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| 8x8 Wheeled Armored Vehicle (Image: Hyundai Rotem) |
SEOUL, June 7 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's arms procurement agency said Tuesday that it will mass-produce indigenous armored vehicles from this month, aiming at improving mobility and operability of infantry troops.
The project to develop indigenous wheeled armored combat vehicles, which was launched in December 2012, passed the final operability test on May 9, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Local defense company Hyundai Rotem had undertaken the project.
Mass-production of the new combat vehicles would start this month, planning to produce about 600 units by 2023. The vehicles would be deployed in both frontline and rear army units from next year.
Major armored vehicles, operated currently by South Korea's military, such as K200 and K21, are tracked combat vehicles that have a relatively low mobility compared with the newly developed wheeled armored vehicles.
Read the full story at Xinhua