ₩4.4 billion (2001) K1A2: ₩6.0 billion[source] |
|---|
| Produced | 1990 (prototypes) 1993–2002 (main production)[source] | K1: 1987–1997 K1E1: 2013–present K1A1: 1999–2011 K1A2: 2013–2024[source] |
|---|
| No. built | about 447[source] | K1/E1: 1,027 K1A1/A2: 484[source] |
|---|
| Armour | Chobham / Dorchester Level 2 (classified)[source] | — |
|---|
| Main armament | L30A1 120 mm rifled gun with 47 rounds[source] | K1, K1E1: KM68A1 105 mm (47 rounds) K1A1, K1A2: KM256 120 mm (32 rounds), or Hyundai WIA CN03 120 mm (32 rounds)[source] |
|---|
| Secondary armament | 7.62 mm coaxial L94A1 chain gun 7.62 mm L37A2 loader–operator hatch machine gun[source] | M2 or K6 12.7x99 mm NATO HMG (commander's mount) M60D 7.62×51mm NATO GPMG (loader's mount) M60E2-1 7.62×51mm NATO GPMG (coaxial)[source] |
|---|
| Power/weight | 18.7 hp/t (13.9 kW/t) at 64 t; 16 hp/t (11.9 kW/t) at 75 t[source] | K1: 23.4 hp/ton (17.44 kW/t) K1A1: 22.5 hp/ton (16.77 kW/t) K1A2: 22 hp/ton (16.40 kW/t)[source] |
|---|
| Transmission | David Brown TN54E epicyclic transmission (6 fwd., 2 rev.)[source] | Hyundai Transys/ ZF Friedrichshafen LSG 3000 Automatic, 4 forward, 2 reverse[source] |
|---|
| Suspension | Hydropneumatic[source] | Hydropneumatic (wheel 1, 2, 6), torsion bar (wheel 3, 4, 5)[source] |
|---|
| Ground clearance | 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in)[source] | 460 mm (18 in) longitudinal slope: 60 % lateral slope: 30 % vertical: 1.1 m trench: 2.74 m fording: 1.2 m (without snorkel) or 2.2 m (with snorkel)[source] |
|---|
| Fuel capacity | 1,592 litres (350 imp gal; 421 US gal)[source] | — |
|---|
| Armor | — | K1: Special Armor Package (SAP) K1A1: Korean Special Armor Plate (KSAP)[source] |
|---|
| Reported operators |
| — |
|---|
K1A2
K1: 51.1 metric tons K1A1: 53.2 metric tons K1A2: 54.5 metric tons[source]
65 km/h (40 mph) (roads) 40 km/h (25 mph) (cross-country)[source]