ROTEM K2 (Black Panther) Main Battle Tank
Channel: Main Battle Tank
Date: 2023-04-23

The ROK (Republic of Korea - i.e. "South Korea") Military has four branch divisions - the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. The largest contingent is the Army with an average of about 550,000 draftees in service at any given year. The troops are divided into three armies with the 1st army GOC (Ground Operations Command) responsible for defense of the capital and the western DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone), the 3rd army GOC responsible for the eastern DMZ and the 2nd army ROC (Rear Operations Command) held in reserve in the south. The large number of troops is required due to the demanding mountainous terrain found throughout the Korean Peninsula and the 1 million-strong land army commanded by North Korea, of which two-thirds are garrisoned at the DMZ. The Army's material command has an available 4,975 tanks that include the old M47 Patton, M48 Patton, and the newer ROTEM K1 and ROTEM K1A1 main battle tanks (these a variant of the American M1 Abrams though produced indigenously in South Korea) along with a collection of assorted armored vehicles. 5,508 artillery systems of all types - tracked, wheeled or towed - are also available.