The Republic of Korea took another step forward in its program of introducing its locally designed fleet of wheeled combat vehicles into Army service.
The K806 6×6 and K808 8×8 were developed by Hyundai Rotem, a (subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group) with first production occurring in 2018. The former is intended for line of communications and security operations while the later is a forward combat system.
On 25 January 2021 the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced completion of the development of the latest version of the K808. This Command variant provides a platform for a commander and staff with protection and mobility to operate and keep up with armoured forces. The rear compartment offers work stations for the commander and staff with interior climate control and full CBRN protection. The set-up allows on-the-move ability to monitor the battlespace, coordinate fires and control the force. Production of the Command vehicle is scheduled to begin in 2022.
The K808 Command joins the Anti-Aircraft Gun Wheeled System (AAGW). AAGW has twin 30mm auto-cannon with optical fire controls in a Hanwha Defense turret also using the K808 chassis.
A 250 million won (US$200 million) production contract for the AAGW was awarded in June 2020. These vehicles add to the current inventory for which Hyundai Rotem received its third production contact worth 407.7 million won (US$348.4 million) on 29 September 2020.
