TSAMTO, March 20th. According to KCNA, on March 13, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the 60th training base of the Korean People's Army (KPA), where he personally led tactical exercises to practice joint offensive actions of infantry and armored units.
Special forces, armored units of the operational reserve group of the General Staff and a tank company of a cavalry regiment were involved in the maneuvers. The main objective of the exercises was to check the operational compatibility of various branches of the armed forces in modern combined arms combat.
As part of the exercise, control tests of the active protection complex (KAZ) of the new main battle tank (MBT) "Cheonma-2" were conducted. According to Pyongyang, the system provided one hundred percent effectiveness in intercepting anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and barrage ammunition (UAV-kamikaze).
The main caliber of the Chongma-2 MBT is a 125 mm smoothbore cannon (presumably an upgraded version of the Soviet 2A46 cannon). Additional armament includes a twin Bulsae-3 ATGM launcher (an analog of the Russian Kornet complex) mounted on the right side of the turret. A 30 mm AGS-30 automatic grenade launcher and a twin 7.62mm machine gun are placed on the roof of the tower to destroy manpower and light equipment. The machine is equipped with a digital integrated fire control system with thermal imaging channels.
The tank has a multi-layered combined armor, complemented by mounted dynamic protection units (DZ), structurally similar to the Russian Kontakt-5 or Relikt systems. KAZ "hard-kill" includes 12 launchers of counter-munitions (6 per side) and 4 stationary surveillance radar stations for detecting incoming weapons. Laser radiation warning sensors are also installed.
The tank is equipped with a 1200 hp diesel engine. The chassis has a seven-stroke scheme, which indicates an increased weight of the machine compared to previous types. The crew consists of 4 people (commander, gunner, loader, driver). The presence of a loader confirms the absence of an automatic loader, which is an atypical solution for the North Korean tank building school of recent decades.
Kim Jong-un noted that the development of key technologies of the new MBT has been underway for seven years. The introduction of the Chongma-2 is aimed at qualitatively strengthening the armored units of the KPA and overcoming the previous limitations in conducting combat operations at night, as well as in the conditions of the enemy's use of electronic warfare (EW).
Mass production of MBT has been established at the facilities of the tank factory in Kuson. According to satellite intelligence and specialized analytical centers, the production area of this enterprise was doubled in the period from 2021 to 2023. specifically for the launch of the new series. The head of the DPRK announced the beginning of a large-scale rearmament of the Ground Forces with these vehicles, which could significantly change the balance of power on the Korean peninsula.
