Bit heavy for Tibet, isn't it? Also, what kind of threats do the Indians have in the region that current Type 15s can't handle? Surely the PLA isn't planning on driving to New Delhi anytime soon.
New Type98/99 MBT thread
- Thread starter Dongfeng
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Sounds like a long term upgrade program, which wasn't really updated over last 3 years...
Weight only matters so much. Ground there is quite suitable for heavy units, provided you can make engine run properly.
It's easier to make lighter tank run quite well, but it may be a relatively low effort to massively improve heavier units' performace over baseline.
Also, realistically, all 3 theaters with any significant likelyhood of going hot(Tibet, Pamir, Korea) on China's borders involve mountains.
If I recall correctly, the main issue with the heavy MBTs on mountains isn't ground pressure, but power. Their engines produce less power because thinner air messes with the compression ratio, so their power-to-weight ratio go way down and they become sluggish.
The solution is obvious (even from ww2), which is 2 stage turbo/supercharger. After all, high performance ww2 planes were pretty much all piston driven, and their area of operation is even higher than most mountainous terrains. So if that solution works back then, it will also work now.
I'd say the main reason most MBTs aren't fitted with the 2 stage turbo solution is simple, their usual use cases don't need them. Most MBTs in current service are designed for operations in the plains, where a standard turbo is enough.
Only China, India, and maybe Pakistan have a need for high altitude MBT because of the Himalayas. And of these, only China really has the capacity to independently develop the high altitude MBT and deploy them in large numbers, thanks to it's defence industrial base.
Heck, even if it's for amphibious applications, China already deploy similar boosted engine on ZBD-05. I'd even argue the marine version is more challenging, because beside dealing with corrosive salts, you're cramming even more boost to produce more power. That means upping compression ratio & needing a stronger engine block beside the 2 stage turbo/supercharger.
Meanwhile, in high altitude you're just restoring the engine to normal compression ratio with the 2 stage turbo/supercharger.