Donghae D1725
| Donghae D1725 | |
|---|---|
 A 3-view plan drawing of the D1725. | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Donghae Automotive |
| Production | 1997-present |
| Assembly | Anchŏn, Menghe |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Light utility vehicle |
| Body style | 4-door SUV |
| Layout | Front-engine, four-wheel drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.7L Donghae DG1240 I5 turbodiesel |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,850 mm (112.2 in) |
| Length | 4,430 mm (174.4 in) |
| Width | 1,760 mm (69.3 in) |
| Height | 2,080 mm (81.9 in) |
| Kerb weight | 970 kg |
The Donghae D1725 is a family of mid-size four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle designed in Menghe by the Donghae Auto Corporation, part of the Donghae Group. It is sold on both the military and the civilian markets. In its civilian form, it is sold as a luxury SUV, though most sales are made to police and park security departments. In the armed forces, it serves as a military light utility vehicle and staff car, primarily in non-combat roles.
History
The D1725 was designed in the 1990s as a private venture by the Donghae Auto Corporation, which was a fully corporatized state-owned enterprise at the time. The first production models left Donghae's Anchŏn factory in 1998, the same year that Donghae was reclassified as a semi-private Jachi-hoesa enterprise.
Donghae's design team were ostensibly interested in selling the vehicle on the civilian market, but also hoped to sell to police and military customers, and consequently stressed ruggedness and offroad performance. Yet because Menghe's military budget had stagnated since the aftermath of the Decembrist Revolution, the Ministry of National Defense had no immediate interest in a replacement for the Chŏnsŏ G242, which its procurement staff considered generally adequate. After combat in the Polvokian Civil War revealed shortcomings with the G242, the Menghean Army ordered a small batch of offroad utility vehicles for testing and evaluation, but the D1975's lack of armor undercut its usefulness compared with the Chŏnsŏ J107. In the end, the first military buyer of the D1725 was Polvokia, which placed an order in 2002 to equip its border forces.
Menghean military interest in the D1725 resumed in 2004, this time motivated by the need for a light staff car. The Chŏnsŏ J107, then nearing the end of its development process, was deemed too heavy and expensive for non-combat roles, but the D1725 already met the Menghean Army's main requirements for a non-combat G242 replacement.
The breakdown of relations with Maverica in 2005 accelerated the procurement process, with the Menghean Army ordering a large batch of combat-model D1725s as a stopgap measure to equip new light infantry units on the border. Ummayah's postwar government also negotiated a contract for the sale of combat-model D1725s, further boosting sales. The vehicle's lack of armor and small size, however, limited its usefulness in combat roles, and in the end it was mostly relegated to non-combat roles, including casualty evacuation, officer transport, and military police duties.
Description
The D1725 has a conventional front-engine, four-wheel drive layout, with the driver on the left and one passenger on the right. The second row of seats can fit three passengers, though in most cases the vehicle only carries two. It has a body-on-frame design, which helps with mobility in rough conditions and allows the development of a large number of modular derivatives.
The most common variants of the D1725 use an inline-5 DG1240 turbodiesl engine with a 2.7L displacement, generating 150 hp. These models have a top speed of 120 kilometers per hour on level roads and a range of 600 kilometers. They can also carry a payload of 1,000 kilograms, of which up to 500 kilograms can be towed on a trailer. While insufficient to tow light artillerypieces like the PG-105 Type 75 howitzer, this is adequate to tow the SB-120 Type 84 mortar, its baseplate, and its wheeled carriage, with a small number of 120mm mortar-grenades and charges stowed in the vehicle's boot.
Beyond its basic model, the D1725 is available in a wide variety of different versions, described below.
Variants
D1725
The baseline D1725 designation refers to the fully-enclosed four-door variants, which were the first to reach the market. Within this group, D1725 refers to the military- and police-grade models with a 24-volt electrical system, and D1726 refers to the civilian-grade models with more comfortable seating and amenities. The D1725G is the baseline military-grade variant, while the D1725N has a circular hatch in the roof with strengthened supports around the edges. Though large enough to support a heavy machine gun or automatic grenade launcher, the pintle mount on the rim is typically fitted with a light machine gun, such as a GCh-96 or GCh-114.
The D17251 is an improved model introduced in 2009. It has a more powerful V6 turbodiesel generating 150 hp, a snorkel to improve fording performance, and a reinforced grille in front.
D1727
The D1727 designation refers to open-cab variants of the D1725. These are available without the roll cage (D1727G), with a roll cage (D1727N), and with a roll cage fitted with a ring mount on top (D1727D). The latter variant is also often seen with a forward arm which can be used to mount an additional machine gun. It was used as an interim fast attack vehicle during the mid-to-late 2000s, but most have since been retired.
A special open-topped version, the D1727YI, is used as a staff car for high-ranking officers during military parades and other special events. In the field, high-ranking officers would typically travel in a D1725 or a D1727 with a covered top.
D1728
The D1728 is a two-door variant of the D1725 with a pickup-style bed in the rear. It is fitted with a roll cage by default, with the baseline variant designated D1728G. The D1728N has a turret ring on the roof, much like the four-door D1727D. A variant armed with the YDCh-70 ATGM is known by the designation Y70B1, carries four reload missiles on side racks, and has a crew of 3.
D1729
The D1729 is an alternative two-door pickup version with a partially enclosed cab. The cab is open-topped by default, though many variants include a cab roof. The D1729G installs a cab roof alone, while other designations are reserved for vehicles with special-purpose hard-shell modules installed over the rear bed.
- D1729DS - Battalion command vehicle for light infantry units; offered for export.
- D1729DM - Battalion-grade signals vehicle with radio equipment. Crew of 4.
- D1729JM - Company-grade signals vehicle with radio equipment. Crew of 4.
- D1729GG - Ambulance with basic medical equipment to stabilize patients during evacuation. Crew of 3.
- D1729YJ - Mobile maintenance workshop. There are separate sub-variants for different maintenance tasks, but in all cases the D1929YJ can only handle a limited range of tasks due to its small storage capacity. Crew of 3.
D1725JCh Stormer
The "Stormer" (sŭtorŭma) is an armored variant of the D17251 custom-designed by Donghae Automotive. It has steel plates on the front, sides, and rear, and uses bulletproof glass on all windows. Internally it is similar to the D17251N, but its turret is typically fitted with a 12.7mm GCh-75 HMG in a turret with armor plates. Disarmed variants are also available. Though visually impressive, the D1725JCh has inferior mobility to the Chŏnsŏ J107, as well as inferior protection: it is only protected against handgun rounds and intermediate ammunition, and can be penetrated by rifle-caliber ball ammunition. It is mainly marketed at police forces.
