How a Korean Tank Crosses a River

A South Korean K-2 "Black Panther" tank sports an unusual-looking piece of equipment in this YouTube video. The tank, crossing a 13 foot deep river during a military exercise, is using a so-called fording kit to allow it to drive across the river bottom.

Bridges are often destroyed in wartime, and the pace of operations may mean only a limited number of portable bridges may be available. The solution to a potentially deadly traffic bottleneck: unlike many military vehicles, tanks are usually waterproof and their tracks still work underwater-so why not drive them underwater?

During World War II, fording kits were developed separately by the U.S. and Germany to allow tanks to cross water obstacles. The kits allow a tank to drive directly into a river, cross the bottom, and drive out the other side. The U.S. kit also consisted of a canvas screen that surrounded the tank, giving it buoyancy and an alleged resemblance to Donald Duck.

Modern fording kits typically consist of a single smokestack-like pipe that connects to the tank commander's hatch. This allows the tank commander to sit at the top, where he can keep an eye on the tank's progress. The stack also serves as an escape hatch for the crew in case of emergencies.

Due to their bulk and the undesirability of having them punctured by bullets and shrapnel, wading kits usually travel in the rear, only brought up when a tank unit may need to cross a river.