The South Korean K30 Biho (Flying Tiger) twin 30mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun was developed to meet the operational requirements of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces for a highly mobile short range air defense system suited to the operational and terrain conditions of the Korean peninsula. It combines an electro-optically guided 30 mm gun system with a surveillance radar system on a K200 chassis. It supplements the K263A1 Chungung, a self-propelled 20 mm Vulcan system. The vehicle entered production with Doosan DST (now Hanwha Defense Systems.), in 1996 and 176 vehicles have been built exclusively for the ROKA, which entered service around 1999.
A K30 Biho system consists of twin 30 mm guns, a TPS-830K surveillance and fire-control radar, an electro-optical targeting system (EOTS), panoramic periscope, forward looking infrared system (FLIR), laser rangefinder (LRF), thermal sight, a TV camera, and a digital fire-control system. The combined targeting system of EOTS, FLIR, and LRF has a targeting range of 7 km (4.3 mi). The TPS-830K radar can detect and track a 2 m2 (22 sq ft)-RCS target from a range of 17 km (11 mi). The cannons have a cyclic rate of fire of 600 rpm and an effective anti-aircraft range of 3,000 m (1.9 mi), and each is loaded with 300 rounds of ammunition. In December 2013, DAPA announced that the Biho had been integrated with the Shingung surface-to-air missile to increase its coverage to 7 km. Two pods each containing two missiles are mounted, one of each side of the turret. Design integration with the missiles was completed in 2014, and by October 2015 the system was in full-rate production.
The TPS-830K radar of K30 is an X-band (8 to 12.5 GHz) surveillance and fire-control pulse-Doppler radar, specialized for use against low-flying aircraft. The radar also features a real-time early warning, multiple target detection, and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) subsystem, to activate self defence anti-chaff counter measure device systems. It supplies ballistic computation data to the digital fire-control system to direct the aim of the electro-optical targeting system, which then aligns the 30 mm guns with the target for accurate fire. The radar can be installed on a separate vehicle (usually a 5-ton six-wheeled truck with a self-towed generator unit) to serve as an independent surveillance platform for other short range air defense systems. The secondary FLIR system and laser rangefinder supplements the TPS-830K radar to provide additional targeting means in case the radar is rendered inoperative, or is turned off to retain the element of surprise against aircraft that are equipped with radar warning receivers.
The K30 adapts the chassis of the K200 infantry fighting vehicle, but has some differences. It has an extra roadwheel in its suspension and uses a D2840L engine instead of the D2848T engine of the K200, with an increase in engine power from 350 horsepower to 520 horsepower, necessary since the K30 weighs almost twice as much as the K200. Allison Transmission’s X200-5K transmission is likewise replaced by S&T Dynamics’ HMPT500-3EK/4EK to accommodate the more powerful engine. The modified chassis largely retains the protection and amphibious capability of the original chassis.
