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Chinese tank gun developments
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| 24 March 2006 |
The latest main battle tank (MBT) to enter service with the PLA is the Type 98, which uses a chassis very similar to that of the Russian T-72 series. On this is mounted a new locally-developed two-person turret, armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun fed by an automatic loader. The latter is mounted below the turret and first loads the projectile, and then the charge. The weapon system is based on Russian technology.
The Type 98 is in service with the PLA in limited numbers and was followed by the Type 99. This is almost identical to the Type 98, except that the turret has an arrow-head design similar to that of the German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Leopard 2A6.
More recently it has been revealed that China is developing a new MBT, which is understood to be armed with a 152 mm gun fed by an automatic loader. The weapon would be coupled to an advanced day/thermal sighting system that will allow moving targets to be engaged with a high first-round hit probability while the vehicle is stationary or moving.
At least one source has indicated that Russia has supplied some of the technology for the new Chinese MBT project, in order to earn valuable foreign currency to fund some of its own tank development programmes. This is understood to apply mainly to the main armament and the diesel power pack.
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