A Visual Guide to North Korea’s Fighting Vehicles

By Joost Oliemans and Stijn Mitzer

Click on the equipment to get a picture of them in North Korean service.

Notes:

- If several configurations of a vehicle with one designation are known, they are added as such.

- The part within apostrophes refers to an unoffical name, such as the US DoD M-xxxx designation system (referring to the first year the system was identified).

- A year in square brackers after the designation of a vehicle refer to its perceived date of inception.

- All vehicles listed are presumed to still be in use with the Korean People's Army.

- All vehicles listed are presumed to still be in use with the Korean People's Army unless indicated.

- Last updated on 14-03-2017.

 

Tanks

• Upgraded T-34/76 Obr. 1942
• Upgraded T-34/76 Obr. 1943      
• T-34/85 Obr. 1944 (Still believed to be in use)
• T-34/85 Obr. 1945 (Still believed to be in use)
• T-54-2
• T-54-3
• T-55 Four configurations: (2) (3) (4, with slat armour)
• PT-76B [1967]
• Type 59 Three configurations: (2) (3) (Can be armed with MANPADS)
• Type 62
• Type 63 Two configurations: (2)
•  Sinhŭng ''M-1985/PT-85/Type 82 or Type 85'' [1981] Two configurations: (2)
•  Ch'ŏnma "Chonma-ho I and II" [1976] (Can be armed with MANPADS and LRFs Two configurations: (2))
• Unknown Ch'ŏnma (1) with turret extension
• Unknown Ch'ŏnma (2) "Chonma-ho III or IV/M-1992" Two configurations: (2)
• Unknown Ch'ŏnma (3) "Chonma-ho IV or V"
• Ch'ŏnma-92 "Chonma-ho V" [1992]
• Ch'ŏnma-98 "Chonma-ho V" [2000] 
• Ch'ŏnma-214 [2001]
• Ch'ŏnma-215 "Pokpung-ho I" [2003]
• Ch'ŏnma-216 ''Chonma-ho VI/Pokpung-ho I or IV/M-2002'' [2004] (Can be armed with MANPADS and ATGMs)
•  Sŏn'gun-915 ''Pokpung-ho II, III or IV/Songun-ho/M-2002'' [2009] (Can be armed with ERA, MANPADS, ERA, ATGMs and MANPADS)

 

Infantry fighting vehicles

• BMP-1 ''Korshun'' (Not yet seen)
• BTR-80A 

Armoured personnel carriers

• BTR-152 (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen) 
• BTR-40 (Still believed to be in use)
• BTR-50 (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• BTR-60P (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen) 
• BTR-60PB
• 69 "66" [1969] (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
•  ''M-1992'
•  YW531A ''Type 63 or K-63''
•  323
•  323 "VTT-323/M-1973/Type 73/VET" [1973] (Can be armed with MANPADS), two configurations: (2)
•  107mm Type 63 on a 323 Two configurations: (2) 
• 323 with 122mm MRL
•  ''M-2010'' (Can be armed with MANPADS) 
•  Chunma-D "M-2010" [2009] (Can be armed with MANPADS)

Reconnaissance vehicles

• BTR-40Kh
• ''M-2010'' (Can be armed with MANPADS) 

Military engineering vehicles

• BTS-2
• Chonma ARV
• 323 ARV
•  Indigenous Tatra 813 based PMP pontoon bridge

 

Command vehicles

• BTR-60PU-12
•  323 Command vehicle Two configurations: (2)

 

Amphibious transports

• GAZ-46
• K-61
• Indigenous amphibious transport (1)
• Indigenous amphibious transport (2)
• Indigenous amphibious transport (3)

Heavy mortars

• 120mm M-1938
• 120mm 120-PM-43
• 160mm M160

Self-propelled mortars

•  82mm 323 "M-1985" [1976] (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
•  120mm "M-1992" [1978]
•  140mm [1981] (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
•  Unknown self-propelled mortar

Tank destroyers

• SU-100 (Still believed to be in use)
• 9P110 (Not yet seen)
• Tŏkch'ŏn based 100mm anti-tank gun [1972] (Can be armed with MANPADS)          
• 323 Based 100mm anti-tank gun [1972]          
• 323 Based 103mm anti-tank gun [1974] Two configurations: (2)
•  323 Based Unknown anti-tank gun
• Unknown tank destroyer (1)
• Unknown tank destroyer (2)
•  Unknown tank destroyer (3)
•  323 "M-1992" Susong-Po/Malyutka

