North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un presents a state-of-the-art tank at a trade fair

Better than the German Leopard 2?

Kim Jong Un unveils state-of-the-art tank

North Korea has unveiled a new tank model. Technically it is at the forefront of the world, but it has yet to be used.

North Korea presented its new Tianma 2 tank for the first time at a trade fair. The successor to the Chonma 2 has several new features that make it a modern fighting device. It has automatic reloading and requires a crew of three instead of four, as the military website “Militarywatch Magazine” reports. What is also new is that the tank can fire faster than older models.

The automatic reloading function was developed during the Soviet Union and then found its way into Chinese and South Korean tanks. The USA and Germany don’t have them yet, even if the American M1 Abrams is due to get them in 2030, as “Militarywatch Magazine” reports. The advantage of this function is that it eliminates the need for a loader.

The Tianma 2’s protective devices are also apparently new. A radar should constantly monitor the environment and detect incoming projectiles, calculate their path and be able to trigger defensive measures. So far, only a few tanks worldwide have such sophisticated active defense systems, the report says. Russia only installed them in its T-90 tanks in August 2024. The German Leopard-2 so far only has passive defenses, such as reinforced armor and ventilation systems in the event of attacks with chemical weapons. In the Ukraine war, several tanks were also equipped with cages designed to intercept attacking drones.

According to the report, the Tianma 2 has a 125 mm cannon that can fire armor-piercing ammunition with even greater penetration than the previous model. The second weapon on board is a 12.7 mm machine gun. The tank turret is apparently equipped with anti-drone technology. Additionally, the Tianma 2 is said to be capable of firing anti-tank missiles, referred to as Bulsae-4. These missiles are already in use as part of North Korea’s arms deliveries to Russia in the Ukraine war.

With reinforced armor, North Korea’s newest military device is intended to offer the greatest possible passive defense against impacts. Protective grilles around the tank are intended to help against attacks with rocket-propelled grenades. A panoramic vision system for the commander and gunner enables improved target acquisition and tracking as well as significantly improved situational awareness. According to the military magazine’s assessment, the Tianma 2 appears to be North Korea’s first world-class battle tank class. “Its performance appears to be quite competitive with leading competitors such as the German Leopard 2A7, the Chinese VT-4 and the Russian T-90M,” the report said.

It is not known whether there is already series production. North Korea is constantly expanding its military strength – in addition to ground weapons, also with missiles that have a long range. While the South, from which the country has been separated since the Korean War, is the declared main enemy, dictator Kim Jong Un has also repeatedly warned the USA. Since the war in Ukraine, North Korea has become an important arms supplier to Russia. In addition to artillery ammunition, North Korea has also sent thousands of its soldiers to war. It will be interesting to see whether modern weapon systems such as the Tianma 2 will soon appear on the front in Ukraine.