page_title: Tanks of the post–Cold War era
section_title: K-2 Black Panther
hierarchical_section_title: Tanks of the post–Cold War era / Post Cold War Main Battle tanks / K-2 Black Panther
caption_attribution_description: English: promotional picture of the K2 Black Panther tank
context_page_description: The post–Cold War era is the period in world history from the collapse of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991 to the present. During the Cold War, the Soviet domination of the Warsaw Pact led to effective standardization on a few tank designs. In comparison, France, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom had previously developed their own tank designs, but now tried to standardize their designs, while the smaller nations of NATO purchased or adapted these designs.
  The fall of the eastern bloc brought changes as the United States Military cut much of its expenditure, though the level rose again to comparable heights after the War on Terror started in 2001.
  After the Cold War, tank development continued into a third-generation main battle tanks and because of the effectiveness of antitank weapons, the technology advanced dramatically as well. Tanks became more survivable and their armour became thicker and much more effective.
context_section_description: The South Korean military introduced the K-2 black panther as the South Korean MoD felt it required a more advanced tank to cope with the growing threat of North Korea; especially in terms of ground combat. The K-2 is one of the most expensive tanks in the world costing at around US$9 million per unit. The South Korean military already fielded the K1/K1A1 tank which was a domestically produced tank and could already dominate North Korean tanks such as the T-55 and the Type 59. However, the K-2 was seen as a development which would see the ROK forces securely dominate the North Korean forces in ground combat.
  Unlike the  K1 series, the K-2 series is a completely different design. It looks much lighter and mobile and carries a wide range of modern technology that can match and often beat other MBTs out to date. Furthermore, it has many advancements in suspension such as the In-arm suspension which gives it characteristics such as kneeling and crouching which increases its survival rate in combat.
  As of 2014, 100 K-2s are already being fielded by the ROK armed forces and a further 106 are set to be completed by 2017. Furthermore, the South Korean MoD agreed to sell the Turkish Armed Forces development details worth US$540 million to aid in their own project in developing the Altay MBT.
  As of now, the South Korean military are set to begin development of the K-2 PIP which is to be an upgrade of the current K-2 model with further advancements in aspects such as armour, weaponry and optics such as a hard-kill APS.
caption: The K-2 Black Panther model on display
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