In this week’s Defense Industry Daily they profile the new Korean version of the modern armored personnel carrier (APC)- the K21 NIFV.
Photo from the KT
Yes, it’s essentially a Korean version of the M2/M3 Bradley, however, there are two key differences. First is a much lighter fiberglass rather than aluminum chassis and second is actual ”perform as advertised” amphibious capabilities rather than just dubious claims to such.
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They aren’t really amphibious. I’d say it’s capable of deep fording, instead.
They are great for cutting a path through small to medium sized trees, though.
Well, the latest version of the M2 cannot be amphibious because it’s 8 tons heavier than the original version.
However, when the M2 first came out, it was claimed as amphibious. However, in order to go through water, it needed the added buoyancy that a rubber barrier gave it. That took at least 10 minutes to prepare and required the work of 10 men. It was also very delicate and can’t handle choppy waters, etc.
The K21 has hidden pontoons that inflate when necessary. That provides the required buoyancy to make it amphibious without a bulky rubber barrier. It can also fire while in the water, whereas the M2 can’t.
#2,
Like this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DA-SC-85-11316.JPG
…We didn’t bring ours deep fording (it was a SHORAD turret mounted on an M2 body…would have sunk like a rock).
Those troopers (in the 1981 style, pre-”Fritz” steel army helmets) look a little nervous.
Didn’t like six soldiers drown (and die) during testing?
Korea makes good weapons.
@WangKon
I believe it was 7.
The bradley is a good vehicle only when you use it where you should. In Iraq, which happens to not have very many rivers that suddenly need crossing, it does great. The bradley is pretty decently armoured, and you can bet your balls that if your waiting for some guy in a house to fire a rocket at you, or the road to blow up, you’d much prefer being in it than anything light enough to float.
In a mountainous area with lots of rivers, the NIFV will obviously do better. Different enemy, different terrain, different tactics. Just make sure you hit them before they hit you.
I should also add, after looking at some of the specs, the k21 NIFV looks like a lot more fun if you want to attack something.
Well I knew a Bradly driver. He said other than the fire control system there isn’t a whole lot of technology in these things. There isn’t a lot of incentive to fill a ton of technology in these mass produced vehicles because in a war they may fall into enemy hands.
I would suggest that it probably has more to do with the fact that bradleys are a mature weapon system that’s works just fine (as long as you don’t use it like an idiot), no need to add more cost or things to fix.
Reading some reports of how the Russian military has faired in Chechnya, it appears that man portable ATW like the RPG-7, etc. are making mince meat out of them, particularly in urban combat settings. Russian BMPs are basically being made into tin can death traps. One RPG round into a BMP equals 11 crispy bodies conveniently trapped in a neat little steel lined package.
The Russian solution? They have a zillion T-55 and T-62 tanks left over from the Cold War so they are using those chassis, modifying them, loading lots of weapons onto them and using them as APCs. So a bunch of modified medium tanks with infantry squads in them are using pure firepower and armor protection to blast their way through Chechnya towns/cities.
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