North Korea's M2020 tank debut suggests military advancements

The government media of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced on March 13 that the Korean People's Army's newest tank, known in the West as the M2020, visited a training ground for its inaugural exercises. This new tank could potentially match or surpass Russian models.

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, along with Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam and the Korean People's Army's chief of staff, Ri Jong Gil, attended the event. According to the Korean Central News Agency, the exercises took the form of team competitions, with the 105th Armored Division's team emerging victorious. This suggests that the North Korean military's latest vehicle may be ready for service, or at least that's the impression local propaganda aims to convey.

The tank, designated M2020 (its Korean name is unknown, signifying "2020 model"), made its debut at a nighttime military parade in October 2020, marking the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea. It drew considerable attention for its visual similarity to the American Abrams tank (in the turret shape) and the Russian next-generation T-14 Armata tank (in hull design and active protection system arrangement). Its large, extended chassis suggested a weight of over 50 tonnes.

Its design follows a traditional layout, with the driver's compartment at the front (the driver sits roughly in the middle), the combat compartment in the central part of the chassis (featuring a manned turret), and the power unit at the rear. The engine's power is estimated to be between 1200-1500 hp (approx 890-1120 kW), reportedly of Chinese origin.

The tank's frontal armour, particularly that of the hull, appears to be substantial, though specific details about its quality are not known. Light skirts cover the sides at the level of the driving and combat compartments. In contrast, the engine compartment is protected with cage armor effective against shaped charges, similarly protecting the turret niche. The turret is also well-protected, with active protection system components reminiscent of the Russian Afganit system.

The armament includes a 125-mm gun with a longer barrel than those in the 2A46 family (48 calibres), equipped with a device to control bending. It is likely paired with a 7.62 mm machine gun. Another 7.62 mm machine gun, apparently manually operated, is fitted next to the gunner's hatch. Additionally, a double anti-tank missile launcher is mounted to the right of the turret.

Limited information is available regarding the fire control and communication systems. However, a cover resembling a panoramic device's housing is located in front of the commander's hatch on the turret's right side. The presence of single radio station antennas indicates there is no special command variant of this tank. Initially thought to have a three-person crew, it has been updated to four, suggesting the absence of an automatic loader and operation similar to the Abrams with its loader on the left and the commander and gunner on the right. A notable hatch on the turret's roof might serve as a vulnerability point or merely cover the ammunition storage. The latest version of the tank has also been equipped with reactive armour akin to Russia's Kontakt-5, albeit less bulky and presumably less effective.

For Russia, it's somewhat embarrassing that North Korea has demonstrated the functionality of their active protection system, a significant achievement even if it was only on a test model. The system includes two sets of laser radiation devices and four radars (possibly with optoelectronic heads?), with effectors comprising 12 anti-projectile launchers.

The fire control system seems modern yet impractical. It features two similar observation-targeting devices for the commander and gunner, each with a thermal camera resembling the Russian Sosna-U device. The commander's device's immobility would have been acceptable half a century ago, but not today. The engine's power is 1200 hp, promising satisfactory, though not exceptional, mobility.

At first glance, the M2020 appears modern, but it falls behind the latest Russian or Chinese models in many ways. Nonetheless, it signifies considerable progress compared to North Korea's previous capabilities. The backbone of Kim's armoured power comprises:

• about 970 outdated and roughly 2000 modernized T-62 (Chonma-ho-1/2/3, in service since 1961);
• 2200 even older T-54 and T-55 and the Chinese clone T-54A, Type 59;
• an undetermined number of T-72s;
• over 600 old Soviet light tanks PT-76 (in service since 1951) and the local M1981/PT-85 models.

In terms of numbers, this represents a significant force, but North Korean armoured capabilities largely reflect, at best, the technological level of the USSR around 1980.

By comparison, South Korea, North Korea's main adversary, has been producing competent tanks, particularly the latest K2 model, since the 1980s. Through continuous development, the South has closed the gap with the global tank elite, though their numbers are significantly fewer than Kim Jong Un's forces.