South Korea has delayed the deployment of its K2 Black Panther main battle tanks (MBTs) due to technical flaws in their engines and transmission, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said.

“Given the circumstance of development for the domestically-built power pack, the deployment date of the K2 tank was delayed to 2013 from 2012,” DAPA spokesman Jeong Jae-un added.

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Jeong also added that if the indigenous engine, the power pack of the MBT, failed to meet quality standards by October this year, DAPA will import engines from Germany.

The Black Panther MBTs have been designed to travel at speeds of 70kmph on road surfaces and up to 52kmph in off-road conditions, and are set to replace the aging K1 and US-built M48 tanks, according to Brahmand.

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