VT-4 Main Battle Tank
| VT-4/MBT3000 | |
|---|---|
 VT-4 during combat trials in Pakistan | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | China |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Norinco |
| Manufacturer | Norinco |
| Produced | 2014- present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 52 ton |
| Length | 10.10 m |
| Width | 3.40 m |
| Height | 2.30 m |
| Crew | 3 (commander, driver, gunner) |
|
| |
| Armor | Classified |
Main armament | 125 mm (4.9 in) smoothbore |
Secondary armament |
1 x RWS12.7 mm (0.50 in) AA MG 1 × 7.62 mm (0.300 in) coaxial MG |
| Engine |
Turbocharged diesel engine 1,300 hp (969 kW) |
| Power/weight | 25 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
Operational range | 500 km (310 mi) |
| Speed | 68 km/h (42 mph) |
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The VT4 main battle tank (Chinese: VT-4主战坦克 ), also known as the MBT3000, is a Chinese third generation main battle tank built by Norinco for overseas export. It is an upgraded variant of the MBT2000 (VT-1) and the latest tank model from the Type 90-II tank family.[1]
Development
The MBT-3000 (industrial designation) project began development in 2009, under the cooperation of First Inner Mongolia Machinery Factory and other companies.[1] It was based on the Type 90-II and outfitted with a locally produced power plant. The MBT-3000 concept debuted at the 2012 Eurosatory.[2] The tank was subsequently shown at the 2014 Norinco Armor Day[3] and the tenth China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition as the VT-4. It has yet to enter mass production.
Design
The VT-4 uses technology from the Type 99A currently fielded by the People's Liberation Army.[1]
Armament
The VT-4 has a 125mm smoothbore cannon capable of firing APFSDS, HESH, guided missiles, HEAT and HE. There is also a remote weapon station on the turret armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun. The fire control system has hunter-killer capabilities, laser rangefinder, panoramic sight, a third generation thermal imaging system, and more. [1]
Protection
The tank appears to have composite and explosive reactive armor.[2] The turret front has wedge shaped armor and the hull sides has armored sideskirts. The tank is equipped with an active protection system designated GL5, defensive grenade launchers, and a laser warning device. It is unknown if the active protection system is a soft-kill or hard-kill system. [1][4] The vehicle also has an IFF system, NBC protection, explosion suppression system, fire extinguishing system, and air conditioning.[5]
Mobility
According to Norinco, the VT-4 uses a locally produced 1300HP diesel engine with torsion bar suspension and an integrated hydraulic transmission system. [6][7][8][1][9] Steering and acceleration is handled by a steering wheel and automatic gear transmission.[1]
Command and control
The tank is also integrated with digital communications systems for tank-tank communication and communication between commanders. [1]
Potential operators
- Has been offered 100 VT-4 by China. [10]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "VT4坦克总设计师：我国坦克炮可击穿1米厚钢装甲". www.guancha.cn. Norinco. 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-05.
- 1 2 Pakistan Eyes new Chinese Tank, VT-4
- ↑ "Norinco Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2014" (PDF). Norinco. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ↑ http://www.armyrecognition.com/china_chinese_heavy_armoured_vehicle_tank_uk/vt4_mbt-3000_norinco_main_battle_tank_technical_data_sheet_specifications_pictures_video_uk.html
- ↑ "VT4 MBT-3000 Norinco main battle tank technical data sheet specifications pictures video UK | China Chinese heavy armoured vehicle tank UK | Chinese China army military equipment armoured UK". www.armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- ↑ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/vt-4.htm
- ↑ http://www.armyrecognition.com/china_chinese_heavy_armoured_vehicle_tank_uk/vt4_mbt-3000_norinco_main_battle_tank_technical_data_sheet_specifications_pictures_video_uk.html
- ↑ http://defensetech.org/2012/06/14/china-displays-ads-and-tank-under-development/
- ↑ "Tank maker seeks to increase exports on land armaments[1]- Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2015-11-06.
- ↑ "China Offers 100 VT4 Main Battle Tanks for Peru". defence-blog.com. Defence Blog. 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-18.
External links
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