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- I said no
TL;DR: North Korean domestically-produced SPG, armed with a turreted, modified 130mm M-46 cannon, on an artillery-tractor (ATS-59 / ‘Tŏkch’ŏn’) chassis
History
During the Korean War, the Korean People’s Army (KPA) was primarily equipped with T-34-85s, alongside SU-76 SPGs. These were used to great effect at the start of the war, but were very quickly outmatched by UN / US armoured vehicles. The SU-76s remained in service after the war, alongside smaller numbers of SU-100s, and even smaller numbers of ISU-122s — likely obtained from the Chinese PVA. The KPA was also armed with very large numbers of towed artillery (and MRLs), which, prior to the 1970s, constituted virtually all of the country’s artillery. In the late 1960s and well into the 1970s, the KPA underwent a large-scale modernisation program. Part of this program surrounded the development of self-propelled artillery, which was sorely lacking from the KPA’s arsenal.
1. SU-76s and; 2. SU-100s during parades
The first attempts at this were made in the late 1960s, when a 152mm D-20 and modified 130mm M-46 (with the muzzle-brake of the SM-4-1) were mounted on a Soviet ATS-59 artillery tractor chassis. These did not enter production, but did pave the way for a number of very successful designs. Production began in earnest in the 1970s, with the development of five separate SPGs (alongside a few other vehicle types) on the aforementioned ATS-59 chassis — these are collectively called the Tŏkch’ŏn (Tokchon) by the US DoD, although this name does not appear to official. The first vehicle was first built in 1972, and was armed with a domestically-produced 152mm howitzer, based on the Soviet D-20, but fitted with a new muzzle-brake. The second was built in 1974, and was armed with an open-turreted 130mm M-46 (modified as above). The third was likely built around the same time (1974–75), and armed with the same 130mm M-46 cannon, but without a turret. The fourth was built in 1978, and armed with a domestic 122mm cannon, based heavily on the D-74. The fifth was built sometime in the 1980s, and was armed with the same 152mm howitzer as the first type, but in a fully-enclosed turret.
SPGs at the KPA Exhibition of Arms and Equipment in Pyongyang. The five vehicles along the front row, from closest to camera to furthest are the: 1972 152mm SPH; 1978 122mm SPG; 1974 130mm SPG; 1973 170mm SPG (Chuch’ep’o); 1983 170mm SPG (Chuch’ep’o)
The focus of this suggestion is on the second vehicle in the series. The US DoD ascribes the name ‘M1991’ and ‘M1992’ to this design. The official KPA designation is 1974-model 130mm self-propelled level-fire gun [1974년식 130mm 자행평사포] — for brevity, I will refer to it as the 1974 130mm SPG. The 1974 130mm SPG entered production in 1974, and is primarily seen during parades, although it has also been present at exercises. It is more commonly seen than the non-turreted 130mm-armed SPG, and was likely a crucial first step towards the development of fully turreted SPGs — like the fully-enclosed 152mm-armed ATS-59 SPG built in the 1980s, paving the way for the subsequent ‘M1991’ and ‘M1992’ SPGs and the Chuch’e 107 155mm SPG. Much like other SPGs in the family, the 1974 130mm SPG has been seen with MANPADS — two crew members at the rear of the cabin carry shoulder-mounted 9K310 Igla-1s. This configuration was first seen during the parade on April 25th, 1992, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army.
Note on Naming Scheme
North Korea split their self-propelled guns into three main categories:
- Self-Propelled ‘Direct-Fire’ Guns [자행직사포], e.g. the 100mm-armed ATS-59- and 323-based vehicles
- Self-Propelled ‘Level-Fire’ Guns [자행평사포], e.g. this vehicle and the 170mm-armed Chuch’ep’o
- Self-Propelled ‘Curved-Fire’ Guns [자행곡사포], e.g. the 1978 122mm SPG, the 1972 152mm SPG, and the Chuch’e 107 155mm SPG
I have chosen to translate them as follows:
- Self-Propelled ‘Direct-Fire’ Guns → Tank Destroyer (TD). A more literal translation would be Self-Propelled Anti Tank Gun (SPATG), but this is not commonly used
- Self-Propelled ‘Level-Fire’ Guns → Self-Propelled Gun (SPG)
- Self-Propelled ‘Curved-Fire’ Guns → Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH)
Characteristics
The 1974 130mm SPG is armed with a domestically-produced 130mm M-46, modified with the muzzle-brake of the SM-4-1, housed in a semi-enclosed turret. This cannon is limited to firing HE and APHE rounds. It can fire BR-482B APCBC rounds — the same as on the IS-7 and Obj. 279 in-game — at 930m/s, capable of penetrating 328mm @ 0° @ 10m. It can also fire OF-482M HE, weighing 33.4kg with 3.64kg of explosive mass, at a muzzle velocity of 930/s, capable of penetrating 37mm @ 0°. It also has a reduced charge variant, which has a muzzle velocity of 705m/s. 3OF33 HE is largely identical to full-charge OF-482M, but has an improved explosive mass of 4.17kg, able to penetrate 38mm @ 0°. North Korean OF-482M shells have been delivered to Russia, confirming their production.
