China has upgraded its VT-4 main battle tank, a key component of the Pakistan Army’s armoured fleet, with “cutting-edge” technologies, including its armour-protection weapon station and electronic equipment, according to a media report.
The new version, which will be displayed at next month’s Zhuhai airshow, is believed to be designated as VT-4B, indicating significant upgrades over the existing VT-4A, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Sunday.
The VT-4, mainly an export version, is used by the Pakistani, Nigerian and Thai armies.
According to the SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) Arms Trade Database 2022, Pakistan signed a contract with China to acquire 679 VT4 main battle tanks, to be assembled and produced under license in Pakistan under the brand name ‘Haider’. Subsequent reports said the Pakistan Army has inducted the tank, though its operational ability is yet to be tested. However, it is not immediately clear whether Pakistan will seek to acquire the upgraded version of the tank.
Pakistan Army, air force and navy currently use 80 per cent of Chinese weapon systems, according to SIPRI estimates.
Some of the new improvements on the upgraded VT-4 show traits of technologies developed for China’s next-generation armoured vehicles, such as those already seen on the fourth-generation Type 100 tank family and the upgraded Type 99B main battle tank, the SCMP reported.
However, the VT-4B retains the overall design characteristics of a third-generation main battle tank, the report said.
The new tank will be displayed at the 16th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, a biennial event which will take place this year from December 7 to 13.
Images circulating on social media since Friday show the new variant with significant armour upgrades, reinforcing the front hull and sides with thicker explosive reactive armour that extends further down to cover the lower front section and parts of the running gear.
One of the most noticeable features on the VT-4B is the adoption of a 30 mm remotely operated weapon station, replacing the standard 12.7 mm roof-mounted machine gun on most tanks in service.
This large-calibre gun provides greater firepower against the increasing threat from loitering munitions and first-person view, or FPV, drones, as well as infantry and anti-tank teams, the SCMP said.
The VT-4B is also equipped with a comprehensive active protection system that appears to be the GL-6, a set-up seen on the People’s Liberation Army’s recent main battle tanks.
The system uses four turret-mounted phased-array radar panels for 360-degree threat detection, alongside twin interceptor launchers near the rear of the turret.
The situational awareness system has also been significantly upgraded, with the commander’s sight replaced by a large, independently mounted electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensor pod.
The tank’s communications antennas have been swapped for thicker, stick-type models to support high-bandwidth data links, potentially increasing the VT-4 B’s vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity and tactical battlefield networking.
The circulating photos also show a small radio-frequency array mounted on one side of the remote weapon station, the report said.
While its precise function remains unclear, military watchers suggest it could be either an independent fire-control radar or a compact high-power microwave emitter designed to turn off incoming drones alongside the tank’s kinetic interceptors, it said.