M1991 Chuch'e-Po (2018)

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M1991 Chuch’e-Po (2018)

Unknown official name

Brief History
North Korea has a surprisingly long history of tank and AFV production, with some of their most recent developments being very interesting. During the Korean War, and for a couple decades after, North Korea relied on Soviet hand-me-downs, namely T-34s and their derivatives, T-55s, etc. However, in the 70s, the DPRK started development of their first MBTs based on their copy of the T-62 (Ch’ŏnma), which have continually been upgraded to this day.They haven’t just built MBTs, however. They have a number of other AFVs, such as SPGs and tank destroyers (conventional and ATGMs).

The Chuch’e-Po (Chuch’e meaning ‘self-reliance’; also romanized as Juche) chassis was developed sometime in the 90s to replace the older Tŏkch’ŏn SPG series. This has formed the basis for a number of SPGs, one of which is the Chuch’e-Po (2018). M1991 is the designation given by the US DoD, although M1992 also appears to be used interchangeably.

Characteristics
The Chuch’e-Po chassis is derived from the later Ch’ŏnma MBT variants, specifically the Ch’ŏnma-215 onwards, as evidenced by the 6 roadwheels, instead of the 5 of the T-62/early Ch’ŏnma’s. Everything else about the hull is new however, although it does bear some visual similarities to the Soviet 2S3 Akatsiya.

There are supposedly around 4 variants of the Chuch’e-Po, all with different armaments – one with the D-74 122mm, one with the D-30 122mm, and two with 152mm cannons. I’m unsure of the accuracy of this claim however, some other sources claim they are indigenous 122mm guns, especially as images don’t line up perfectly (and I haven’t seen any good sources talking about the 152mm versions). The 2018 version I’m suggesting here mounts one of the 122mm cannons, which some sources state is an elongated D-30. I think this is the most accurate claim, but it definitely has been modified to be both longer and to have a bore evacuator (which neither the D-74 nor the D-30 have). But, this does mean we have some technical characteristics we can extrapolate.

The standard D-30 has a variety of shells, from at least 2 HE rounds, 2 HEAT-FS rounds (one of which has 460-580mm penetration), as well as smoke. This makes it somewhat similar to the 2S1/2S3M in game with their HEAT rounds, which not many other SPGs have.

The vehicle has a closed turret, a first for North Korean SPGs. Compared to the earlier versions, the 2018 version has:

  • 2x roof-mounted Igla, as seen on plenty of their MBTs
  • 2x 30mm grenade launchers (copy of Soviet AGS-17)
  • Smoke launchers on turret

Conclusion
This vehicle would be a great indigenous mid-tier SPG for a North Korean sub-tree. I propose it goes at roughly BR 6.3-6.7, as it has a 122mm like the 2S1 at 6.0, but likely has access to a much more powerful HEAT-FS round, as well as the addition of smoke grenades and even the Igla (whether this would bring it up in BR I’m unsure about).

Specifications
Armament

  • 122mm D-30 (modified) [likely higher velocity]
    • OF-462 HE
    • 30F56 HE
    • BK-6M HEAT-FS
    • BK-13 HEAT-FS

Armour

  • Hull
    • Front
      • Unknown, likely roughly 7-20mm
    • Sides
      • Unknown, likely roughly 7-20mm
    • Rear
      • Unknown, likely roughly 7-20mm
  • Turret
    • Front
      • Unknown, likely roughly 7-20mm
    • Sides
      • Unknown, likely roughly 7-20mm
    • Rear
      • Unknown, likely roughly 7-20mm

Mobility

  • Speed
    • ~50km/h
  • Weight
    • Unknown
  • Engine power
    • Unknown

Other

  • Smoke grenades
  • 2x Igla
  • 2x 30mm grenade launcher

Images

Spoiler

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Sources

Spoiler

朝鲜的轻中型防空武器汇总 自行火炮、自行火箭炮、自行反坦克导弹发射车底盘篇 - 知乎
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/modern-dprk/
M1992 130-mm Self-Propelled Gun | MilitaryToday.com
General artillery, SPGs, MLRS and long range ATGMs thread. - Page 31 - Mechanized Warfare - Sturgeon's House

2 Likes

This is called something else, the Juche-po is the 170mm self propelled gun.

You’re thinking of the Koksan. This is correct.

The nameplate on the 170mm gun says “Ju Che Po”. So this artillery piece has another name, not Juche-po. This should instead by the Tokchon.

I’ve found the issue. “Juche-po” is the name of a larger local artillery development program. “Koksan” is the name given to the 170mm SPG based on the Type 59 by the United States, so in that case, both are correct. “Tokchon” is a whole family of SPGs, with 100mm, 122mm, 130mm, and 152mm cannon sizes mounted on the ATS-59 artillery tractor. The SPG often referred to simply as “Juche-po” is a later development of the Tokchon series with a 122mm gun on an improved chassis based on the Ch’ŏnma.

There are a lot of different names for North Korean equipment. Some are domestic and some are Western, and even those have changed over the years and across different sources. Not only that, but the secretive nature of the DPRK makes identification difficult, and often things get misrepresented when they look similar.

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This is not the Tokchon series. I have another 4-5 posts pending on those vehicles. They’re based on the ATS-59 chassis, whereas the Juche series is based on a new chassis inspired by the Ch’onma. @JamesPond1200 is right about how the different vehicles are named.

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Glad I could help clear all that up. Looking forward to seeing all the various Tokchon SPGs, especially the 100mm tank destroyer and 130mm artillery!

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