1974 130mm SPGs during the October 2015 parade, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ruling Worker’s Party of Korea
The number of rounds carried is unknown. However, unlike other vehicles in the same family, the 1974 130mm SPG appears to have two ammunition crates located in front of the turret. Two separate variants have been seen: one with shorter crates, seen in very few instances, and one with substantially larger crates. It appears that the turret and large 130mm cannon reduces the amount of internal ammunition severely, and thus the external ammunition crates are a necessity.
The two types of ammunition crate seen. The latter, larger ones are more common
The 130mm M-46 typically has a rate of fire of 5-6rpm, albeit when loaded with the full number of crew. This is likely to be fairly heavily reduced on the 1974 130mm SPG, due to the cramped space inside the turret, possibly down to 2–3rpm. 4–6 crew members are seen during parades, with two of those used for the MANPADS (if carrying). If mounted the same as the standalone cannon, it could elevate from -2.5° to +45°. The turret appears to be fully-traversable, although this is not confirmed.
Some vehicles have been seen armed with MANPADS — two crew members are situated at the rear of the turret, with shoulder-mounted 9K310 Igla-1s. The 9K310 fires the 9M313 missile, an IR-guided missile with a range of 5km and a ceiling of 2.5km. It has a top speed of 570m/s — it is overall similar to the 9M39 Igla, but with slightly worse performance.
The 1974 130mm SPG during the 1992 parade, with two crew members carrying MANPADS at the rear
The 1974 130mm SPG is based on the ATS-59 chassis, but the superstructure has been heavily modified. The cab has been removed and replaced by sloped armour, with the driver’s position appearing to have been lowered slightly. The hull has been opened up in the rear 2/3rds of the vehicle. On this vehicle, the 130mm is fitted inside an open turret — due to the size of the cannon, it is shifted further back than on other vehicles in the family. The turret is thinly-armoured, presumably less than 15mm all around. The thickness of the hull armour is unknown, and unlikely to resist much more than small arms fire. Occasionally, it has been seen — like with most other vehicles in this family — with (presumably bullet-proof) glass windows for the two crew members in the hull.
The ATS-59 is fitted with an A-650 V12 diesel engine, producing 300hp @ 1700rpm. It is impossible to verify if the engine fitted to the 1974 130mm SPG, and other ATS-59-based SPGs, is the same, although it seems likely. The exhaust and engine deck appear to be unmodified. The ATS-59 has a top speed of 39km/h. It weighs 13.5t — unladen. Like most other details, once again, the weight of the SPGs is unknown. A rough calculation would put the weight at around 23t, given the weight of the cannon (~7.7t), ammunition, and modifications to the hull. This would give the vehicle a power-to-weight ratio of roughly 13hp/t.
Conclusion
The 1974 130mm SPG would be an excellent addition to a future United Korean tech tree, as a mid-tier SPG. It would have an extremely powerful APHE round, which is currently in-game on the IS-7, Object 279, and PLZ83-130, and somewhat more flexibility than the other ATS-59-based SPGs, due to the turret. It still has poor armour and mobility, however. In many ways, it would be an analogue to the PLZ83-130 (BR 7.3), although certainly worse in a few key aspects. Therefore, it would likely go at a BR of around 6.3–6.7 — and could also be added with two MANPADS, providing much-needed cover against aircraft and helicopters.
Specifications
Armament
- 130mm M-46
- Unknown ammunition capacity; 2x external ammo crates
- Ammunition
- BR-482B APCBC
- 328mm @ 0° @ 10m
- OF-482M HE
- 37mm @ 0°
- OF33 HE
- 38mm @ 0°
- BR-482B APCBC
- Vertical Guidance
- -2.5°/+45°
- Horizontal Guidance
- 360° (estimate)
- 2x 9K310 Igla-1 launchers
- 9M313 SAM
- Guidance
- IR-guided
- Range
- 5km
- 2.5km ceiling
- Speed
- 570m/s
- Guidance
- 9M313 SAM
Armour
- Hull
- Unknown — likely <10mm all around
- Turrret
- Unknown — likely <15mm all around
Mobility
- Speed
- 39km/h
- Weight
- ~23t (estimate)
- Engine power
- 300hp, ~13hp/t (estimate)
Other
- Crew
- 4–6 (6 if with MANPADS)
Images
Sources
Spoiler
The Armed Forces of North Korea — On the Path of Songun. Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans.
무장장비관 견문록(1) ‘불새’를 쏘는 ‘무적의 첨단전차’:자주시보
- This author grossly over-exaggerates the capabilites of North Korean equipment, but has visited the KPA museum in Pyongyang and — seemingly accurately — reported the names of vehicles / equipment
130mm M-46 | Weaponsystems.net
First Batch of North Korean 130mm Artillery Shells Arrive in Russia