Bulsae ATGM
The Bulsae ATGM is a family of anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems developed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea.
History
[edit]Bulsae-2
[edit]North Korea is said to have acquired a number of 9K111 Fagot systems in the late 20th century. These were subsequently reverse-engineered and given the designation Bulsae-2.[1]
Bulsae-3
[edit]The Bulsae-3 was advertised as the AT-4MLB by North Korean proxy company GLOCOM,[failed verification] and in their brochure it was stated that it is controlled by laser beam guidance method,[2][3][4][5] The first international customers of the Bulsae-3 was reported in 2014 to be the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades.[6]
The Chonma-216 variant of the Pokpung-ho main battle tank (MBT) has been seen fitted with Bulsae-3, which a source alleges to have been derived from the AT-14 Spriggan.[7]
The 2020 Cheonma-2 MBT prototype has the Bulsae-3 as secondary armament. It is said to be reversed engineered Soviet/Russian 9K111 Fagot or 9M133 Kornet missiles.[7][8] However, the diameter of the ATGM launchers appears to be 150 mm like the 9M133, rather than 120 mm of the 9K111 and may thus have a higher penetration.[9]
Bulsae-4
[edit]Eight-tube launcher mounted on a M-2010 6×6 APC chassis.[10] According to the South Korean National Intelligence Service, the Bulsae-4 was observed during the 2024–25 Kursk offensive, though it is unclear if they are used by Russian or North Korean troops.[11] The system is analogous to Israel's Spike-ER, China's ATF-10 and Serbia's ALAS multi-purpose wire-guided missiles.[12][13]
Bulsae-5
[edit]The Songun-915 variant of the Pokpung-ho series of tanks has been seen fitted with Bulsae-5, which a source alleges to have been derived from the 9M133 Kornet.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "North Korea Country Handbook: Marine Corps Intelligence Activity" (PDF). Fas.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ Berger, Andrea (14 July 2017). Target Markets: North Korea's Military Customers. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781351713009.
- ^ "Glocom is at It Again".
- ^ Bulsae-2 - Anti-tank guided missile, archived from the original on 11 April 2023
- ^ The State of the North Korean Military, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 18 March 2020, archived from the original on 4 April 2021
- ^ "Oryx Blog on DPRK Arms Exports". Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- ^ a b Trevithick, Joseph; Rogoway, Tyler (12 October 2020). "We Take A Closer Look At North Korea's New Prototype Main Battle Tank". The Drive. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
- ^ "North Korea unveils new Main Battle Tank using design of Russian T-14 Armata". Army Recognition. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ 朝鲜阅兵展示的最新坦克，是个什么水平？_政务_澎湃新闻-The Paper. www.thepaper.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ Dominguez, Gabriel; Gibson, Neil (12 September 2018). "North Korea parades latest self-propelled howitzers, missile carriers". Jane's Defence Weekly. London. Janes Information Services. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ Newdick, Thomas (13 January 2025). "North Korean Air Defense System Revealed In Ukraine By Russian Friendly Fire Strike". The War Zone. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ^ Michael Peck (6 February 2020). "How North Korea Is Trying to Build Its Own Anti-Tank "Spike" Missile". National Interest. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ Dylan Malyasov (30 July 2024). "North Korean missile carrier spotted on Ukrainian battlefield". Defence Blog. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ "songun-ho". www.massimotessitori.altervista.org. Retrieved 16 September 2021.