In the middle of the 1980s, North Korea was faced with superior tanks from the South. These tanks, however, were not comparable with Western tanks. At the time, South Korea had more advanced versions of the M-1 and K-1. They also increased their air power capabilities. In addition, the United States had the M-1 Abrams and the M-24. These tanks were capable of firing missiles from the gun tube. These tanks could fire missiles from the gun tube. However, North Korea couldn't buy them from the United States. North Korea developed a third generation tank to match the performance of Western tanks.
It took ten long years to develop a third generation tank. North Korea was able hire experts from Eastern Europe after the collapse and completion of the Soviet Union. Their goal was for a tank capable of performing in the same category as the T-90S. The result was the Xianjun915 tank.
The Ryu Kyong-su Tank Factory in Shinhung, South Hamgyong Province, developed the tank. The tank has an estimated mass of 44 tons and height of 2.416 meters. The tank is powered by a 1200 horsepower diesel engine. It can transport four crews. It comes with a 125mm smoothbore rifle and two SA-18 anti aircraft missiles. It will travel at 70 km/h. The tank is believed to have a thermal imager and an autoloader. It was believed that the T-90S had given it armor upgrades. However, it's not clear how many.
The tank's front features a "big eyes". This is a symbol for Soviet tanks. It is believed that it is the precursor to the "Kimmata", North Korea's upcoming tank. The main tank of the tank can be penetrated with large-caliber machines guns. The tank is equipped with reactive armor and two mounts of surface-to air missiles. An angular-shaped turret on the tank is also believed be an imitation of the Russian Amata.
In April 2017, a prototype of the tank had been introduced. According to reports, the tank had undergone performance tests outside Pyongyang. It was believed that the tank had a 30-mm grenade launcher as well as an anti-tank missile called "Firebird". It was reported to be an effective combat vehicle. North Korea has not yet released details on the tank's performance. At a ceremony in October 2010, the prototype of the tank will be revealed.
Large battle tanks are used in North Korea's main warships. They are however thirty years behind modern times. They can be pierced by large-caliber weaponry and are not comparable to Western tanks. The country has declared their desire to produce the best tanks in the world. They have improved their reverse engineering capabilities and have begun to improve their weapons production. They've also been able buy tanks from other countries. In the 1990s, North Korea's main battle force consisted of around two to three thousand tanks. In 2010, 55 new tanks had been produced.