Towed artillery

• 57mm (ZiS-2) anti-tank gun M-1943 (Not yet seen)
• 76mm (ZiS-3) anti-tank gun M-1942
• 85mm (D-44) anti-tank gun 
• 100mm (BS-3) field gun M-1944
• 122mm (M-30) howitzer M-1938
• 122mm (D-74 based) indigenous field gun
• 122mm (D-30) howitzer 2A18 (Not yet seen in original configuration)
•  122mm (D-30 based) indigenous field gun
• 130mm (M-46) field gun M-1954 
• 130mm (SM-4-1) coastal defense gun Two configurations: (2)
• 152mm (D-1) howitzer M-1943
• 152mm (ML-20) howitzer-gun M-1937
• 152mm (D-20 based) indigenous howitzer-gun 
•  (D-20 based) indigenous anti-tank gun

 

Self-propelled artillery

•  122mm (D-30) 323 ''M-1977'' [1976] 
• 122mm (D-30) 323 "M-1985" (Can be armed with MANPADS) 
•  122mm (Indigenous D-74) Tŏkch'ŏn "M-1981" [1978] (Can be armed with MANPADS)
• 122mm (Indigenous D-74) Chuch'ep'o "M-1991"
•  Unknown 122mm self-propelled howitzer
•  Unknown Chuch'ep'o ''M-1991''
• 130mm (Indigenous M-46) on an unknown chassis
• 130mm (Indigenous M-46) Tŏkch'ŏn "M-1975 or M-1981" Two configurations: (2)
• 130mm "M-1991 or M-1992"
•  130mm (SM-4-1) Tŏkch'ŏn "M-1991 or M-1992" [1974] (With windowpanes), (Can be armed with MANPADS)
• 152mm (D-20) on an unknown chassis
• 152mm (Indigenous D-20) Tŏkch'ŏn "M-1974 or M-1977" [1972] (With windowpanes)
•  152mm (Indigenous D-20) Tŏkch'ŏn "M-1985 or M-1991" 
•  170mm Chuch'ep'o "M-1978 Koksan" [1973] Two configurations: (2)
•  Unknown Chuch'ep'o "Koksan" Three configurations: (2) (3)
•  170mm Chuch'ep'o "M-1989 Koksan" [1983] Three configurations: (2) (3)
•  370mm recoilless gun [1984]

Multiple rocket launchers

• 107mm Type 63
• 107mm Type 63 on a Sungri-61NA (Can be armed with MANPADS)
• 107mm MRL on a ''M-1992'' APC 
• 122mm BM-11 tractor towed MRL Two configurations: (2) 
• 122mm BM-11 [1973] Two configurations: (2) 
• 122mm "M-1985"
• 122mm "M-1977" [1977]
• 122mm MRL on a ZiS-151 
• 122mm ''M-1993'' [1990]
• 122mm Unknown 40 barreled MRL (1)
• 122mm Unknown 40 barreled MRL (2) 
• 132mm BM-13 tractor towed MRL
• 200mm BMD-20 tractor towed MRL
• 200mm BMD-20 [1968]
• 240mm BM-24
•  240mm ''M-1985'' [1984] Three configurations: (2) (3)
• 240mm ''M-1989'' [1985]
• 240mm ''M-1991'' [1990] Four configurations: (2) (3) (4)
• 240mm 18 barreled MRL [1984] (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• 300mm MRL

 

Towed anti-aircraft guns

• 12.7mm DShK
• 14.5mm ZPU-2
• 14.5mm ZPU-4
• 14.5mm Automated ZPU-4
•  Indigenous 14.5mm gatling cannon (1) 
•  Indigenous 14.5mm gatling cannon (2)
•  30mm Gatling cannon ''M-1990'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen) 
•  30mm Gatling cannon ''M-1991'' [1991] (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• 37mm M-1939 (61-K)
• 37mm Type 65
• 57mm AZP S-60
• 57mm S-68A on S-60 mount
• 85mm KS-12 M-1939 (52-K) 
• 100mm KS-19 
• 130mm KS-30

 

Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns

• ZSU-23-4 (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen) 
• ZPU-4 on a ZiL-130
• ZPU-4 on an SR 131 Carpati
• ZPU-4 on a 323
• 14.5mm ''M-1983''
• 14.5mm ''M-1984'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• 30mm ''M-1989''
• 30mm ''M-1994'' (No photo publicly available)
• 37mm ''M-1978'' (Can be armed with MANPADS)
• 57mm ''M-1985''

 

