K35 Ikho
K35 Ikho | |
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Type | Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun |
Place of origin | Joseon |
Service history | |
In service | 2023–present |
Production history | |
Designer |
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Designed | 2019–2021 |
Manufacturer | Soonyang Defense |
Unit cost | $ 18.1 million |
Produced | 2021–present |
Specifications | |
Length | 6.79 meters (22 ft 3 in) |
Width | 3.1 meters (10 ft 2 in) |
Height | 4.23 meters (13 ft 11 in) |
Crew | 3 |
Main armament | 1 x SNT Dynamics 35×228 mm autocannon |
Secondary armament |
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Engine | Doosan D2840L 520 hp (388 kw) diesel engine |
Transmission | S&T Dynamics HMPT500-3EK/4EK |
Operational range | 560 km (350 mi) |
Speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
K35 Ikho is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun developed to secure the ability to respond to enemy drones and drone swarms. It was developed to fight against various kinds of drone attacks while operating smoothly under the terrain conditions of the Korean Peninsula. It has the ability to automatically identify and track targets with a combination of AESA radar and EOTS.
The K35 Ikho is primarily built by Soonyang Defense.
History
The K35 was developed to combat the rapid spread of drone weapons in battlefield environments and the resulting increase in threats to conventional ground forces. First developed in 2019 following the Ministry of Defense's requirement institution, the K35 was completed in 2021 by meeting the military's required performance. The K35 began to be produced in 2022, and it began to be deployed on the field in 2023.
Design
K35 shares the same technology as K2E1 Main Battle Tank's ATD-01T Anti-Drone system. The K35's main weapons, a 35 mm autocannon, a 40 mm air-bursting grenade launcher, and a high-power microwave device, all operate in conjunction with the AESA radar and EOTS.
The 35 mm autocannon receives target information from the AESA radar and EOTS in real-time and can fire at enemy aircraft or drones via human crew's manual aiming or anti-aircraft tracking algorithm-based AI. The 35 mm autocannon adopts a revolver-type loading method that can fire at a speed of 1,000 shots per minute. The fired 35 mm AHEAD ammunition accurately measures the speed of the ammunition being fired, the speed, and direction of the target, and et the fuse the ammunition explodes in front of an approaching aerial target. Each AHEAD ammunition is loaded with 152 fragments, so even if the ammunition does not hit the target, the target will be hit by the fragments and shot down.
The 40mm grenade launcher turret identifies nearby enemy drones through AESA radar and EOTS, automatically tracks and aims the drones, and fires 40mm air-bursting grenades at a fire rate of 350 rounds per minute. 40mm grenades are equipped with a proximity fuse, so if the grenade approaches the drone, it will explode automatically and dump 200 pieces of debris to shoot down the drone.
High-powered microwave devices produce electromagnetic pulses(EMP) that jam with electronic devices. EMP shoots down enemy drones by disturbing radio links and obstructing or destroying enemy drones' electronic circuits.