Al-Khalid/VT-1A
The Al-Khalid/VT-1A (Urdu: الخالد ٹینک—Al-Xālid Ṫaiŋk, pronounced [əlˈxaːlɪd̪ ʈɛːŋk] literally "The Eternal Tank") is a main battle tank family developed jointly by Norinco of China and Heavy Industries Taxila of Pakistan. The tank is based on the Type 90-II tank. Around 310 Al-Khalid MBTs had been produced by 2014. The tank has been exported to Bangladesh, Morocco and Myanmar by China. The VT-1A is also known as MBT-2000.
| Al-Khalid/VT-1A | |
|---|---|
Bangladesh Army MBT-2000 | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | China Pakistan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2001 – present |
| Used by | Operators |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Norinco |
| Designed | 1993–1999 |
| Manufacturer | Norinco (VT-1A/MBT-2000, Type 96-IIM) Heavy Industries Taxila (Al Khalid, Al Khalid-1) |
| Unit cost | $4.7 million – $5.8 million USD in 2011 |
| Produced | 2001 – 2014 (Al-Khalid) 2020 – present (Al-Khalid-1) |
| Variants | Pakistani:
Chinese:
|
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 46 t (51 short tons) |
| Length | 10.07 m (33 ft 0 in) |
| Width | 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in) |
| Height | 2.40 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armour | Composite armour, RHA, ERA |
Main armament | Al-Khalid: 125 mm smoothbore gun, 39 rounds Al-Khalid I: 125 mm smoothbore gun, 49 rounds |
Secondary armament | Al-Khalid: 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, 3000 rds 12.7 mm external AA machine gun, 500 rds Al-Khalid I: 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, 7,100 rds 12.7 mm external AA machine gun, 1,500 rds |
| Engine | KMDB 6TD-2 6-cylinder diesel 1,200 hp (890 kW) |
| Power/weight | 26 hp/ton |
| Transmission | 7 forward and 4 reverse gears, Semi-automatic |
| Suspension | Torsion bar with hydraulic dampers |
Operational range | 500 km (310 mi) combat range |
| Maximum speed | 72 km/h (45 mph) |
The Bangladesh Army ordered 44 MBT-2000s from China in 2011. The Norinco-made MBT-2000 is also used by the Royal Moroccan Army. It was trialled by the Peruvian Army for possible acquisition, but was not purchased due to financial problems.
Operated by a crew of three and armed with a 125 mm smooth-bore tank gun that is reloaded automatically, the tank uses a fire-control system and night-fighting equipment. Al-Khalid is named after the 7th-century Muslim commander Khalid bin al-Walid (592–642 AD).
The current production variant of the Al-Khalid uses a diesel engine and transmission supplied by the KMDB design bureau of Ukraine. The first production models entered service with the Pakistan Army in 2001. The country placed an order with Ukraine to further upgrade the tanks with a new engine.