@shiphone
What's the status of MBT-3000 ?
Is the tank ready or are they using the same technology as used in the Light Tank based on MBT-3000 ?
in my knowledge and understanding, China and Pakistan began to improve the MBT2000/Al Khalid
respectively..
........................................................................... â”
VT1-->
VT1A-->
VT4(also known as
MBT3000)
Type90-->Type90 II --> Type90 IIM─>
MBT2000─┫
............................................................................â”—
Al Khalid-->Al Khalid-1(?)-->Al Khalid-2(?)
1.
MBT2000 is a 50:50 joint venture project, Pakistan and China share the R&D cost , the research output, the manufacture tech and profit equally.
2.AL Khalid is a
customized MBT2000 for Pakistan's request and standard
3.
VT-1 is a China's export project based on MBT2000 which could be
customized as the specific requirements of other international customers(ex. chose the Ukrain Power pack or Chinese corresponding products, pick the Fire control and other electronic system on the international market)
4.
VT-1A is an improved VT-1, the major improvement was focused on the Auto-Loader and armour
5.
MBT3000,which was called as
VT4, is a deep evolution of MBT2000. we saw comprehensive improvement in power(1300 HP china diesel), Auto-transmission, armour and Fire control.
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China used to promote the MBT2000 on the international market. at the same time, Pakistan was selling the Al Khalid in its friendly nations. in theory, China and Pakistan would share the profit for any succesful MBT2000/Al Khalid deal...but it seems that both nation didn't get the big prize...
With time, China has to improve his products to adapt to market variations , then VT1 came with flexible customization scheme. and years later, the improved VT1A appeared...and we thought VT1/1A are no longer related to MBT2000 project but a China's Export product...and then we saw an interesting case.China(VT1A) and Pakistan(Al Khalid ) were both bidding for the Burmese MBT bid ,finally VT1A won the contract, so Pakistan came to Beijing to discuss a solution to avoid such 'internecine' situation...
What's the status of MBT-3000 ?
VT4(MBT3000) is a 'pure' Chinese Export Tank project and became the Flagship product in Export Tank catalog. it has pass the certification tests and marketed already. now in this stock product catalog,we have:
VT4 ---High end export MBT
VT1A--Quasi high end
VT2---Middle end--- (developed form Type85AP project and close to ZTZ96A tank in PLA service)
VT3---Low end----all kinds of ZTZ59 deeply improvement scheme.
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Is the tank ready or are they using the same technology as used in the Light Tank based on MBT-3000 ?
china insists in keeping two respective development trees to isolate the PLA-use MBT and Export MBT although both development trees would have some intersect in different generations...basicly we saw MBT3000(VT4) should share some knowledge, tech with the latest
ZTZ99A MBT in the ARMY.
the new light tank project is something else...actually it hasn't got the formal codename and is playing the role as the Tech-Demo platform for some new tech which would be used on Next Gen tank...basicly I won't relate the New Light tank too much with MBT3000. and we thought the New Light tank might apply more tech from the ZTZ99A project...
PS...this is official ZTZ99A , other codename: 99G,99A1,99A2 are made up by fans only
the VT4(MBT3000) model
---------------------------------
I don't have much info and study about Pakistan's post-Al Khalid MBT development...so the following is my understanding which might be not as close to the truth as my above description of China's Export MBT projects.
I thought Pakistan was going on her own further development project of Al Khalid MBT with own effort.at least I collect some pix about the "Al Khalid-1" prototypes years ago.
if this is so called "
Al Khalid-Improved (I) main battle tank (MBT) " mentioned in the first post...I have to say 'media is always a problem" and not worth trust.
but my info about Pakistan is limited and things is always changing...so we would have to wait until December to get to know how the Al Khalid-Improved (I) main battle tank (MBT) relates to MBT3000..