KAPS-1 Active protection system

KAPS-1
Type	Soft-kill/Hard-kill Active protection system
Place of origin	Joseon
Production history
Designer	Agency for Defense Development (system) Hanhwa Defense(interceptor grenade)
Designed	2011-2015
Manufacturer	Hanhwa Defense
Specifications
Weight	3.1 kg (interceptor grenade)
Caliber	90 mm (interceptor grenade)
Muzzle velocity	120 m/s (interceptor grenade)
Effective firing range	10 m to 15 m

KAPS-1 is an active protection system developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Hanhwa Defense for Royal Joseon Armed Forces in 2015. It was decided to introduce a soft-kill/hard-kill active protection system to strengthen the survival of Royal Joseon Armed Forces' main battle tanks (MBT), and the development was completed under the leadership of ADD from 2011 to 2015.

Design

The system uses four radars mounted on the vehicle to detect enemy projectiles. 4 AESA radars provide a 360-degree view, and when an enemy projectile is detected, the computer calculates the optimal time and angle to respond to the enemy projectile. The calculation is done in a very short time, and the computer fires an interceptor bullet based on the calculated value.

The Soft-kill countermeasure of KAPS-1 is to mask the IR tracking flare of anti-tank missiles using powerful infrared emitters to jam the anti-tank missile's guidance devices. The soft-kill countermeasure is the primary defense measure, and if the soft-kill countermeasure does not work, the KAPS-1 will use the secondary hard-kill countermeasure.

The hard-kill countermeasure is to intercept enemy anti-tank weapons using interceptor projectiles. Interception projectiles fire very closely and accurately, targeting only enemy projectiles, thereby reducing the threat to personnel around the vehicle.

One of the main features of the KAPS-1 is that it fires two interceptor projectiles one after another. This feature has been applied to counter advanced anti-tank weapons such as the RPG-30. When an enemy anti-tank projectile is detected, KAPS-1 fires one projectile to intercept the enemy's bait warhead, and immediately after that, it fires a secondary projectile to intercept the enemy warhead.

This method has the advantage of being able to respond efficiently to advanced enemy anti-tank weapons, but it has the disadvantage of heavy bullet consumption. To solve this problem, the KAPS-1 uses the technology of the MAUL to load two bullets in a row into a single gun barrel and then fire them sequentially. One set of KAPS-1 includes a total of 8 gun barrels.

The system is designed against all types of anti-tank rockets and anti-tank missiles, and HEAT rounds fired from tanks. In addition, the lightweight version of the system, the KAPS-1 LV, is designed to fit into the light armored vehicles.

Operators

Joseon

• Royal Joseon Armed Forces
• Haeseo National Guard