At the recent North Korean defense exhibition, an upgraded version of the T'ienma-2 main battle tank was publicly displayed, officially named T'ienma-3. Western analysts pointed out that the T'ienma-3 tank is equipped with amphibious equipment, allowing it to independently cross rivers. The evidence of amphibious equipment is a cylindrical metal casing located at the rear of the turret, similar equipment can also be seen on the South Korean K2 "Black Panther" tank.
The turret of the T'ienma-3 tank is equipped with enhanced composite armor, reactive armor, and also has a KAZ active protection system installed on the turret. The turret adopts a more angular design, thereby increasing internal volume and accommodating new optical systems. The commander's panoramic sight has been moved to the rear of the turret, the front grenade launcher has been replaced by a remote-controlled weapon station, and the gunner's sight has also been redesigned. It is believed that its main weapon is the 125mm smoothbore 2A46 series cannon (some sources believe it is a 115mm cannon with an extended barrel), the auxiliary weapons include the AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher, a 7.62mm PKT machine gun, and two Bulsae anti-tank missiles on the right side of the turret.
The powerplant of the T'ienma-3 may be a V-55 or V-12 diesel engine, with a power range between 750 to 1300 horsepower. Considering its torsion bar suspension system and seven road wheels on each side, the combat weight of this tank is estimated to be between 50 to 55 tons.
The total number of tanks in the Korean People's Army is estimated to be between 3,500 to 5,000, most of which are various improved models of the T-55, T-62, and Type 59 tanks, with a small number being modernized tanks, including the "T'ienma," "Storm," "Sonsan-915," and "T'ienma-2."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845419404068876/
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