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South Korea Hanwha Aerospace
K30 Biho
South Korea's tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, pairing twin 30 mm autocannons with an X-band surveillance and fire-control radar for short-range air defense of maneuvering ground forces. The later Biho-II/Cheongung variant integrates KP-SAM Chiron surface-to-air missiles alongside the guns for extended engagement range.
In service since 1996
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
💲 ≈ $12,100,000 — Reported unit price of 13.3 billion KRW
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
ROK export-licensed
DAPA-administered; aggressive export posture with financing/offset packages.
Channel: Government-to-government
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
In service since 1996. Status: active · ~176 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$30M – $42M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~25 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Engagement range
Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.
- 3 km Bottom 2% of air-defense systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- Twin 30 mm KCB-type autocannons
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 30 mm
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- KP-SAM Chiron infrared-guided surface-to-air missile (Biho-II)
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 26,500 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 4
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- TPS-830K X-band surveillance and fire-control radar
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $12,100,000 Stronger than 71% of air-defense systems
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 176
Specifications compiled from public Hanwha Aerospace and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the engagement range of the Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho has a maximum engagement range of 3 km.
How much does the Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho weigh? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho has a combat weight of 26,500 kg.
How many crew does the Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho require? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho requires a crew of 4.
What is the main armament of the Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho's primary weapon is the Twin 30 mm KCB-type autocannons.
What is the Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho used for? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How much does the Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho cost? +
The Hanwha Aerospace K30 Biho has an approximate unit cost of 12,100,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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