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NORINCO VT-4 (MBT-3000)

2014 MAIN BATTLE TANK MODERN

History

The MBT-3000 is a third-generation Main Battle Tank (MBT) currently under development for export customers and the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The program is managed by the large corporation NORINCO (Northern Industries Corporation of China) and is a direct successor to the "MBT-2000" - both versions exist thanks to the Cold War-era Soviet "T-72". The MBT-2000 is currently in service with Pakistan (320 "Al-Khalid") and Bangladesh (44). The newer MBT-3000 design is expected to enter mass production in the next few years and, after the necessary testing, enter PLA service sometime in 2014. Visually, the MBT-3000 is the culmination of decades of fine-tuning many main battle tank systems of Soviet origin.

The goal of China's military industry is to become a more independent entity to produce domestically produced weapons on a par with the West and its regional rivals.

The term "3rd generation MBT" essentially includes main battle tanks with advanced composite armor protection (often using a secret formula) and an advanced fire control system (FCS). Generation 3 tanks are commonplace on the battlefield today, represented by the superb British Challenger 2, American M1 Abrams, French AMX-56 Leclerc, Russian T-90 and Israeli Merkava Mk IV. As the current (2012) MBT-3000 is still under development, some specifications and features may change before the official launch of the vehicle.

As China expands its influence in the Asia-Pacific region, the MBT-3000 productif it meets the listed specificationswill undoubtedly put Chinese and allied ground forces on par with their Western counterparts and ahead of many of their neighboring competitors.

It is understood that the Chinese MBT-3000 will have a largely traditional profile, with a low profile (a key quality of the T-72), an engine at the rear (believed to be of Ukrainian origin) and a mid-top fuselage turret. The MBT-3000, like other Chinese-origin tanks, owes its quality to tanks procured in the Soviet Union over the decades and manufactured locally, thus utilizing the best qualities of these systems to produce a completely domestic third-generation product.

As such, the MBT-3000 will have a very low profile (including a nearly flat glacis plate), mobility on tracks and wheels, and an autoloader for its smoothbore main gun.

Borrowing from Soviet/Russian past designs, the MBT-3000 features a large 125mm smoothbore main gun, further stabilized along both axes for maximum accuracy. The smoothbore system debuted in the T-62 in 1961 and immediately outpaced all Western types because it allowed greater flexibility when using the fin to stabilize the projectile, while limiting the rifling and recesses inherent in the "split" main barrel General wear and tear of grooves.

The Soviet Union adopted smoothbore guns in all of its successive series of tanks, including the most modern T-90 tanks.

The MBT-3000, like the previous Soviet design, will be equipped with a self-loading ammunition carousel, reducing the operator to three. This also allows for a smaller two-person tower (where the rider sits in the center of the front row) and encourages a lower side profile. The gunner/commander simply selects the type of ammo to fire from the available store (22 are ready to fire) and the turntable transfers the ammo box to the breech. Of course, China's 125mm guns will support all types of full-fledged armor-piercing rounds, including HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) and kinetic armor-piercing rounds, as well as general high-explosive rounds.

Like the Soviet/Russian main gun, the Chinese version will support barrel-firing anti-tank (AT) missiles - which is uncommon in Western designs and provides some tactical advantage over the Russian/Chinese offering. The MBT-3000 will be armed with a projectile of approximately 38 x 125 mm, with the main gun having a rate of fire of approximately 8 rounds per minute when used with an autoloader.

Like any modern MBT, the MBT-3000 will feature a digital Fire Control System (FCS) that will allow firing on the go with an accuracy of up to 5,500 yards. Among other systems and processing packages, the MBT-3000 will feature a basic inertial computer navigation system and standard GPS. All three crew members received thermal imaging equipment.

An automatic fire suppression system was developed to deal with hazards on board and protect the crew from ammunition explosions and general fires.

For self-defense, the MBT-3000 follows standard practice with a 7.62mm general-purpose machine gun mounted on a coaxial mount next to the main gun. This will provide basic security for enemy infantry at close and medium distances.

A 12.7mm heavy machine gun will be placed on the commander's hatch to engage/stop low-flying enemy aircraft or lightly armored vehicles - although it looks unlikely to fire the weapon from inside the turret as the models use this The weapon displays a simple socket attachment. Finally, smoke grenade launchers are part of the mix, allowing the vehicle to fire its own smoke screen to self-cover enemy eyes and tracking devices.

Twelve grenades will be mounted on either side of the turret - eight of them will be smoke-type grenades and the remaining four will be grenade grenades, presumably to deal with nearby enemy infantry without machine gun fire.

The MBT-3000 platform is powered by an unnamed turbocharged liquid-cooled diesel engine rated at 1,300 hp - believed to be of Ukrainian origin (the MBT-2000 uses a Ukrainian KMDB 6TD-2 diesel engine , with a power of 1,200 hp). The engine is traditionally housed in a compartment at the rear of the fuselage and works with an integrated Ch1000B drivetrain.

The fuselage is also supported by six twin-tire wheels, each suspended by a torsion bar suspension system. The arrangement of the power pack allows for a top speed of 42 mph on the road and a range of 310 miles on the road. His combat weight is currently 52 tons.

Each crew member has a hatch available at their respective location - two on top of the turret, and one for the pilot just above the front center of the fuselage. The turret is designed with a sloping front fairing for basic ballistic protection.

ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) blocks are part of the MBT-3000 design to increase battlefield survivability - these blocks can be placed on the sides of the chainmail, along the top of the hull and around the turret (based on model shown and marketing materials).

While it remains to be seen whether this latest Chinese product can truly rival the best in the world, its development is certainly a step in the right direction. If the proposed design and performance qualities are realized, the MBT-3000 will undoubtedly attract the attention of some parties interested in upgrading their aging Cold War main battle tank inventory in the near future.

October 2016 The latest export version of the MBT-3000 was presented at the Airshow China 2016. Equipped with a state-of-the-art Fire Control System (FCS), the system fully supports Remote Weapon System (RWS) with layered and ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) protection.

Active protection systems (GL5 series) are also said to be part of the self-defense kit.

April 2017 - The Royal Thai Army ordered an additional 10 VT-4 tank units to further strengthen its existing tank inventory.

November 2018 - In order to strengthen and modernize its armored forces, the Pakistani state has selected the VT-4 main battle tank. The Pakistan Army is believed to have been actively testing the vehicle from late 2017 to early 2018.