K1 tank vs T-72: Specs Compared

ATanks

K1 tank

Main battle tank

Credit

대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

BTanks

T-72

Main battle tank

Credit

Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

K1 tankK1A1 gun forward

9.71 m

Length source ↗

T-72Gun forward

9.73 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

K1 tanklarger figure on 1 of 1

Height+1%

T-72larger figure on 0 of 1

None

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

Measured figures

Head to head

24 of 28 rows sourced on both sides

9.71mK1A1 gun forward

9.73mGun forward

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

9.71 m

K1A1 gun forward

Single source

9.67 m

K1 gun forward

Single source

K1: 9.67 m (gun forward) K1A1: 9.71 m (gun forward)^[source]

9.73 m

Gun forward

Single source

6.858 m

) hull

Single source

6.67–6.86 m

Length

Single source

6.6802 m

Single source

9.73 m (31 ft 11 in) gun forward 6.67 to 6.86 m (21 ft 11 in to 22 ft 6 in) hull^[source]

3.6m

3.58mWidth · source measurement 3

Width

All recorded figures & sources

3.6 m

Width

Single source

3.60 m^[source]

3.4036 m

Single source

3.4–3.59 m

Width · source measurement 1

Single source

3.5814 m

Width · source measurement 3

Single source

3.40 to 3.59 m (11 ft 2 in to 11 ft 9 in)^[source]

2.25m

2.23m

Height+1%

All recorded figures & sources

2.25 m

Height

Single source

2.25 m^[source]

2.23 m

Height

Single source

2.23 m (7 ft 4 in)^[source]

54.5tK1A2

44.5tT-72B

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

51,100 kg

Single source

53,200 kg

K1A1

Single source

54,500 kg

K1A2

Single source

K1: 51.1 metric tons K1A1: 53.2 metric tons K1A2: 54.5 metric tons^[source]

41,500 kg

T-72A

Single source

44,500 kg

T-72B

Single source

3commander, gunner, driver

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

4 people

Crew

Single source

4^[source]

3 people

commander, gunner, driver

Single source

3 (commander, gunner, driver)^[source]

65km/hMaximum; roads

60km/hMaximum; Maximum speed

SpeedScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

40 km/h

Maximum; Cross-country

Single source

65 km/h

Maximum; roads

Single source

65 km/h (40 mph) (roads) 40 km/h (25 mph) (cross-country)^[source]

60 km/h

Maximum; Maximum speed

Single source

4 km/h

Maximum; reverse

Single source

60 km/h (37 mph) 4 km/h (2.5 mph) (reverse)

500kmOperational; cruise

650–700kmOperational; with fuel drums

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

500 km

Operational; cruise

Single source

500 km (cruise)^[source]

500 km

Operational; Operational range

Single source

650–700 km

Operational; with fuel drums

Single source

500 km (310 mi), 650 to 700 km (400 to 430 mi) with fuel drums^[source]

890kW

840kWV-92S2F

PowerScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

890 kW

STX Engine / MTU Friedrichshafen MB871Ka-501 8-cylinder water-cooled turbocharged diesel engine @ 2,600 rpm

Single source

STX Engine / MTU Friedrichshafen MB871Ka-501 8-cylinder water-cooled turbocharged diesel engine 1,200 hp (890 kW) @ 2,600 rpm^[source]

580 kW

V12 diesel V-46-4 (T-72 Ural), V-46-6 (T-72A), V-84-1 (T-72B), V-92S2F (T-72B3 & T-72B3M) V-46-4/V-46-6

Single source

630 kW

V-84-1

Single source

840 kW

V-92S2F

Single source

V12 diesel V-46-4 (T-72 Ural), V-46-6 (T-72A), V-84-1 (T-72B), V-92S2F (T-72B3 & T-72B3M) 780 hp (580 kW) (V-46-4/V-46-6) 840 hp (630 kW) (V-84-1) 1,130 hp (840 kW) (V-92S2F)^[source]

