Kia_KM450

K311 cargo truck

K311 cargo truck

1 1/4–ton cargo truck


The K311 is a 4x4 multipurpose 1 1/4–ton class cargo truck developed for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and was introduced in 1980. It is commonly known as 4-5 (5/4) ton (4-5 톤) or military Dodge (군용 닷지), because it replaced and had similar appearance with Dodge M37. It is a modernized version of the American Kaiser Jeep M715 truck, which was also designed with an intention to replace the M37 truck.[note 1] The truck was produced by Asia Motors until Hyundai merged the company with Kia Motors in 1999.[note 2][5][6] The KM450 is an export name designated by Kia Motors, and the name is used widely outside of South Korea for both old and new variants.

Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...

General Characteristics

K311A1

In June 2000, Kia Motors signed a deal with Turkish company, and began product improvement program (PIP) on K131, K311, and K511 series. The export plan was cancelled due to 2001 Turkish economic crisis; nonetheless, Kia Motors, which has already spent a lot of money, decided that it could not stop the project, and invested a total of 10.43 billion KRW to finish the program by April 2003.[7]

The easiest way to distinguish K311 and K311A1 is by checking the number of front windshield (two pieces in K311 vs one piece in K311A1) and the number of wipers (two in K311 vs three in K311A1).

K311A2

The K311A2 is a second upgrade variant of the K311 first revealed at DX Korea 2018. It has a hardtop roof on driving section, air conditioner, and navigation system as a default.[8] The vehicle is unlikely to be adopted by South Korea as K311s are being replaced with K151 series.

Variants

Philippine Army KM451 Ambulance
  • K311 (KM450) Cargo Truck: Introduced in 1980.[6][9]
    • K311A1 (KM450) Cargo Truck: Upgraded variant. Introduced in 2003.[6][9]
    • K311A1 (KM450) Chassis[10]
    • K311A1 (KM454) Shelter Cargo
  • K312 (KM451) Ambulance: Introduced in 1982. All were converted to K311 cargo truck after replacing with K312A1 by 2014, 5 years ahead the schedule.[11][9]
    • K312A1 (KM451) Ambulance: Upgraded variant. Introduced in 2005. It has an air conditioning system, 22 additional kits, and other life support items.[11][9][12][13]
  • K313 (KM452) Shop Van: Introduced in 1985.[14][9]
    • K313A1 (KM452) Shop Van: Upgraded variant. Introduced in 2007.[14][9]
  • K314 Communication Equipment Installation Vehicle[15]
  • K315 Cipher Vehicle[15]
  • K316 (KM453) NBC Reconnaissance: Introduced in 1996.[9][16]
  • K317 Biological Reconnaissance: Introduced in 2002. Developed to prepare for possible biological terrorism during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[9][17]
  • K319 Bulletproof Truck: Introduced in 2004. Developed for use by the Zaytun Division during the Iraq War.[9][18]

Other variations with unknown/no given model number[19]

  • 1¼ ton Cargo Truck - RHD
  • Artillery Commanding Vehicle
  • Cargo Truck - Generator
  • Communication Shelter Mounted Vehicle
  • Electronic Weather Monitor Mounted Vehicle
  • Field Catering Truck
  • Military Caravan
  • Smoke Generator Mounted Vehicle
Daewoo K4 automatic grenade launcher mounted on the K311

List of guns or other systems mounted on the truck

Foreign variants

Ukrainian Bogdan Bars-6 built on KM450 chassis
  • Sudan SarSar-1: Sudanese armored reconnaissance vehicle based on the KM450 chassis.[23]
  • Sudan SarSar-2: Sudanese armored reconnaissance vehicle based on the KM450 chassis.[24][23]
  • Ukraine Bogdan Bars-6: Ukrainian armored utility vehicle based on KM450 chassis.

Operators

 Benin

  • Operated since 2018.[25]

 Botswana

  • Received KM450 in 2018.[26]

 Brunei

  • Received KM450 in 2018.[27]

 Cambodia

  • South Korea donated 50 K311s in 2012.[28] Another batch of unspecified number of K311s was donated in 2017.[29][30]

 Central African Republic[31]

 Chile

 Colombia

 Mali

  • Local assembly by Korean-Malian joint company Wad Youngsan Industries S.A. in Banankoro since 2016.[34]

 Mongolia

  • South Korea donated 13 K311s in 2012 along with other equipment to support Mongolian UN PKO missions in Afghanistan and Sudan.[35][36][37]

 Niger

  • Operated since at least 2019.[38] Acquired 100 vehicles in July 2022.[39] Acquired 100 vehicles in January 2023.[40][41] Purchased 100 vehicles for Nigerien special forces in March 2023.[42]

 Philippines: Received 1,368 KM450s, 120 KM451s, 157 K311s, and unknown number of KM452s.

  • 651 KM450s purchased in 2007.[43] South Korea donated 157 K311s in 2010.[44] 60 KM451s purchased in 2012.[45][46] 717 KM450s purchased in 2015.[47][48] 60 KM451s were added in 2016.[49] Some retired K311s were offered to civilian market.

