Asian armor

8/13/2019 Asian armor

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The Type 90 serving in the JGSDF is a capable tank but it was designed primarily to take on aRussian amphibious invasion during the Cold War. (Gordon Arthur)

MBTs

TANKED UP REGIONAL MAIN

BATTLE TANK PROGRAMMESGordon Arthur / Hong Kong

Up until recently there were some

commentators, and even some

militaries, who predicted thedays of the main battle tank

(MBT) were numbered. A classic

example is Canada, which decided to retire

its tank eet and instead rely on LAV III 8x8

armoured vehicles. A Mobile Gun System (MGS)

variant armed with a 105mm gun was to take on

the quasi-tank role. However, counterinsurgency

operations in Afghanistan caused a swift about-

face, with Canada despatching Leopard C2 tanks

to the land-locked country in October 2006.

This was followed by a decision in February

2007 to borrow 20 Leopard 2A6M tanks from

Germany, and to purchase 100 Leopard 2s from

the Netherlands. Afghan combat experience

has demonstrated manifold advantages of the

MBT. The 25mm cannon of the Canadian LAV

III proved totally inadequate when dealing with

thick mud walls in Afghanistan, plus the MBT

offers better mobility than wheeled vehicles insoft terrain and when negotiating watercourses.

Furthermore, the heavier armour of the Leopard

offers better protection against improvised

explosive devices (IED), the insurgent weapon of

choice.

The fact that several countries (Canada,

Denmark and USA) have deployed MBTs

to Afghanistan a country with notoriously

challenging tank terrain shows these are still

viable military weapon systems. Asias love affair

with the MBT is still growing, unlike the waning

passion of many European countries. Indeed,

there are ongoing indigenous MBT programmes

in China, India, Japan and South Korea, while

other countries like Malaysia and Singapore

have recently obtained MBT eets for the rst

time. In terms of MBT production, the Chinese

ZTZ99 and ZTZ96, Indian T-90S and Pakistani

Al-Khalid are dominating international markets,calculated to account for 60.38% of all new

production through till 2017.

EAST ASIA

Technologically advanced Japan has forged its

own path in MBT production. In service are the

Type 74 and Type 90, products of a bygone Cold

War era. Japan inducted 341 Type 90 MBTs,

but one disadvantage is its strategic mobility/

transportability in the small and crowded country.

Because of its 50-ton weight, these tanks are only

deployed in two regions Hokkaido and Mount

Fuji.

Japan started developing the Type 10 in

2001, which tips the scales at just 44 tons.

This Mitsubishi Heavy Industries design


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economic sanctions, the only country with the

potential to supply new MBTs to Taiwan would

be the USA.

China has been making giant leaps forward in

the capabilities of its tank eet. The latest MBT

type in service is the NORINCO Type 99A1.

It is based on the ZTZ99 that entered service

in 2001, and it features signicant advances in

explosive reactive armour (ERA) protection.

It has a 125mm ZPT98 main armament and

an autoloader that reduces the crew to three.

The ZTZ99 has never been offered for export.

The latest version under development is the

ZTZ99A2, which has improved ERA, modiedrear hull, new panoramic commanders sight,

upgraded FCS, digital BMS and APS similar

to the Russian Arena. A prototype tted with a

140mm smoothbore gun has also been tested.

Because of the expense involved in this top-

end ZTZ99 (estimated at USD2 million each),

the backbone of Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)

armoured divisions is the Type 96 MBT. The

ZTZ96 is the largest MBT production programme

globally, with an estimated 1,500+ tanks inservice at the present time after production

commenced in 1997. The newest version

unveiled in 2006 is the ZTZ96G that incorporates

ERA modules and weighs 41.5 tonnes. It is

reported the ZTZ96 has been deployed in Tibet

since 2010.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

The Malaysian Army has been transforming into

a conventional force under the auspices of the

The pride of Chinas MBT inventory is the Type 99A1, an example of which is seen here participating in Beijings 2009military parade. (Gordon Arthur)

MBTs

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Army 2 10 Plus 10 plan. In 2003, Malaysia

ordered its rst ever MBTs from Poland in the

shape of the Bumar Labedy PT-91M Pendekar.

Fitted with a Polish ERA package and SagemSAVAN 15 FCS, the rst 45.3-ton examples

were shipped in August 2007. The country

specied a number of modications such as

new 1,000hp PZL-Wola Type S-1000R engines

and RENK ESM350M transmissions, and their

integration caused initial difculties. However,

a total of 48 tanks are now serving with the

11th Royal Armoured Regiment, which was

declared fully operational on 1 September 2010.

While additional MBTs would be desirable, anydecision has been indenitely deferred while

other assets are prioritised for procurement.

Singapore followed suit soon after in 2006

when it procured ex-German Army Leopard

2A4 MBTs. A total of 66 refurbished Leopards

were purchased, as well as 30 platforms for

spare parts. These tanks have since been updated

with advanced modular armour from IBD, mine

protection, and bar armour tted on the hull

and turret rear. Because of the small size of its

territory, Singapore performs much of its armour

training externally in countries such as Australia.

Introduction of the modern Leopard 2 will allow

Singapore to gradually retire its AMX-13 SM1eet that was upgraded by ST Kinetics beginning

in 1988.

