North Korea releases video of mysterious tank firing live ammunition on training ground

North Korean state media has released the first footage of the country's next-generation tank, which is seen taking part in combat drills and firing its main armament. The display of the tank was part of celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.

Images of North Korean weapons appeared in a parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.

The tank was first unveiled in October 2020, at a parade marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea. Since then, despite appearing at numerous parades in Pyongyang, the tank has not been seen in combat operations.

Images from the latest video show the tank appearing at a shooting range and firing an unidentified projectile from its main gun, a 125mm caliber gun similar to previous generation models.

The name of the new tank is still unknown, with some Western analysts calling it the “M2020.” Little is known about the tank, but experts speculate that it is designed to operate well in mountainous terrain like previous generations of North Korean combat vehicles.

The vehicle is said to be able to use AFPSDS rounds for increased armor penetration, while also featuring major improvements to the fire control system and the addition of an active protection system. It may also be equipped with a thermal sight and new communications systems.

North Korea has been producing tanks for more than four decades since first being licensed to produce the Soviet T-62 tank, during which time it has developed many tank variants of its own design.

Most notable is the Pokpung Ho design, a tank that entered service in the 2000s with second-generation armor and a 125mm main gun. The Pokpung Ho also has significant improvements in fire control systems, integrated composite armor, explosive reactive armor for the turret, and a laser warning receiver.

New North Korean tanks appear on the training ground.

Coincidentally, the Pokpung Ho tank was introduced after a visit by North Korean military commanders to Russia's Uralvagonzavod tank factory. This led many experts to speculate that the Pokpung Ho tank may have been influenced by Russia's newest tank at the time, the T-90A.

North Korea’s tank industry has been able to provide upgrades for many Soviet-era armored vehicles. One notable example is the integration of laser rangefinders into Syrian T-55 tanks, which have been widely used in the Middle Eastern country’s counter-insurgency efforts to this day.

North Korea's new tanks appear in a parade.

Although the Pokpung Ho is more optimized for mountainous terrain than South Korean and American tanks, the Pokpung Ho is still considered to be less capable overall, mainly due to its outdated fire control system and lack of agility.

North Korea is one of the few countries to develop a new tank model after the Cold War. South Korean sources revealed that more than 500 Pokpung Ho have been put into service and it is very likely that the new tank is also in the process of mass production.

The production level of the new tank model is still a mystery so far, there are many questions surrounding this tank, are the new tanks actually put into operation or are they still in the testing process?

Le Hung (Military Watch)

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