Hyundai Rotem K1 ARV

     Notes:  This South Korean armored recovery vehicle is based on the chassis of the K1 main battle tank, and assisted by Rheinmetall of Germany.  However, it uses a large number of components of German origin, particularly from the Buffel, and leaving to a marked resemblance to the Buffel.  The Malaysians also use the K1 ARV, which they designate the K1M.  The K1 ARV’s primary duties are recovery and repair, but it also tows vehicles to field maintenance depots and areas. Development started in the late 1980s, with first issue in 1993. Hyundai offers it for export, but there have no takers so far.

     The K1 ARV is a powerful vehicle capable of towing a tank the size of the M1A1, or the K1 (the vehicle it is meant to recover).  The K1 ARV's winch can pull 35 tons, or tow 70 tons when the guide pulley is installed, and has 150 meters of cable.  It is of the dual capstan type. The vehicle also has an auxiliary winch with a capacity of 20 tons and 260 meters of cable.  The K1 has no turret, but has a superstructure in its place.  The crane is on the right of this superstructure and displaces the superstructure on the right side. It has a capacity of 25 tons, has a traverse of 270 degrees, and can be raised to 70 degrees angle. The crane is controlled from the commander’s position, as the commander doubles as a crane and winch operator. Exceeding 25 tons results in an automatic cutoff of the crane’s hydraulics. The crane is also used as a jack by raising one end of the sides of the distressed vehicle.

     The K1 ARV has a dozer blade on the front of the vehicle for earth clearing or bracing, and can move 170 cubic meters per hour.  The K1 ARV has a 60kW auxiliary power unit that can power all machinery except the tracks.  The crane and winches cannot be overloaded as the devices will automatically power off in an overload situation. The crane, however, is sufficient for lifting almost all turrets and can also lift one end of a vehicle for repairs underneath. There is a platform on the rear deck that can carry an M1, K1, M48, K2, or M109 or K9 power pack (about 5 tons). On the hull front are eight smoke grenade launchers.  It normally carries a tow bar and a full range of tools, ropes, cables, and excavating tools, including a hand-held circular saw, welding set, and ten fire extinguishers. The K1 ARV has a fuel/defuel pump, impact wrench, and an automatic chainsaw.  The K1 ARV can also be hooked up to an external power source, which can work in concert with the K1 ARV’s APU.

     The K1 ARV has a crew heater, air conditioner, an automatic fire detection and suppression system, and NBC Overpressure system; the vehicle has three doors in each side of the hull to allow access to crewmembers and storage for equipment (but are accessible only from the outside).  The driver is at the top of the glacis on the left, while the commander is behind him, on a raised manually-turning cupola, with his weapon on a pintle mount. A small computer helps the crew by storing documents, plans, and especially, with tech information on all of the country's military vehicles. The K1 ARV is equipped a BMS which is interoperable with US BMSs, along with a vehicle state computer.

     The engine is the K1's MTU MB 871 Ka-501 diesel, developing 1200 horsepower.  The transmission is not only automatic, it is adjustable hydropneumatically. The vehicle is divided into five sections for the automatic fire detection and suppression systems' purposes.  The K1 ARV is not amphibious, though with short preparation, a depth of 2.3 meters can be forded.

*The dozer blade on the K1 ARV can be used as ad hoc armor for the front.  What it protects depends upon how high the blade is raised; the blade may be full down, off the ground/travel position; or fully raised.  The dozer blade on the K1 ARV is thicker than most such vehicles’ blades, and has an AV of 8Sp.

Hyundai K1 AVLB

     Notes:  This is a South Korean armored vehicle-launched bridge based on the chassis of the K1 main battle tank.  The bridge is a British design, but the vehicles and bridges are built in South Korea.  Development began in 1989, and first issue was in the mid-1990s.  It has been placed on the international market, but has had no orders as of yet.

     In this role, the K1's turret is removed and replaced with the bridge and launching equipment. The bridge weighs 12.9 tons, can support 66 tons, and is 20.5 meters long.  The bridge is 4 meters wide and 22 meters long and deploys in a scissoring-action. The bridge weight is 12.7 tons. The bridge can be laid so that one end is 0.8 meters higher or lower at the end, and at up to 3 degrees side slope.  Deploying takes 3 minutes, and recovery 10 minutes.  Two bridges may be laid together to cross a large gap.  On each front fender is a cluster of six smoke grenade launchers. 

     The K1-M has an automatic fire detection and suppression system for each compartment in the vehicle, an NBC Overpressure system, an air conditioner, a heater, and a BMS with GPS. There is a small cupola below the folder bridge that has a small hatch, all-around vision blocks, and a pintle mount for its machinegun. This gun may remain mounted while the bridges are carried, though field of fire is severely restricted while the bridges are on top of the vehicle. The driver is in the center front of the vehicle, with the commander/bridge operator behind him.  They do not need to leave the vehicle or open a hatch to deploy or recover the bridge. There is a narrow connecting tunnel between the driver’s and commander’s positions.

     The engine and transmission are the same as that of the K1 – an MTU MB 871 Ka-501 turbocharged diesel developing 1200 horsepower, and a fully automatic transmission, adjustable hydropneumatically.  The suspension is by hybrid torsion bar and hydropneumatic suspension. The K1 is not amphibious, but can ford up to 2.3 meters.

Daewoo K288

     Notes:  This South Korean armored recovery vehicle is based on the Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicle.  It is primarily designed for the repair and recovery of the K200A1 series and smaller vehicles, but can be useful on larger vehicles like the BMP-3 and K21.  It has been offered for export, but has been sold only to Malaysia (who call it the K288A1M).

     The turret is removed, and in its place is a crane with a lifting capacity of 6 tons, and a platform for a KIFV power pack.  It can also use the crane as a jack when working on the underside or tracks or roadwheels of the stricken vehicle. The recovery winch is located internally, has a capacity of 10 tons, (up to 40 tons with block and tackle and extra cable) and has 150 meters of cable.  The K288A1 carries tools appropriate to its task of recovering and repairing KIFVs, such as tow cables and a bar, and basic, electronic, tracked vehicle, small arms, and heavy ordinance tools.  It also has a welder, an impact wrench, and an electric drill set for replacing armor sections and track sections. At the front of the superstructure on the left side is a small floodlight for working at night. On each rear side are hydraulic jacks to stabilize the vehicle when using the crane.

     The driver's position remains on the front left deck, and the commander remains the same spot as on the K200A1.  The rear door and ramp remain on the vehicle.  There are no other hatches on the roof, and the remaining two crewmembers usually leave and enter through the rear door or ramp, though also have a hatch on the roof on the right side of the superstructure. The firing ports of the KIFV are deleted.  It should be noted that the K288 normally deploys with only three crewmembers, though a fourth is carried about half the time for extra mechanic support. On the front left side of the superstructure is a cluster of six smoke grenade launchers. The original K288 was replaced by the K288A1 in the early 1990s.  The primary difference was the use of a MAN D248T diesel, developing 280 horsepower, and coupled to an automatic transmission.  The driver uses tiller steering. Instead of a technical computer, the K288 has a small (book) library of tech manuals.

     The K288A1 has the engine and transmission of the K200A1: a MAN-Doosan D248T turbocharged diesel developing 350 horsepower, and coupled to an Allison X200-5K automatic transmission.  The driver has normal steering controls. The K288A1 has a small computer with a library of tech manuals and such documents. 

     In the early 2000s, the K288A1s, like most South Korean armored vehicles, were fitted with a BMS system and GPS, as well as a mapping computer.

*The K288A1 has a roof AV of 3, and a Floor AV of 4Sp.