Pakistan’s acquisition of the Chinese new VT4 main battle tank was confirmed when the Pakistani Press Agency released a photograph showing new tanks during exercises.
On September 22, 2020, VT4 tanks of the Pakistani Army were displayed for Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa during exercises.
In a statement said that the COAS visited Field Firing Ranges near Jhelum today to witness demonstration of state of the art, Chinese origin third-generation Main Battle Tank VT-4.
“This potent war fighting machine will be employed in an offensive role by strike formations after induction COAS said that Pakistan Army is alive to emerging challenges and regional threats,” it said in a statement. “We are completely focused towards internal and external challenges to the defense of the country and prepared with matching response against all threats to sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Pakistan. COAS lauded troops for professionalism, operational readiness and highest training standards to meet challenges of modern-day battlefield requirements.”
Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group Co.,Ltd., subsidiary of China North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO), reportedly begin delivering new VT4 main battle tanks to Pakistan in April.
In mid-April 2020, at the Chinese tank factory located in Baotou in the province of Inner Mongolia, was held the ceremony of shipment of the first batch of VT4 main battle tanks equipped with explosive reactive armour (ERA) (Option FY-IV) for a foreign customer.
Chinese media reported that Pakistan is a foreign customer for these tanks that were produced after the country begin emerges from the coronavirus crisis.
In 2019, the Pakistan Army Armoured Corps has selected the Chinese VT4 tank – produced by Norinco – to meet requirements for procuring hundreds of new main battle tanks.
