China has high hopes its new VT-5 "light-duty" main battle tank (MBT), which is derived from a tank built to battle the Indian Army at high altitudes, will make a killing in the export market.
State-owned Norinco (China North Industries Group Corporation), China's largest builder of tanks, said its VT-5 fills a niche in the export market for tanks not as huge, heavy or as expensive as the U.S. M1A2 Abrams MBT or the German Leopard 2.
Because of this, Norinco is eyeing buyers from developing countries in Asia and Africa where it has had export successes for its military hardware.
Norinco described the VT-5 as a new "light-duty" MBT that is the most advanced light-duty tank available in the international market. It first publicly revealed the VT-5 at the just ended Zhuhai Air Show or the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.
Norinco spokesman Lin Wei said the Abrams and the Leopard are too heavy to operate on roads and bridges in developing countries. The VT-5, therefore, is an ideal option for developing countries because its firepower, mobility and information systems are as good as those of Western tanks, he noted.
Lin said the VT-5 was specifically developed for export and is totally different from a Norinco model unveiled in 2014.
Norinco bills the VT-5 as a multirole, light-duty MBT capable of operating in various terrain, including desert, forest and urban areas.
The VT-5 weighs 36 metric tons and has a crew of just three men. Its main armament is a 105 mm rifled tank gun that can fire armor-piercing rounds, high-explosive anti-tank rounds and missiles. Secondary armament is a 12.7 mm remotely controlled machine gun on the turret.
The tank is equipped with an integrated electronic system; a tactical command system; a satellite-based positioning device and modular armor. These systems give the tank crew the battlefield awareness and information capacity needed for modern joint operations, according to Norinco.
Western sources said the VT-5 is probably derived from the ZTQ light tank specifically designed for operations in mountainous and high-altitude regions such as Tibet. This "mountain tank" first reported by Chinese media in 2011 seems to have been deployed to armored units facing the Indian Army across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The tank's light weight and a powerful diesel engine make it suitable for fighting in oxygen-deficit, high-altitude environments such as those in the LAC.
The ZTQ has an advanced fire-control system and a 105 mm gun capable of firing shells and guided missiles. The missile capability enables the tank to shoot down helicopters, one of the major threats to tanks on a battlefield.