Reference photo · Configuration may differ
Credit
Staff Sgt. Jason Cochran · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
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At a glance
K2 Black Pantherlarger figure on 1 of 2
M48 Patton
Measured figures
Chassis
Single sourceOverall
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | K2 Black Panther | M48 Patton |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Main battle tank[source] | Medium tank[source] |
| Place of origin | South Korea[source] | United States[source] |
| In service | 2014–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 |
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Overall: 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) Chassis : 7.5 meters (24 ft 7 in)[source]
Length
Single source9.3 m (30 ft 6 in)[source]
Maximum; Cross country Acceleration from
Single sourceMaximum; Paved road
Single sourcePaved road: 70 km/h (43 mph) Cross country: 50 km/h (31 mph) Acceleration from 0–32 km/h (0–20 mph) in 7.47 seconds (MT883 Ka-501) or 8.77 seconds (DV27K)[source]
Maximum; M48A5
Single sourceM48A5 30 mph (48 km/h)[source]
Operational; Operational range
Single source450 km (280 mi)[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]
Engine
Single sourceBatch I: STX Engine/ MTU Friedrichshafen MT883 Ka-501 4- short stroke , 12-cylinder water-cooled diesel, dry weight: 2,064 kg Batch II-IV: HD Hyundai Infracore DV27K 4- long stroke , 12-cylinder water-cooled diesel, dry weight: 2,550 kg
Single sourceBatch I: STX Engine/ MTU Friedrichshafen MT883 Ka-501 4- short stroke , 12-cylinder water-cooled diesel, dry weight: 2,064 kg 1,500 hp (1,103 kW) Batch II-IV: HD Hyundai Infracore DV27K 4- long stroke , 12-cylinder water-cooled diesel, dry weight: 2,550 kg 1,500 hp (1,110 kW)[source]
Engine
Single sourceM48A3–M48A5 Continental AVDS-1790 V12, air-cooled, twin-turbo , diesel engine
Single sourceBars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Designer | Agency for Defense Development Hyundai Rotem Poongsan Corporation Hanwha Systems Samyang Comtech Hyundai WIA Doosan Mottrol[source] | Chrysler Defense Engineering[source] |
|---|
| Designed | 1995–2008[source] | 1950[source] |
|---|
| Manufacturer | Hyundai Rotem[source] | Chrysler , Fisher Body , Ford Motor Company , American Locomotive Company[source] |
|---|
| Unit cost | ₩ 7.8 billion (production batch 1) US$ 8.5 million (constant 2009 USD)[source] | M48A3 US$309,090 (equivalent to $3,330,118 in 2025) (1981 )[source] |
|---|
| Produced | 2008–present[source] | M48/M48A1 1952–1956 M48A2 1955–1957 M48A3 1957–1961[source] |
|---|
| No. built | Republic of Korea Army : Batch I: 100, Batch II: 106, Batch III: 54, Batch IV: 150 (ordered) Polish Land Forces : Batch I: 180, Batch II: 180 (ordered) Total: 440[source] | 12,000 (all variants)[source] |
|---|
| Armor | MIL-12560H armor steel and silicon carbide non-oxide ceramic plate along with ERA add-on armor[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 | Hyundai WIA CN08 120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun (40 rounds, 16 available in the bustle autoloader )[source] | M48–M48A3 90mm M41/T139 gun M48A5 105 mm M68/T254E2 gun[source] |
|---|
| Secondary armament | 1× 12.7×99mm NATO K6 heavy machine gun (3,200 rounds) 1× 7.62×51mm NATO coaxial machine gun (12,000 rounds)[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 | 27.3 hp/t (20.35 kW/t)[source] | 16.6 hp (12.4 kW)/ tonne[source] |
|---|
| Transmission | Batch I-III: RENK HSWL 295 TM (5 forward, 5 reverse gears), dry weight: 2,450 kg Batch IV: SNT Dynamics EST15K (6 forward, 3 reverse gears), dry weight: 2,500 kg[source] | Allison CD-850-4A or CD-850-4B Two forward ranges One reverse[source] |
|---|
| Suspension | Semi-active in-arm suspension unit (ISU) with dynamic track tension system (DTTS)[source] | Torsion bar suspension[source] |
|---|
| Fuel capacity | 1,296 liters (342 U.S. gal)[source] | 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] |
|---|
| 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] |
|---|
| Ground clearance | — | 16 in (0.41 m)[source] |
|---|
| Reported operators | — |
|
|---|
M48/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]