Self-propelled SAM systems

• Pŏn'gae-3/9K35 Strela-10 
•  Mobile and upgraded S-75 on a MAZ-630308-224 
• Mobile S-125 on a KrAZ-255B
• Mobile S-125 on a MAZ-630308-224 
•  MANPADS launch platform on a ''M-1992''
•  MANPADS launch platform on a 323
•  Pŏn'gae-5 ''KN-06''
•  Pŏn'gae-6

 

Static SAM systems

• Pŏn'gae-1/S-75 Dvina "SA-2" 
• Pŏn'gae-2/S-125 Pechora quadruple launcher "SA-3"
• Pŏn'gae-4/S-200 Angara "SA-5"

 

Coastal Defence Missile Systems

• HY-2
• Indigenous HY-2 variants Five launcher configurations: (2) (3) (4) (5)
• Unknown coastal defence system
   

Artillery Rockets

• 2K6 Luna
• 9K52 Luna-M

 

Ballistic Missiles

• KN-02
• Hwasŏng-5 "Scud-B"
•  Hwasŏng-6 "Scud-C/Scud-PIP"
• Hwasŏng-7 "Scud-D"
•  Nodong-A ''Nodong-1/Scud-E''
• Nodong-B/BM-25 "Musudan" 
• Hwasŏng-13/Nodong-C/KN-08
• Paektusan-1 ''Taepodong-1''
• Paektusan-2 ''Taepodong-2'' 
• Unknown ballistic missile
   

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

• Tupolev DR-3 / M-141 Reys (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Shmel-1 (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)  
• Unknown UCAV (Can also be carried on a trailer) 

 

Radars

• P-8 ''Knife Rest A''
• P-10 ''Knife Rest B''
• P-12 ''Spoon Rest A'' (For the S-75)
• P-14 ''Tall King'' (Satellite imagery available)
• P-18 ''Spoon Rest D'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen) 
• P-20 ''Bar Lock'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen) 
• P-35 ''Bar Lock''
• P-37 ''Bar Lock'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen) 
• P-80/5N87 ''Back Net'' (Satellite imagery available)
• 5N62 ''Square Pair'' (For the S-200)
• Indigenous 30N6 ''Flap Lid'' (For Pŏn'gae-5 and Pŏn'gae-6)  
• ST-68U/36D6 ''Tin Shield'' (Satellite imagery available)
• SNR-75 ''Fan Song'' (Satellite imagery available) (For the S-75)
• SNR-125 ''Low Blow'' (For the S-125)
• PRV-11 ''Side Net'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen) 
• PRV-13 ''Odd Pair'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen) 
• PRV-17 ''Odd Pair'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• SNAR-2 on an ATS-59
• SON-4
• SON-9A "Fire Can" (For 57mm and 100mm AAA)
• MR-104 ''Drum Tilt'' Two configurations: (2) (For automated ZPU-4)
• YLC-8 (For the S-75)
• JY-8 "Wall Rust" (Satellite imagery available)
• DRL-7 antenna for RSP-7 radar
• Unknown radar system (1)
• Unknown radar system (2)
• Unknown radar system (3)
• Unknown radar system (4)
• Unknown radar system (5)
• Unknown radar system (6)

Trucks

• ZiL-130 (Can be armed with MANPADS and RPO-A Shmels) 
• ZiL-131 Four configurations: (2) (3) (4) (Can be armed with MANPADS) 
• ZiL-135
• ZiL-157
• ZiS-151 
• KraZ 255B Two configurations: (2)
• KrAZ-260
• Ural-375D
• Ural-4320
• MAZ-543
• Elongated MAZ-543
• Modified MAZ-547
• AT-S
• FAW Jiefang CA-30
• FAW Jiefang СА1091К2Е2
• Hongyan-Steyr 1st series  
• Dongfeng EQ2012
• Hongyan CQ260
• Shaanqi SX2150
• WS51200
• MAZ-630308-224 Three configurations: (2) (3)
• Indigenous Tatra 813 variant Three configurations: (2) (3)
• Indigenous ROMAN variant
• SR 131 Carpati
• Isuzu HTW 11
• Chaju-64 
• Chollima
• Kaengsaeng 68
• Sungri-58
• Sungri-58KA
• Sungri-61
• Sungri-61NA
• Sungri-64
• Sungri No.2 Two configurations: (2)
• Taebaeksan 70 Two configurations: (2) 
• Taebaeksan 96 Two configurations: (2) 
• Unknown truck

 

Jeeps

• GAZ-69
• UAZ-469 Three configurations: (2) (3) (Can be armed with ATGMs) 
• BAW BJ2020SJ
• BAW BJ2024CJB2
• Mercedez-Benz 230GE
• Kaengsaeng 68KA
• Kaengsaeng 68NA
• Kaengsaeng 85

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