Photo of new Hyundai Rotem 8X8 «Yong» armored personnel carrier of South Korean army
The 8×8 Wheeled Armored Vehicle is an infantry combat vehicle that is fitted with a 420hp diesel engine developed by Hyundai Motors, 7-speed transmission and 2-mode secondary transmission. Capable of moving on both land and water, it has been engineered to maximize crew operability with its ergonomic design and scalability to family vehicles.
The 8×8 Wheeled Armored Vehicle is currently in the system development phase and is expected to be deployed by 2016.
Although exact specifications are scarce, Hyundai indicates its unnamed Wheeled Armored Vehicle or WAV platform began development in 2012. Despite South Korea’s close ties with the US, rather than license-build a LAV-25 or Stryker, the WAV appears to be modeled on different 8×8 APCs.
Instead of a glacis plate, the vehicle’s front is raised and reinforced with armor, like Turkey’s PARS, and there appears to be a small camera in the middle for the driver’s visibility similar to the Singaporean Terrex. The power plant, located front right, is unknown but judging from similar 8×8’s is probably a diesel engine in the 500 hp range. Probable top speed is between 100 to 105 km/h and maximum range is 600 km.
Without additional layers of protections or modules, the basic WAV will have at least STANAG IV armor. A combination of a bilge pump and twin water jet propellers at the rear hull allows for amphibious crossings at either 8 or 10 km/h. The WAV configured as an APC carries nine passengers, who enter via a rear hydraulic ramp, and two crew. A pair of side doors and a driver’s hatch allow access to the front. Four additional hatches are behind the turret.
An estimated 600 of these vehicles will have entered service by 2020.
