Four Korean-Type AAV-7 Delivered to Philippines

04 Mei 2019

KAAV-7A1 of the Philippines Marines Corps (all photos : Defense Times)

[Biz Korea] Hanhwa Defense delivered a Korean-type landing armored car for the Philippine Marines, which contracted for 60 billion won, to the Philippines. According to military and defense officials, four of the eight Korean-type landing armored vehicles ordered by the Philippine Army were delivered in April. 

The amphibious armored car is an amphibious armored vehicle that has landed on the coast where the enemy occupies the marines in the sea and has been in use since 1951. In 1998, the AAV7-A1, which is used by the US Marine Corps, was manufactured in Korea under the technology introduction scheme and is being operated under the name of Korean-type landing armored vehicle (KAAV-7A1). In addition to the KAAV-7A1 for troop transport, command vehicles and support vehicles were also produced. 

Korean marine amphibious assault armored vehicles are used not only for landing operations but also for Doha operations with the army. In November 2009, ten Korean LVT-7A1s were delivered to the Indonesian marines for free, as Korean-type landing armored vehicles were produced. Korean Marines are currently operating more than 160 AAV7-A1, the world's largest, after the US Marines.

Currently, Hanwha Defense is the only company in Korea that has production lines for AAV7-A1, except the United States, which is the original developing country. In April 2016, Korea's Korean landing armored vehicle was awarded BAE Systems' AAV7A1 in the landing assault armored car project which was promoted as a part of Philippine's plan to strengthen the book defense capacity.

At the time, the Philippine Department of Defense handed selects Hanwha Defense, which offered better conditions in terms of performance and price, in the project of introducing eight landing assault armored vehicles of 2,423 million pesos (about 60.1 billion won). In October last year, the Marines of the Philippines dispatched 20 Marines such as Bacolcol (Jean) to our marine training training team to acquire various know-how in order to operate Korean-type landing assault vehicles. In addition, various technical manuals of the Korean-type landing armored vehicles were also translated into English.

Four Korean-type landing armored vehicles delivered to the Philippine Army are likely to be released locally on the Philippine Navy Day on Thursday, defense officials said. Our army is carrying out Korean-type landing car-II project which is superior to Korean-type landing armored car currently in operation. 

The Marines' next landing assault vehicle is expected to have a battle weight of 35 tons, 7.4 tons heavier than the Korean-type landing armored vehicle, and an engine output of 1500 horsepower, higher than the existing 400 horsepower. The main weapon is equipped with a 40mm cannon, which boasts a powerful firepower and will be more than doubled in protection. The maximum speed of the water is known as 20 km/h. The appearance of the next amphibious assault vehicle is known to be similar to that of an Expeditionary Combat Vehicle (EFV) that the US Marines are relinquishing at too high a price.

(BizHankook)