New tank unveiled for high-altitude operations

China has developed a new light tank specifically designed for operations in mountainous regions, Chinese media reported on Wednesday.

The new tank, which has not been officially named yet, has been designated to serve in high-altitude, rugged terrain such as in the Tibet autonomous region, so it has a light weight and a powerful diesel engine suitable for oxygen-deficit environments, according to a report carried on huanqiu.com, a well-informed website that often discloses developments in China’s military modernization and defense technology.

Displaying pictures of the tank during trials on an unidentified plateau and during road and rail transport, the report said the vehicle is equipped with a cutting-edge hydropneumatic suspension system that ensures better maneuverability and higher survivability in mountainous regions.

The website quoted sources with knowledge of the project as saying that the tank has an advanced fire-control system and a 105-mm main gun, which is able to fire shells and guided missiles, and it features a powerful combination of frontal armor on the hull and turret.

The missile capability will enable the vehicle to strike helicopters, one of the major threats to tanks on a battlefield, the sources explained.

The tank has been developed by China North Industries Group Corp, popularly abbreviated as Norinco, the country’s biggest developer and maker of land armaments, to serve the People’s Liberation Army in mountainous terrain. However, it is also expected to be exported to other nations, according to Kanwa Defense Review, a Canada-based online publication of defense affairs and weapon technology.

"The new type of tank, which I think is the only light tank being developed in the world, will substantially strengthen the PLA’s combat capability in elevated, mountainous regions," said a military expert with close links to Norinco who refused to be named.

"It will replace the old Type 62 tanks, and it is more convenient to transport compared to the much heavier Type-96 and Type-99 main battle tanks because of its light weight and small size," he added

China developed its Type 62 light tank in the 1960s, and it was used by its armed forces in southern regions until 2013 when all of them were retired.