 Saudi Arabia[50][better source needed]

 South Korea

  • Operates more than 10,000 vehicles as of 2016.[1]

 South Sudan

 Sudan

  • Local production by the Military Industry Corporation (MIC) of Sudan.[1]

 Thailand

 Ukraine

  • The KM450 chassis was used for manufacturing Bogdan Bars-6 armored vehicle since 2015. In 2021, the chassis was selected to replace R-125 KshM, which is a command vehicle variant based on the UAZ-3151. It was produced by Bogdan Motors to supply to Telekart-Prylad for installing K-1450-06 KshM on the truck. However, Bogdan Motors filed bankruptcy in same year. 20 chassis were purchased at the auction by the charity created by Serhiy Prytula, and were donated for military use.[52][53][54][55][56]

Non-state operators

Coordination of Azawad Movements

  • Captured from Mali.[57]

Islamic State Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS)

  • Captured from Mali.[58]

Islamic State Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM)

  • All vehicles were captured from Malian military inventory. The first 5 vehicles were captured in January 2018,[59] and these vehicles were used for attacks on Malian military that lead to additional capture or destruction of Malian owned vehicles.[60][61][62]

Wagner Group

  • Provided by Mali.

Houthi

See also

Notes

    1. It is unclear what kind of contracts were made due to lack of sources. There is a possibility that the U.S. government provided the blueprint for free to South Korea to keep the supplies manufactured, similar way the U.S. did to other military gears that are no longer produced in the U.S. but used by South Korea.
    2. Both Asia Motors and Kia Motors were owned by Hyundai in 1998.

    References

    1. "[양욱의 Wide & Wise 군사] 우리 군의 발, 이대로 좋은가? 80년대 트럭에서 벗어나려는 한국군". it.chosun.com (in Korean). 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
    2. "K311A1 카고│기아 특수차량 사이트". special.kia.com. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
    3. "K311A1 Catalogue" (PDF). Kia Special Vehicles.
    4. "KM450 Catalogue" (PDF). Kia Special Vehicles.
    5. "K311A1 Cargo Truck│기아 특수차량 사이트". special.kia.com. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
    6. "기아자동차, DX KOREA 2018 방산전시회 참가". 현대자동차그룹 (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-08-28.
    7. "K312A1 Ambulance│기아 특수차량 사이트". special.kia.com. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
    8. "군용 구급차 세대교체..구형 구급차 조기도태 유도". 헤럴드경제 (in Korean). 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
    9. "軍구급차 새차 뽑는다". Aju Business Daily (in Korean). 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
    10. "K313A1 Shop Van│기아 특수차량 사이트". special.kia.com. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
    11. "[운전면허] 한미자동차운전면허학원". www.hanmidrive.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-09-08.
    12. "Kia Corporation's special vehicle website". special.kia.com. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
    13. "Camiones, Utilitarios y MRAPs del Ejército de Colombia - Página 158". América Militar: información sobre defensa, seguridad y geopolítica (in European Spanish). 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
    14. Martin, Guy (2017-03-08). "Sudan puts its metal on display at IDEX". defenceWeb. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
    15. "보츠와나 수출 군용트럭 운행교육 수료식 개최". 재외동포신문 (in Korean). 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
    16. "News - HANDOVER CEREMONY OF KIA MILITARY VEHICLE..." www.mindef.gov.bn. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
    17. "Cambodia receives donated Kia vehicles". Shephard Media. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
    18. "기아 軍전술차량 'KLTV181' 칠레 해병대에 배치…대테러 작전 수행". www.theguru.co.kr (in Korean). 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
    19. "아프리카 말리 수출되는 '기아 KM 450트럭' 아시나요". 글로벌이코노믹 (in Korean). 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
    20. 김, 수한 (2012-05-21). "우리 군, 몽골군에 군수품 준다". 헤럴드경제 (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-08-30.
    21. 김, 수한 (2012-11-07). "국방부, 몽골군에 안쓰는 군용품 준다". 헤럴드경제 (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-08-30.
    22. "징기스칸의 후예, 한국군 장비 물려 받는다". 뉴데일리 (in Korean). 2012-05-21. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
    23. "니제르 KM450 정비단 방한 정비교육 실시". special.kia.com. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
    24. "아프리카 니제르軍, 기아 전술차량 'KM450' 100대 국경에 실전 배치". www.theguru.co.kr (in Korean). 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
    25. "Nigér acquires 100 KIA all-terrain military vehicles". Military Africa. 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
    26. "Nigér special forces fielding Bulgarian made AR-M52T assault rifles". Military Africa. 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
    27. 유, 재훈 (2020-10-03). "한국 무기로 국방력 키우는 필리핀…함정이어 공격헬기 눈독". 헤럴드경제 (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-02-18.
    28. Philippine Defense. "Field Ambulance (Phase 2) Joint Acquisition Project of the Philippine Army and Philippine Marine Corps". Philippine Defense Resource. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
    29. Mangosing, Frances (2016-01-06). "AFP acquires 717 military trucks for operations, disaster response". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
    30. "'Made in Korea' 호위함, 필리핀軍의 희망으로 떠올라". 주간동아 (in Korean). 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
    31. Malyasov, Dylan (2016-10-01). "Korea offers Light Tactical Vehicle for Philippine army". Defence Blog.
    32. "Rare vie of Saudi Army Kia KM450 LUV armed with ZPU-4 AA gun". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-09-08.
    33. "The Armed Forces of Ukraine are adopting a KIA KM450 jeep". Ukraine Today. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
    34. "기아차, KM450 트럭, 우크라이나 군에 공급". 글로벌이코노믹 (in Korean). 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
    35. "기아 'KM450 軍 전술차량' 우크라이나 야전 투입". www.theguru.co.kr (in Korean). 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
    36. "KM450 used by CMA". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-10-02.
    37. "The Weaponry of IS West Africa: Raiders in the Sahel (Pt 3)". Calibre Obscura. 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
    38. "JNIM captured 5 KM450s". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-09-09.
    39. "Captured KM450 in operations". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-09-09.
    40. "KM450 captured by JNIM at X". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-09-09.
    41. "2 captured KM450s by JNIM". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-09-09.

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