Daewoo (Doosan) KIFV Mortar Carrier
Notes:
Like the KIFV, these two mortar carriers are related to the European AIFV
and have the same chassis and hull as the KIFV.
Though the AIFV does have mortar-carrier variants, the South Koreans
started from scratch with their KIFV-based mortar carriers; however, they ended
up about the same in design. So far, no overseas of the KIFV mortar carriers
have been made nor offered. The
KIFV mortar carriers are based on the latest A1 build. As with most such
vehicles, the fighting compartment is quite cramped, taken up mostly with the
mortar and its rounds.
The K-242A1 is a
carrier for a heavy mortar based on the KIFV chassis.
In this version, the passenger compartment is taken up by ammunition and
an M-30 4.2" mortar, and the turret is deleted.
There is a large, three-part hatch over the mortar compartment, similar
to that on the US M-106A2; the left hatch folds in half instead of opening
completely. The firing ports are
retained, though the two in the sides are moved forward from their normal
positions so the crew does not have to fight while twisting around the mortar or
staying out of its way. The vehicle has a machinegun mount for local and
antiaircraft protection. A bipod,
bridge (in the case of the K-242A1), and baseplate are carried to allow the
mortar to be deployed away from the vehicle.
The vehicle is equipped with an MBC as well as a mapping computer and
inertial navigation; legacy equipment is provided to use if the MBC and
mapping/coordinate computer is not working up to snuff. (Under normal
circumstances, a KIFV mortar carrier can operate as its own FDC, though Korean
doctrine is to have an FDC with a mortar battery.)
In recent years,
the K-242A1 has its mortar replaced with the US-built M-120 mortar, the
resulting vehicle designated the K-220A1.
The K-281A1 is a
variant of the KIFV, carrying an 81mm mortar in the back along with ammunition.
A bipod and baseplate is carried to allow the mortar to be operated away
from the vehicle. The turret is
deleted, but the firing ports are retained.
There is a large, three-part hatch over the rear compartment to allow the
mortar to be fired. This vehicle is
similar to the K-242A1, but uses an 81mm mortar, and is rather less common than
that vehicle. Most of the details
of the K-281A1 are the same as on the M-242A1, with the computers modified for
use with the 81mm mortar.
The KIFV mortar
carrier’s gunner’s cupola is the same as that mounted on the standard KIFV,
though it is mounted a little forward from the position on the KIFV.
The
gunner’s cupola is surrounded with heavy (AV2) gun shields, but the cupola is
manually traversed and is open-topped.
The shields, however, are high and the front of the shield has a slit for
the machinegun that is wide enough to allow the gunner to give a reasonable, if
limited, field of view if he crouches completely below the level of the gun
shields or lowers his seat below that level.
The cupola hatch is specially reinforced and the gunner has an effective AV of 2
from the rear. To the right of the
gunner is the commander’s hatch; it does not have a cupola, though it has
all-around vision blocks around his hatch.
To the commander’s front is the driver, with vision blocks to his front
and right side and a hatch which has a special spring-loaded hinge opening that
allows the driver to mount a night vision device.
The mortar carriers are
amphibious with little preparation, requiring that the large trim vane be
extended to the front and bilge pumps turned on, and requiring 4 minutes to
prepare. Propulsion in the water
is, like most amphibious tracked vehicles, by track motion.
Being based on
the A1 upgrade, KIFV mortar carriers have the engine, transmission, armor, and
suspension upgrades of that version of the KIFV. The engine is
a D-2848T 350-horsepower
turbodiesel design, though it can also run off of JP8 (primarily for
interoperating with US forces); the design is licensed from MAN for production
by Daewoo. The transmission is an
Alison X200-5K automatic transmission, which was produced by Daewoo (and later
Doosan) under license.
Twilight 2000
Notes: In the T2K timeline, most South Korean units are still equipped with
American-made of license-produced versions of standard US-built mortar carriers.
Perhaps one-fourth of Korean mortar units are KIFV-based.
The M-220A1 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline. South Korean
vehicles are largely running on diesel, though a few (such as their jeeps) are
running on gas.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
K-242A1 |
$227,268 |
D, A, JP8 |
300 kg |
13.83 tons |
4 |
11 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
K-281A1 |
$214,088 |
D, A, JP8 |
350 kg |
12.93 tons |
4 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
K-220A1 |
$315,715 |
D, A, JP8 |
350 kg |
13.38 tons |
4 |
11 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor* |
K-242A1 |
184/129 |
51/36/5 |
400 |
130 |
Stnd |
T3 |
HF11
HS7Sp HR4 |
K-281A1 |
194/136 |
54/38/5 |
400 |
130 |
Stnd |
T3 |
HF11
HS7Sp HR4 |
K-220A1 |
183/128 |
51/36/5 |
400 |
130 |
Stnd |
T3 |
HF11
HS7Sp HR4 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
K-242A1 |
None |
None |
M-30 4.2" mortar, M-2HB (C) |
88x4.2", 1000x.50 |
K-281A1 |
None |
None |
81mm M-252 Mortar, M-2HB (C) |
114x81mm, 1000x.50 |
K-220A1 |
None |
None |
120mm M-120 Mortar, M-2HB (C) |
88x120mm. 1000x.50 |
*Floor AV is 5Sp.