Currently, South Korea is gradually replacing the obsolete generations of armored vehicles with the more modern K21 IFV or K808
but until its completion, the K200 will still play an important role in the Korean Armed Forces
The K200 is designated as a South Korean armored personnel carrier
originally produced as a domestic replacement for older armored personnel carriers, such as the M113
A total of 2,383 K200 vehicles of all configurations were produced between 1985 and 2006,
among which are 111 K200A1 vehicles exported to Malaysia
The K200 project began in 1981 when the Republic of Korea Army issued a request
for a new Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicle (KIFV) to meet future combat requirements
The K200 was designed to be an amphibious personnel carrier that could cross shallow rivers
based on the chassis of the American Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle
The vehicle itself was based on the M113 armored personnel carrier
The vehicle was developed to be more affordable, but not necessarily sacrificing capability, to gain an edge in cost-effectiveness
K200 is armed with one 12.7 mm machine gun and one 7.62 mm machine gun
There were also some KIFV variants armed with a turret-mounted cannon
Korean armored vehicle was uparmored comparing with the M113 APC
However in terms of classification it is a well-armored APC rather than a true IFV
The KIFV has a crew of three and carries up to 9 troops, who enter and leave vehicle via the rear power operated ramp
The composite armor provides a higher level of protection for less weight
It provides protection against 50 cl rounds on the sides, 30 cl ammunition in the rear
larger shell splinter from the ground, and anti-personnel mines
The engine compartment is located at the front right of the vehicle and is separated from the remainder of the vehicle by a bulkhead
The engine compartment is fitted with a fire extinguishing system that can be operated by the driver or from outside the vehicle
The air inlet, air outlet louvers and the exhaust pipe are located on the roof of the vehicle to allow amphibious operations
K200 weighs 13.2 tons, length is 5.49 m, width is 2.85 m, and height is 2.52 m
Vehicle is powered by a MAN non-turbocharged engine, developing 280 hp
Despite increase in weight comparing with the M113, the KIFV retains its amphibious capabilities
K200 can reach a maximum road speed of 70 km/h, and 6 km/h on water, a range of 480 km
The K200 is highly modular, and its variants provide additional types of combat support such as air defense and vehicle recovery using specialized equipment
The APC can accommodate 12 people including one infantry squad, the driver, and gunners
In November 2015, Doosan and CMI Defence revealed they had cooperated to create the Cockerill Protected Weapon Station
to increase the firepower of the K200