Credit
대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source ↗ · Modified
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At a glance
K1 tanklarger figure on 0 of 2
M48 Pattonlarger figure on 2 of 2
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
K1A1 gun forward
Single sourceK1 gun forward
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | K1 tank | M48 Patton |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Main battle tank[source] | Medium tank[source] |
| Place of origin | South Korea[source] | United States[source] |
| In service | K1: 1987–present K1E1: 2014–present K1A1: 2001–2024 K1A2: 2013–present[source] | 1952–present United States Army (historical) 1952–1987 United States Marine Corps (historical) 1954–1973[source] |
| Used by | See operators[source] | See Operators |
K1: 9.67 m (gun forward) K1A1: 9.71 m (gun forward)[source]
Length
Single source9.3 m (30 ft 6 in)[source]
Operational; cruise
Single source500 km (cruise)[source]
Operational; M48
Single sourceOperational; M48A1 with external fuel drums
Single sourceOperational; M48A2
Single sourceOperational; M48A3
Single sourceOperational; M48A5
Single sourceM48 113 km (70 mi) M48A1 217 km (135 mi) with external fuel drums M48A2 177.8 km (110.5 mi) M48A3 463 km (288 mi) M48A5 499 km (310 mi)[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]
Engine
Single sourceM48A3–M48A5 Continental AVDS-1790 V12, air-cooled, twin-turbo , diesel engine
Single sourceM48/M48A1 Continental AV1790 V12 , air-cooled , gasoline engine M48A2 Continental AV1790 fuel-injected , V12, gasoline engine
Single sourceM48/M48A1 Continental AV1790 V12 , air-cooled , gasoline engine 810 hp (600 kW) M48A2 Continental AV1790 fuel-injected , V12, gasoline engine 825 hp (615 kW) M48A3–M48A5 Continental AVDS-1790 V12, air-cooled, twin-turbo , diesel engine 750 hp (560 kW)[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Designer | Chrysler Defense General Dynamics Land Systems Hyundai Precision Industry Agency for Defense Development[source] | Chrysler Defense Engineering[source] |
|---|
| Designed | K1: 1978–1985 K1A1: 1991–1996[source] | 1950[source] |
|---|
| Manufacturer | Hyundai Precision Industry (1985–2000) Hyundai Mobis (2000–2001) Rotem Co., Ltd. (2001–2007) Hyundai Rotem (2007–present)[source] | Chrysler , Fisher Body , Ford Motor Company , American Locomotive Company[source] |
|---|
| Unit cost | K1: ₩ 2.3 billion (1994) K1A1: ₩4.4 billion (2001) K1A2: ₩6.0 billion[source] | M48A3 US$309,090 (equivalent to $3,330,118 in 2025) (1981 )[source] |
|---|
| Produced | K1: 1987–1997 K1E1: 2013–present K1A1: 1999–2011 K1A2: 2013–2024[source] | M48/M48A1 1952–1956 M48A2 1955–1957 M48A3 1957–1961[source] |
|---|
| No. built | K1/E1: 1,027 K1A1/A2: 484[source] | 12,000 (all variants)[source] |
|---|
| Armor | K1: Special Armor Package (SAP) K1A1: Korean Special Armor Plate (KSAP)[source] | Upper glacis 110 mm (4.3 in) at 60° 220 mm (8.7 in) LoS Turret front 178 mm (7.0 in) at 0°[source] |
|---|
| Main armament | K1, K1E1: KM68A1 105 mm (47 rounds) K1A1, K1A2: KM256 120 mm (32 rounds), or Hyundai WIA CN03 120 mm (32 rounds)[source] | M48–M48A3 90mm M41/T139 gun M48A5 105 mm M68/T254E2 gun[source] |
|---|
| Secondary armament | 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] | M48 .50 cal (12.7 mm) on M1 mount M48A1/A2/A3/A5 .50 cal (12.7 mm) in M1 commander's cupola M48/A1/A2/A3 M37/T153 machine gun M48A5 M219 (7.62mm NATO)[source] |
|---|
| Power/weight | 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] | 16.6 hp (12.4 kW)/ tonne[source] |
|---|
| Transmission | Hyundai Transys/ ZF Friedrichshafen LSG 3000 Automatic, 4 forward, 2 reverse[source] | Allison CD-850-4A or CD-850-4B Two forward ranges One reverse[source] |
|---|
| Suspension | Hydropneumatic (wheel 1, 2, 6), torsion bar (wheel 3, 4, 5)[source] | Torsion bar suspension[source] |
|---|
| Ground clearance | 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] | 16 in (0.41 m)[source] |
|---|
| Wars | — | Cold War 1958 Lebanon crisis Portuguese Colonial War Vietnam War Dominican Civil War Cambodian Civil War Six-Day War Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Yom Kippur War Turkish invasion of Cyprus Western Sahara War Lebanese Civil War Sino-Vietnamese War Iran–Iraq War Battle of Mogadishu (1993) Kurdish–Turkish conflict 2007 Lebanon conflict 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict[source] |
|---|
| Developed from | — | M47 Patton[source] |
|---|
| Developed into | — | M60 tank[source] |
|---|
| Variants | — | See Variants[source] |
|---|
| Fuel capacity | — | M48 200 US gal (760 L ) M48A1 200 US gal internal 420 US gal (1,600 L )(with external fuel drums) M48A2 335 US gal (1,270 L ) M48A3/A5 300 US gal (1,100 L )[source] |
|---|
| Reported operators | — |
|
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