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JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY - APRIL 23, 2003
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Large-calibre 'super tank' being developed in China
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS JDW Land Forces Editor
London
China has been developing a new main battle tank (MBT) since the early 1990s that, if fielded, would be the most powerful vehicle of its type in the world, according to Jane's Defence Weekly sources.
It is believed that the new MBT will be armed with a 152mm gun fed by an automatic loader. This would be coupled to an advanced day/ thermal sighting system that will allow moving targets to be engaged with a high first-round-hit probability while the vehicle is stationary or mobile.
It is not yet known whether the new MBT will have a conventional manned turret or an external gun, which would allow all the crew to be in the hull for maximum protection. The ammunition would be loaded separately.
Advanced armour and an active protection system would also be fitted for increased survivability.
At least one source has indicated that Russia has supplied some of the technology for the Chinese project to earn foreign currency to fund its own tank programmes.
This applies mainly to the main armament and the power pack. The 125mm smoothbore gun, the standard Russian tank gun for many years, is installed in the T-64, T-72, T-80 and T-90 MBTs.
For some years, however, Russia has been developing a new MBT understood to be armed with a 135mm smoothbore gun, which could be in an external mount.
The Chinese power pack is built around a 2,500hp diesel to give a high power-to-weight ratio and speed. For improved cross-country mobility a hydropneumatic suspension system is fitted.
The most modern MBT in People's Liberation Army (PLA) service is the Type 98. This was first shown during a public parade in Beijing in late 1999.
Employing a similar chassis to the Russian T-72 MBT, the Type 98 has a new all-welded steel armour turret armed with a 125mm/50-cal smoothbore gun.
This is fed by an automatic system below the turret that loads the projectile followed by the semi-combustible cartridge. All that remains after firing is the cartridge case stub.
Other advanced features of the Type 98 include a computerised day/thermal fire-control system; nuclear, biological and chemical warfare protection; fire-detection and -suppression system; and a roof-mounted laser dazzle device.
While other countries have experimented with laser dazzle devices, the PLA is believed to be the first country to operationally deploy such a system on an MBT. It can also be fitted with an infra-red jammer, which is similar to the Russia Shtora system.
It was recently confirmed that the Type 98 tank can fire a laser-guided projectile (JDW 6 November 2002).
The 125mm gun, automatic loader and laser-guided missile technology is understood to have been provided by Russia.
The missile is identical to the Russian KBP Instrument Design Bureau 9K119 Reflecks (AT-11), which has a maximum range of 5,000m.
China's North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) is not offering the Type 98 MBT for export. The latest MBT to be marketed overseas is the MBT 2000, which has a combat weight of 46 tonnes and is armed with a 125mm smoothbore gun fed by an automatic loader. The MBT 2000 is related to the Al Khalid tank developed in Pakistan with the assistance of NORINCO for the Pakistani Army.
Western MBTs such as the Ariete, Leclerc, Leopard 2 and M1A1/ M1A2 Abrams are all armed with 120mm smoothbore guns that are manually loaded (except for the Leclerc, which has a bustle-mounted automatic loader).
France, Germany, the UK and the US were all working on the 140mm Future Tank Main Armament programme but with the end of the Cold War, and the lack of a clearly defined threat, work on this has now ceased.
does any1 know more about this tank?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Large-calibre 'super tank' being developed in China
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS JDW Land Forces Editor
London
China has been developing a new main battle tank (MBT) since the early 1990s that, if fielded, would be the most powerful vehicle of its type in the world, according to Jane's Defence Weekly sources.
It is believed that the new MBT will be armed with a 152mm gun fed by an automatic loader. This would be coupled to an advanced day/ thermal sighting system that will allow moving targets to be engaged with a high first-round-hit probability while the vehicle is stationary or mobile.
It is not yet known whether the new MBT will have a conventional manned turret or an external gun, which would allow all the crew to be in the hull for maximum protection. The ammunition would be loaded separately.
Advanced armour and an active protection system would also be fitted for increased survivability.
At least one source has indicated that Russia has supplied some of the technology for the Chinese project to earn foreign currency to fund its own tank programmes.
This applies mainly to the main armament and the power pack. The 125mm smoothbore gun, the standard Russian tank gun for many years, is installed in the T-64, T-72, T-80 and T-90 MBTs.
For some years, however, Russia has been developing a new MBT understood to be armed with a 135mm smoothbore gun, which could be in an external mount.
The Chinese power pack is built around a 2,500hp diesel to give a high power-to-weight ratio and speed. For improved cross-country mobility a hydropneumatic suspension system is fitted.
The most modern MBT in People's Liberation Army (PLA) service is the Type 98. This was first shown during a public parade in Beijing in late 1999.
Employing a similar chassis to the Russian T-72 MBT, the Type 98 has a new all-welded steel armour turret armed with a 125mm/50-cal smoothbore gun.
This is fed by an automatic system below the turret that loads the projectile followed by the semi-combustible cartridge. All that remains after firing is the cartridge case stub.
Other advanced features of the Type 98 include a computerised day/thermal fire-control system; nuclear, biological and chemical warfare protection; fire-detection and -suppression system; and a roof-mounted laser dazzle device.
While other countries have experimented with laser dazzle devices, the PLA is believed to be the first country to operationally deploy such a system on an MBT. It can also be fitted with an infra-red jammer, which is similar to the Russia Shtora system.
It was recently confirmed that the Type 98 tank can fire a laser-guided projectile (JDW 6 November 2002).
The 125mm gun, automatic loader and laser-guided missile technology is understood to have been provided by Russia.
The missile is identical to the Russian KBP Instrument Design Bureau 9K119 Reflecks (AT-11), which has a maximum range of 5,000m.
China's North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) is not offering the Type 98 MBT for export. The latest MBT to be marketed overseas is the MBT 2000, which has a combat weight of 46 tonnes and is armed with a 125mm smoothbore gun fed by an automatic loader. The MBT 2000 is related to the Al Khalid tank developed in Pakistan with the assistance of NORINCO for the Pakistani Army.
Western MBTs such as the Ariete, Leclerc, Leopard 2 and M1A1/ M1A2 Abrams are all armed with 120mm smoothbore guns that are manually loaded (except for the Leclerc, which has a bustle-mounted automatic loader).
France, Germany, the UK and the US were all working on the 140mm Future Tank Main Armament programme but with the end of the Cold War, and the lack of a clearly defined threat, work on this has now ceased.
does any1 know more about this tank?