The Tŏkch'ŏn is a series of tracked artillery pieces developed by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.

Design

The Tŏkch'ŏn generally makes use of a modified artillery tractor as a chassis to mount with a variety of existing Soviet

towed artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...

designs. These designs are intended to support North Korean tank and mechanized forces after breaching the

Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...

. Their ballistic characteristics are generally comparable to their towed counterparts. In 1990, George T. Norris of the '' United States Army Foreign Science and Technology Center'' gave an assessment stating that the North Korean artillery had an advantage in range and rate of fire over their counterparts in the South, but also noting that these self-propelled mounts offer no protection for their crews other than a small gun shield surrounding the fighting compartment. ''

Janes Janes is an English patronymic family name. Its root is believed to be from the possessive of the given name '' Jan'' (see '' Jayne''), ''John'' or '' Ian''. In England, the name appears to have its densest roots in Bedfordshire and Gloucestersh ...

'' former editor Christopher F. Foss, states that while the original Soviet AT-S chassis was unarmoured, most of North Korean self-propelled guns are provided with additional armour.

Versions

*M-1992 SPH:

122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) The 122-mm howitzer D-30 (GRAU index 2A18) is a Soviet howitzer that first entered service in 1960. It is a robust piece that focuses on the essential features of a towed field gun suitable for all conditions. The D-30 has a maximum range of or ...

mounted on a modified chassis. It has a mass of 18 t with maximum range of . *M-1985 SPG:

122 mm gun M1931/37 (A-19) 122 mm corps gun M1931/37 (A-19) () was a Soviet Union, Soviet field gun developed in late 1930s by combining the barrel of the 122 mm gun M1931 (A-19) and the carriage of the 152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20). The gun was in production from ...

mounted on a modified AT-S chassis. It has a mass of 18 t with a maximum range of . *M-1981 SPG:

D-74 122 mm field gun The 122mm D-74 towed gun is a Soviet field gun. Developed in the late 1940s, it served with the Soviet Army and was widely exported. A number were produced under license in the People's Republic of China as the '' Type 60''. History The 122 m ...

mounted on a modified AT-S chassis. It has a mass of 19 t with a maximum range of . *M-1991 SPG: 122 mm D-74 mounted on a modified AT-S chassis. It has a mass of 22 t with a maximum range of . *M-1975 SPG:

130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46) The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 () is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the West in 1954. For many years, the M-46 was one of the longest range art ...

mounted on a modified AT-S chassis. It has a mass of 20 t with a maximum range of . *M-1991 SPG: 130 mm M-46 mounted on a modified AT-S chassis. It has a mass of 22 t with a maximum range of . *M-1992 SPG: 130 mm SM-4-1 coastal defense gun mounted on a modified AT-S chassis. It has a mass of 20 t with a maximum range of . *M-1974 SPH: 152 mm gun-howitzer D-20 mounted on a modified VTT-323 chassis. It has a mass of 17 t with a maximum range of . *M-1977 SPH:

152 mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) The 152 mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) () is a Soviet World War II-era 152.4 mm howitzer. The gun was developed by the design bureau headed by F. F. Petrov in 1942 and 1943, based on the carriage of the 122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30) and using the b ...

mounted on a Type 63 chassis. It has a mass of 15 t with a maximum range of . *M-1991 SPH:

152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20) The 152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20) (), is a Soviet Union, Soviet heavy gun-howitzer. The gun was developed by the design bureau of the plant no 172, headed by Fyodor Petrov, F. F. Petrov, as a deep upgrade of the 152-mm gun M1910/34, in ...

mounted on a modified AT-S chassis. It has a mass of 19 t with a maximum range of . *M-1992 37 mm: A

self-propelled anti-aircraft gun An anti-aircraft vehicle, also known as a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) or self-propelled air defense system (SPAD), is a mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti-aircraft capability. Specific weapon systems used include machine guns, ...

based on a modified AT-S chassis armed with a twin barrel 37 mm gun based on the Soviet M-1939 (61-K). It has a mass of 19 t, and no onboard radar fire-control system, limiting its use to clear weather operations. *M-1992 23 mm: SPAAG based on a modified AT-S chassis with a turret similar to the

ZSU-23-4 The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armored Soviet self-propelled, radar-guided Anti-aircraft warfare, anti-aircraft weapon system (Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon, SPAAG). It was superseded by the 2K22 Tunguska (SA-19 Grison). Etymology Th ...

, but with two 23 mm guns instead of four. It has a mass of 19 t, and an effective range of .

Operators

References

Bibliography

* * * {{North Korea AFVs Tracked self-propelled howitzers

Tokchon Tŏkch'ŏn () is a ''si'', or city, in northern South P'yŏngan province, North Korea. It is bordered by Nyŏngwŏn and Maengsan to the east, Kujang county in North P'yŏngan province to the north, Kaech'ŏn to the west and Pukch'ang to th ...