KIFV

The KIFV (Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicle) is a tracked armored personnel carrier developed by South Korea. It serves as the primary APC for the Republic of Korea Army, providing protected transport for infantry and mounting various weapon systems.

Developed in the late 1970s by the Agency for Defense Development and Daewoo Heavy Industries, the K200 KIFV was created to replace the Republic of Korea Army's aging fleet of American-supplied M113 armored personnel carriers with a domestically produced alternative. The vehicle officially entered service in 1985, marking a significant milestone in South Korea's efforts to achieve self-reliance in military hardware production. It saw its first major overseas deployment with South Korean peacekeeping forces in Bosnia during the mid-1990s, and was also exported to Malaysia, which utilized them in United Nations missions. Today, while being gradually supplemented by the heavier K21 infantry fighting vehicle, the KIFV remains a cornerstone of South Korea's mechanized infantry units with over 2,000 units produced in various configurations.