- Yes
- No
- North Korea sub-tree in China
- United Korea tree
- I said no
- Other
History
The UAZ-469 is a Soviet military light utility vehicle, first entering production in 1971 and continuing to this day. The first UAZ-469 prototype was developed by Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (UAZ) in 1961 as a replacement for the aging GAZ-69. A couple more were produced with small design changes after, with the design being finalised in 1964.
The UAZ-469 has been exported to a number of countries, including North Korea. Deliveries took place during the 70s and early 80s, although no figures appear available.
Interestingly, the DPRK took the UAZ-469 and made their own slightly modified version – called the Kaengsaeng 85 (can you guess what year it was produced in?). Only a few of these were made, however, and they seem to be very rarely sighted now.
- Kaengsaeng 85 (left) and UAZ-469 (right)
In 2012, the UAZ-469 was spotted armed with a Bulsae-4M ATGM launcher. To my knowledge, it has only been spotted in two parades: April 15, 2012 and October 10, 2015, although it may well have been present in others.
Characteristics:
Weaponry
The UAZ-469 with Bulsae-4M removes the roof of the vehicle, and places the ATGM launcher at the rear. The Bulsae-4M is little-known, and often inaccurately called Bulsae-3 online. However, I will try and explain what it is. The Bulsae-2 is a license-produced copy (or just renamed import; they did both) of the Soviet 9M111-2 ‘Fagot’ ATGM. This was first delivered to the DPRK in 1988, continuing to 1991. The Bulsae-2 is a SACLOS missile with 460mm of penetration. Throughout the 90s and 2000s, the DPRK worked on a new ATGM, seemingly just the Bulsae-2 with upgraded sights and guidance systems – the Bulsae-2/Fagot is wire-guided, but the new ATGM is laser-beam riding. This ATGM has been given various names online: from simply Bulsae-2, upgraded Bulsae-2 or Bulsae-3. Bulsae-3 is also used sometimes to refer to North Korea’s locally-produced Kornet, but this is almost certainly wrong, as that is called Bulsae-5 (this appears to be an error caused by just being out-of-date; the name Bulsae-5 was publicly revealed in 2021)
In the BBC Documentary ‘The Mole’, it was, however, revealed in an arms brochure for this ATGM that its official name is ‘Phoenix-4M’ (Bulsae = Phoenix). Whether the M part specifically refers to a later model of the upgrade, and earlier variants are simply called Bulsae-4 – we don’t know.
- Arms brochure
- Bulsae-4M being tested in 2016. The lack of a wire and the new sights are clear
- Bulsae-4M on display at an arms exhibition
The Bulsae-4M may have an improved warhead, however the missile visually looks almost identical. If it doesn’t, it will probably still have 460mm of penetration, just as the Bulsae-2/9M111-2. What is clear however is that the missile is laser beam riding, like the Kornet, and thus doesn’t have the disadvantages that come with wire-guided ATGMs. The missile also has a separate anti-dazzling optic, stopping it being disrupted by laser dazzling systems. The missile may also have an increased range, although no figures are available.
Interesting Note
At some point in the 2000s, North Korea developed another similar upgrade for the Bulsae-2 – replacing the guidance system – for the export market, named the AT4-MLB (brochure below). This has a very different sight to the main version for the army. It has been seen being used by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.Spoiler
The vehicle is unlikely to have any significant amounts of storage space for spare missiles. I could see a couple – 3 or 4 – being placed in the rear, but where others would go I’m unsure, and we don’t have any information on this. This could be a limiting factor to its introduction over, for example, the M1992 APC with Bulsae-2.
Mobility, crew and other
The UAZ-469 has a 75hp engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 120km/h. It weighs 2.29t in its base form, although it will weigh a little more given the launcher and ammunition. The base form also has 7 seats, although this variant appears to only have 4 crew – presumably a commander, driver, gunner and loader.
The vehicle has, as you might expect, practically no armour. It will be very similar to the Type 93, stopping only the smallest of arms in only a few places. In-game, this vehicle will want to be played very cautiously at mid-long ranges, attempting to race into position and then snipe targets with the missile, then relocate.
Conclusion
The UAZ-469 would be a fun tank destroyer for a future North Korean tree, whether in a sub-tree or a full United Korean tree. It would provide the tree with a semi-unique missile on a very mobile hull, likely sitting around 7.3 or so.
Specifications
Armament
- Bulsae-4M launcher
- SACLOS, laser-beam riding
- 460mm penetration
- 186m/s
Armour
- Non-existent. ~0-5mm all around
Mobility
- Weight
- 2.29t
- Speed
- 75hp, 110km/h
Other
- Crew
- 4
Images
Sources
Spoiler
The Armed Forces of North Korea: On the Path of Songun – Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans
1972 UAZ 469 2.45 (75 Hp) | Technical specs, data, fuel consumption, Dimensions