Media reports have debated Indonesias

planned acquisition of 100 second-hand Leopard

2A6 tanks from the Netherlands. The latter,

as part of cost-cutting measures, is selling off

its entire tank eet. The Indonesian military is

benetting from a more generous defence budget

after years of underfunding, but a potential deal

has met opposition from both Dutch lawmakersand Indonesian parliamentarians. Although

Indonesia needs a modern tank, it is questionable

whether the sprawling archipelagic country with

underdeveloped road networks can accommodate

the 57.6-ton vehicle. So far the government

has allocated US $280 million for the deal. It is

unclear how serious the Dutch government is,

but it is insisting any sale must be Government-

to-Government. Negotiations continue, and if

they are successfully concluded, this would

give Indonesia its rst ever MBT. Alternatively

Indonesia has the option of buying tanks directly

from Germany.

Thailand is also modernising its MBT eet. InSeptember 2011 the Thai government signed a

contract for 49 T-84 Oplot MBTs from Ukraine

for an estimated US $240 million. This followed

earlier contracts for BTR-3E1 8x8 APCs, and it

has further cemented Thai-Ukrainian military

cooperation. There was some controversy over

the selection of the Oplot with its autoloader

system, with local media reports suggesting

servicemen actually preferred the South Korean

K1A1. Up to 200 Oplots could eventually join theeet to allow retirement of decades-old M41A3

tanks.

SUBCONTINENT

India and Pakistan eld very large armoured

formations, with the Rajasthan plains providing

ideal terrain for tank combat. India, via the

Defence Research and Development Organisation

(DRDO), has worked on the indigenous Arjun for

40 years but it was not until 2004 that the Indian

MBTs

TIONS


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CRUISE MISSILES


Singapore is small but its military is very capable. The Leopard 2A4 can circumnavigatethe entire country several times on a single tank of fuel! (Gordon Arthur)

Army grudgingly signed off on an acquisition

of 124 Arjun tanks. In 2010 a comparison test

against the T-90S nally granted some semblance

of self-respect for the Arjun. The DRDO has

been working on an improved Arjun Mk.II thatfeatures 93 modications such as an infrared

jammer, panoramic sight with night vision, ERA,

navigation system, improved tracking and the

ability of its 120mm gun to re the Israeli Laser

Homing Attack (LAHAT) missile. The Mk.II is

considerably heavier at 66 tons, and it will be

powered by an indigenous 1,500hp engine. The

DRDO is also collaborating with Elbit Systems

on a laser-warning receiver. A total of 124 Arjun

Mk.IIs were ordered on 9 August 2010, and the

rst should be introduced in 2014/15. The unit

cost is estimated at US $8 million apiece.

Because of incessant delays with the Arjun,

India turned to Russia in the interim and

purchased the T-90S Bhishma that had the

advantage of logistics commonality with the

T-72. Follow-on batches of the T-90M are

now being assembled locally by the Heavy

Vehicles Factory at Avadi in Tamil Nadu. TheT-90M includes Western technology such as the

Thales Catherine thermal sight and an Israeli

environmental control system, as well as Russian

Kaktus K-6 ERA. The rst locally produced

T-90Ms were inducted on 24 August 2009 and

full-rate production continues. Up to 1,000 T-90

tanks are expected to be eventually inducted and

their survivability is to be improved with the

addition of a hard-kill APS. A request for 1,657

systems to be retrotted on the T-90S was issuedin April 2008, and one contender that responded

was Saab Avitronics with its LEDS-150 system.

The bulk of the Indian Armys tank eet

comprises some

1,900 T-72M1

Ajeya vehicles and

these are being

upgraded via

Project Rhino. One

of the T-72s main

disadvantages is

its night blindness,

so the army isexploring how to

include a Thermal

Imaging Standalone

System (TISAS)

within an integrated

FCS. To this end

Raytheon has partnered with Larsen & Toubro to

offer a stabilised sight assembly. The full Project

Rhino upgrade includes a Drawa-T FCS, Tadiran

radios, muzzle reference system, gyro-basednavigation system, upgraded gun stabilisation,

ERA package and new 1,000hp engine. However,

this blue-ribbon standard is not being applied

to the complete eet. Because of the age of the

T-72M1 eet, a replacement will be needed

around the 2020 mark. The DRDO is currently

conducting feasibility studies on the 50-ton

Future Main Battle Tank (FMBT) that is slated as

its replacement.

Pakistan relies primarily on Chinese-sourced

tanks, but it turned to Ukraine for 320 T-80UD

MBTs that were delivered from 1997 onwards.

However, it has been collaborating closely with

Chinese industry on the MBT 2000, known

locally as the Al-Khalid. This MBT, based on

the Chinese Type 90-IIM, entered service in

2001, and the Pakistan Army is expected to

eventually induct some 600 examples. It features

a 125mm gun with an autoloader, and is powered

by a Ukrainian 1,200hp KMDB 6TD-2 diesel

engine. At 46 tonnes it is lightweight compared

to Western tank designs, but it incorporatestechnology such as ERA and Varta APS

(derived from the Russian Shtora). Incidentally,

Bangladesh also decided to acquire 44 MBT 2000

tanks from China, with delivery due over the next

two years.

An upgraded Al-Khalid I began testing in

2009, with improvements including increased

ammunition storage, enhanced FCS, faster

autoloader, Varta electro-optical jammer, and

Sagem thermal imager. It is believed an Al-Khalid II is in the early developmental stage as

well, with redesigned turret, upgraded modular

armour and 1,500hp power pack. Two prototypes

are thought to exist.

The strength of MBT programmes shows that

Asia is not fully following the European trend

towards lighter and more mobile military forces.

Instead, a signicant number of platforms are

being acquired across the region via indigenous

designs, licensed production or second-hand

imports from European countries. Asian

militaries continue to tank up. v

India opted for domestic development of the Arjun, but the programme has provedcostly and failed to deliver a workable solution until recent times. (Gordon Arthur)

MBTs

Asian armor

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