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

Configuration

Details

K1 tank and T-72 configuration
Specification	K1 tank	T-72
Type	Main battle tank^[source]	Main battle tank^[source]
Place of origin	South Korea^[source]	Soviet Union^[source]
In service	K1: 1987–present K1E1: 2014–present K1A1: 2001–2024 K1A2: 2013–present^[source]	1969–present^[source]
Used by	See operators^[source]	See Operators^[source]
Designer	Chrysler Defense General Dynamics Land Systems Hyundai Precision Industry Agency for Defense Development^[source]	Leonid Kartsev-Valeri Venediktov^[source]
Designed	K1: 1978–1985 K1A1: 1991–1996^[source]	1967–1972^[source]
Manufacturer	Hyundai Precision Industry (1985–2000) Hyundai Mobis (2000–2001) Rotem Co., Ltd. (2001–2007) Hyundai Rotem (2007–present)^[source]	Uralvagonzavod , Heavy Vehicles Factory^[source]
Unit cost	K1: ₩ 2.3 billion (1994) K1A1: ₩4.4 billion (2001) K1A2: ₩6.0 billion^[source]	US$0.5–1.2 million in 1994–1996, US$1–2 million (30,962,000–61,924,000 rubles) in 2009, US$0.5 million in 2011^[source]
Produced	K1: 1987–1997 K1E1: 2013–present K1A1: 1999–2011 K1A2: 2013–2024^[source]	1973-present^[source]
No. built	K1/E1: 1,027 K1A1/A2: 484^[source]	approx. 25,000^[source]
Armor	K1: Special Armor Package (SAP) K1A1: Korean Special Armor Plate (KSAP)^[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]	125 mm 2A26M2/2A46/ 2A46M /2A46M-5 smoothbore 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]	7.62 mm PKT coax. machine gun 12.7 mm NSVT^[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]	19.0 hp/tonne (T-72 Ural), 18.8 hp/tonne (T-72 A/B)^[source]
Transmission	Hyundai Transys/ ZF Friedrichshafen LSG 3000 Automatic, 4 forward, 2 reverse^[source]	Synchromesh , hydraulically assisted, with 7 forward and 1 reverse gears^[source]
Suspension	Hydropneumatic (wheel 1, 2, 6), torsion bar (wheel 3, 4, 5)^[source]	Torsion bar^[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]	0.49 m (19 in)^[source]
Wars	—	List Iran–Iraq War 1982 Lebanon War 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War Sri Lankan Civil War First Nagorno-Karabakh War Gulf War 1991 Iraqi uprisings Georgian Civil War Civil war in Tajikistan Sierra Leone Civil War Yugoslav Wars Algerian Civil War Rwandan Civil War First Chechen War Kargil War Second Chechen War 2003 invasion of Iraq Russo-Georgian War First Libyan Civil War Syrian Civil War South Sudanese Civil War War in Iraq (2013–2017) Second Libyan Civil War Boko Haram insurgency 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war Tigray War Russo-Ukraine War 2023 Sudan conflict^[source]
Armour	—	Steel and composite armour with ERA^[source]
Fuel capacity	—	1,200 L (320 U.S. gal; 260 imp gal)^[source]

FORCETALLY

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K1 tank

T-72

Type

Main battle tank^[source]

Place of origin

South Korea^[source]

Soviet Union^[source]

In service

K1: 1987–present K1E1: 2014–present K1A1: 2001–2024 K1A2: 2013–present^[source]

1969–present^[source]

Used by

See operators^[source]

See Operators^[source]

Designer

Chrysler Defense General Dynamics Land Systems Hyundai Precision Industry Agency for Defense Development^[source]

Leonid Kartsev-Valeri Venediktov^[source]

Designed

K1: 1978–1985 K1A1: 1991–1996^[source]

1967–1972^[source]

Manufacturer

Hyundai Precision Industry (1985–2000) Hyundai Mobis (2000–2001) Rotem Co., Ltd. (2001–2007) Hyundai Rotem (2007–present)^[source]

Uralvagonzavod , Heavy Vehicles Factory^[source]

Unit cost

K1: ₩ 2.3 billion (1994) K1A1: ₩4.4 billion (2001) K1A2: ₩6.0 billion^[source]

US$0.5–1.2 million in 1994–1996, US$1–2 million (30,962,000–61,924,000 rubles) in 2009, US$0.5 million in 2011^[source]

Produced

K1: 1987–1997 K1E1: 2013–present K1A1: 1999–2011 K1A2: 2013–2024^[source]

1973-present^[source]

No. built

K1/E1: 1,027 K1A1/A2: 484^[source]

approx. 25,000^[source]

Armor

K1: Special Armor Package (SAP) K1A1: Korean Special Armor Plate (KSAP)^[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]

125 mm 2A26M2/2A46/ 2A46M /2A46M-5 smoothbore 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]

7.62 mm PKT coax. machine gun 12.7 mm NSVT^[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]

19.0 hp/tonne (T-72 Ural), 18.8 hp/tonne (T-72 A/B)^[source]

Transmission

Hyundai Transys/ ZF Friedrichshafen LSG 3000 Automatic, 4 forward, 2 reverse^[source]

Synchromesh , hydraulically assisted, with 7 forward and 1 reverse gears^[source]

Suspension

Hydropneumatic (wheel 1, 2, 6), torsion bar (wheel 3, 4, 5)^[source]

Torsion bar^[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]

0.49 m (19 in)^[source]

Wars

—

List Iran–Iraq War 1982 Lebanon War 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War Sri Lankan Civil War First Nagorno-Karabakh War Gulf War 1991 Iraqi uprisings Georgian Civil War Civil war in Tajikistan Sierra Leone Civil War Yugoslav Wars Algerian Civil War Rwandan Civil War First Chechen War Kargil War Second Chechen War 2003 invasion of Iraq Russo-Georgian War First Libyan Civil War Syrian Civil War South Sudanese Civil War War in Iraq (2013–2017) Second Libyan Civil War Boko Haram insurgency 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war Tigray War Russo-Ukraine War 2023 Sudan conflict^[source]

Armour

—

Steel and composite armour with ERA^[source]

Fuel capacity

—

1,200 L (320 U.S. gal; 260 imp gal)^[source]