CHANGWON, South Korea, March 2 (UPI) -- South Korea demonstrated its new XK2 battle tank Friday.
The tank, which has been under development since 1995 at a cost of $230 million, is scheduled to be added to the country's operational armament by 2011, the Korea Times reported. Kim Eui-hwan, who heads the project for the Agency for Defense Development, described the tank as superior to the U.S. Abrams and the French Leclerc tanks in cost-effectiveness and military usefulness.
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President Roh Moo-hyun attended the unveiling of the tank and got a ride in one.
"We made this world's top-class tank through our independent technologies," he said.
The tank is part of South Korea's effort to increase its independent military capability.
