A recent Chinese report and the first close-up image have revealed details of a new light tank that first appeared on Chinese web pages in late 2011.
The popular Chinese web portal Sina.com published a report on the tank on 23 January, offering an assessment of its history and missions and providing new details of its armament and features.
Confirming previous reports that it weighs about 35 tonnes, the Sina.com report noted that the new vehicle continued the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) interest in light tanks that started in the 1950s due to a requirement to negotiate the unprepared roads, low-capacity bridges and rice paddies then common in southern China. This led to the 21 ton e Type 62/WZ-131 in 1962.
A higher priority on amphibious tank development in the 1990s caused a hiatus in light tank development, but the requirement was revived in the early 2000s to meet requirements for tracked armour for mountain combat, a continued requirement for light armour in the south, and future requirements for aerial power projection.
While the Sina.com report stated that the tank has a crew of four, there is speculation that an autoloader for the 105 mm main gun may dispense with one crew member. The gun's tungsten alloy penetrator round can penetrate up to 500 mm of armour and can also fire gun-launched missiles, according to the report.
The gun's main sights and the commander's optics appear to be derived from the new T-99A2 main battle tank and a shell-tracking radar appears to be mounted on the gun. The wedge-shaped turret features detachable reactive armour blocks and laser detectors, while the turret bustle can also carry smoke grenade launchers.
The tank may have a liquid-gas suspension, enabling it to 'crouch' to better exploit terrain for concealment and to assist with rail and air transport.
