As this is a relatively new and unknown combat vehicle, Wikipedia provided some background:

“The K808/806 White Tiger (Korean: 백호 "Baekho", Hanja: 白虎) wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC) is family of 8×8 and 6×6 armored vehicles. Developed by Hyundai Rotem as a private venture in 2012, the Korean Army declared a plan to acquire 600 6×6 and 8×8 wheeled APCs in order to help build rapid response forces modeled after U.S. Stryker combat brigades.

On 9 May 2016, the vehicles, officially designated as the K808 and K806, passed their final qualification tests, allowing for production to begin for deployment the next year; 600 units are to be produced by 2023. The wheeled vehicles were created to enhance the mobility and striking power of infantry over the slower K200 and K21 tracked vehicles, with the K808 designed for fast troop deployment and reconnaissance missions in front-line areas while the K806 is intended for mobile strike and reconnaissance missions in the rear. Their wheeled designs make them better suited for contributing to United Nations peacekeeping operations and finding export markets.”

This is the first offering of this new armored vehicle, and it is a beauty and showcases Academy’s commitment to excellence and the quality of their recent kits.

Upon opening the rigid box top, the sturdy box does a good job of protecting the kit’s four plastic sprues, sheet of polarized light stickers (for the optics), PE fret, eight rubber tires and a decal sheet for four vehicles in both Republic of Korea (ROK) Army and Marine Corps service.

The instruction manual covers 30 steps over three manuals (Manual 1 covers the first 15 steps; Manual 2 covers 16-30; and Manual 3 is the painting guide. Construction starts with the lower hull and its detailed undercarriage and works up. There are minor notes that are identified here by their instruction step:

Step 14: The front two pairs of wheels are designed to steer (like the real vehicle). Part B45 is the linkage that connects Parts B41 and B42 together. While careful use of glue could work, it is easier to use a heated nail to push down on the joints to maintain movement (much like connecting the old vinyl tracks).

Step 17: The front light guards (B39 and B40) are to be installed now. I recommend keeping them off until the end so the lights can be painted after the camouflage colors.

Steps 19 and 20: Recommend adding the propeller guards (PE 2 and PE3) after painting.

Step 26: There are options to have the trim vane (Parts A27 and 2 x C25) and exhaust (up in the fording position) or stowed.

Steps 27 and 28: Option for either the M2 HMG or Mk 19 grenade launcher in the turret.

Step 29: Option for the wire cutter in stowed (D4) or up (A34) position.

I followed the instructions, and it was easy to build with the notes outlined above. Attention and care must be used as there are a lot of fussy bits, but they are easily manageable.

There are three vehicles identified in Manual 3 (painting guide), with options for other markings based on research:

• ROK Army camo based on the MERDC (Mobility Equipment Research and Development Center) pattern from the U.S. Army-developed four‑color armored vehicle camouflage in the 1970s. Not included in the instructions are the options for the ROK Army in the NATO 3-color camo, which started to appear in the ROK Army in 2019.
• Two ROK Marine Corps NATO 3-color camo pattern (one with yellow bumper numbers and one with white).

• There is also an option for white Armed Forces Day Parade markings written in Hangul, which are shown on a blow-up picture on NATO 3-color in ROK Army (ROK Marines typically use yellow letters). This leads credence to ROK Army vehicles in the NATO scheme.

The decals are thin, lay down well and mine did not silver, although the numbers are individual, so research must be done on the unit and vehicle numbering system. There will be a lot of leftover numbers in both yellow and white that can be welcomed in the spares box. There are also division and unit markings, a South Korean flag and range flags that can be used. There are a lot of decals!

The modern optics can be served with the included “Polarized light stickers” similar to aftermarket versions. A bonus is that with the stickers used, there is still a remainder of over half a sheet to use on future projects.

Finally, the small PE fret has screens, two guards for the propeller intakes and, not mentioned in the instructions, what appears to be scale locks. Nice!

This model was a lot of fun to build and paint. The White Tiger builds into a beautiful and impressive model of this modern South Korean armored vehicle, the only one available to modelers. This model has heft and a commanding presence and will look good on your shelf, and at the Nats!

Profuse thanks to Model Rectifier Corporation (https://www.modelrectifier.com/staticdisplaymodels-brands-academy-s/186.htm) and IPMS/USA for providing the review sample.