The Pakistani military has initiated an assessment of new Chinese VT4 main battle tanks (MBT), previously known as the MBT3000.
According to the Chinese social media, the first Pakistani specialists began testing the VT4 MBT developed by the NORINCO defense company. Some sources reported that Norinco is on the verge of signing a deal to provide Pakistan with new VT4 main battle tanks.
The VT4 is an export version of Chinese third-generation main battle tank The VT4 uses technology from the Type 99A tank currently fielded by the People’s Liberation Army.
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The main armament of the VT4 tank is a 125mm smoothbore gun that is fed by an automatic loader located below the turret that first loads the projectile and then the charge. A total of 38 rounds of separate loading of 125mm ammunition are carried, of which 22 are for ready use in the automatic loader.
The VT4 is motorized with water-cooled turbocharged electronic-controlled diesel engine developing 1,300 hp (some source said about 1200 hp). The tank can run a maximum road speed of 70 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 500 km.
More: Ukraine on verge of signing new deal with Pakistan
Ukraine also offers its new Oplot tank to Pakistan. In April, “Delovaya Stolitsa” interviewed Pakistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Maj. Gen (retired) Athar Abbas, who told that Pakistan could be interested in 100 Oplot-P (export version for Pakistan) main battle tanks.