I don't doubt your translation. But that's a very interesting claim, since I don't see the type of sensors on that tank that I would expect if the claim were true.
ZTQ-15 and PRC Light Tanks
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I don't doubt your translation. But that's a very interesting claim, since I don't see the type of sensors on that tank that I would expect if the claim were true.
What kind of special sensors other than the existing ones (commander & gunner's sight) do you think it would need for such view ?
First I think they probably mean augmented reality not virtual reality. The difference is that augmented reality takes imagery from reality and overlays it with computer generated additions, whereas virtual reality is completely computer generated. I think its definitely the way forward for tanks and armored vehicles since it removes the need for so many exposed ports into a tank.
That being said, to make something like that work on a vehicle you need numerous video cameras all around the vehicle (with ability to operate at night), and not necessarily very big ones. LIDAR, Infrared and potentially, radar are also desired and in more advanced cases, you could add to this with satellite feeds.
So, to summarize for sensors needed in an optimal environment: cameras, LIDAR, infrared, radar.
If we take the passive approach of a submarine, so as not to give away the position, then lots of cameras all over to maintain minimum operation.
augmented reality it is.
I agree that distributed sensors would guarantee much lower lag because it doesn't require the turret to rotate, but I think for the very least a rotating camera should cope with helmet display / AR glasses just fine, like those on the attack helicopters. The key advantage of AR over traditional LCD display is the ultra-wide angle view it provides, as for the different type of sensors you mentioned, distributed or not, I think a lot of tanks have them featured already.
Without a doubt this is on the way and there are a number of these sensors there already. On the camera side, a rotating one may be present, but it won't be the only one, because of the question of who does it rotate in sync with (driver, gunner, commander?). I suspect what we will see is camera arrays all over the tank, then you can replace them in blocks.
This is an old example:
Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
Here is an article from National interest I think this tank is now deployed and NOT in trial.. I think he got it wrong and another thing This is not meant to fight a main battle tank. It was meant to provide heavy gun in mountainous area
In June 2017, the Chinese periodical Guancha reported that the Xinqingtan(literally “New Light Tank”), a mountain-going tank formerly known by the equally generic appellation ZTQ-105, had entered trials in Tibetan Plateau. The newspaper characterized these as “a show of force designed to deter the Indian military,” while a military spokesman stated on June 29 they were “aimed to test the tank’s performance and are not targeted at any country.”
As defense writer Robert Beckhusen recently observed, is surely aimed at countering the Xinqingtan. India and China, of course, have been escalating the militarization of their Himalayan border for well over a decade. India is still bitter over China’s close relationship with Pakistan and its defeat by attacking Chinese forces in a border war in 1962, while Beijing still fumes over Indian asylum granted to the Dalai Lama. Troops from the regional powers recently engaged in a tense two-month standoff over Chinese construction through a mountain pass claimed by the country of Bhutan.
India’s Himalayan Tank-scapade
Light tanks began to fall out of favor way back in World War II. Romantic notions about light cavalry using their speed to race ahead and outmaneuver foes were dashed when vehicle like the Panzer II or M3 Stuart lost out time and time again when confronted with heavier tanks and fortified strong points due to a lack of firepower.
But light tanks aren’t really meant to win tank battles or fortified sieges. You win by bringing a light tank to a gunfight—somewhere the enemy isn’t prepared to fight tanks at all. In fact, this was a concept the Indian Army had already demonstrated in the Himalayas in 1948 during the first Indo-Pakistani war.
Indian troops were seeking to take back the city of Kargil from Pakistani forces, but first had to seize Zoji La pass—popularly known as the “the Path of Blizzards”—by traversing freezing terrain devoid of cover overlooked by entrenched Pakistani infantry. To make it happen, Indian General Thimayya had Indian sappers haul dismantled M5 Stuart light tanks of the 7th Cavalry from the regional capital of Srinagar to a staging area 11,500 feet above sea level, using a mule track and several fragile bridges with limited maximum weight tolerances. The turretless tank hulls at times had to be literally pushed by foot soldiers up steep inclines.
The under-gunned Stuart had not exactly distinguished itself in World War II. But when dozens of the re-assembled tanks stormed the pass on November 1 as part of a combined arms assault backed by infantry and artillery, the Pakistani troops were shocked to face any armor in such a remote location, and officers were recorded on radio voicing their disbelief at the panicky reports issuing from the frontline. By November 24, the little Stuart tanks had rolled into Kargil.
China’s Alpine Armor
The People’s Liberation Army had been, with early photos emerging in 2011 always featuring the turret swathed in camouflage netting. Later in October 2016, the manufacturer Norinco unveiled an export variant designated the VT-5, from which much of the information on the Xingqingtan has been gleaned—note, however, that it is unclear what distinguishes the VT-5 from the domestic model. Now, Chinese state television is airing footage of the Xinqingtan tanks on maneuvers on the Tibetan plateau.
The Xinqingtan weighs between 33 to 36 tons depending on the armor configuration, whereas contemporary Western or Russian main battle tanks typically tip the scales ranging from 50 to 70 tons. The design apparently is a downsized VT-4 export tank, which traces its lineage back to the Russian T-72. The lighter vehicle can be air dropped by parachute, though it is not amphibious.
The new design’s hull is made of welded steel—nothing special, though at least it’s not flammable lightweight aluminum—and it can fit modular add-on armor, including composite or Explosive Reactive Armor types, either of which might improve survivability versus missiles or rocket propelled grenades. However, at this weight class the Xinqingtan is unlikely to withstand a hit from a modern tank main gun, though it could prove resistant to the automatic cannons widely employed on infantry fighting vehicles.
The Xinqingtan boasts a rear-mounted 1,000 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine giving it an excellent power-to-weight ratio. This enables it to climb on steep inclines and operate at higher altitudes, where the thinner air simply starves out the engines of heavier vehicles. Furthermore, the new light tank uses expensive hydropneumatics suspension which affords a smoother ride and can adjust the ground clearance of the vehicle as necessary, an ideal feature for overcoming craggy or boggy terrain.
The light tank’s primary weapon is a full-stabilized 105-millimeter rifled gun with thirty-eight rounds of ammunitions. It can fire tungsten sabot rounds capable of penetrating an equivalent of 500 millimeter of rolled hardened steel. This is far from adequate for penetrating the frontal armor of contemporary main battle tanks, but possibly enough to defeat older T-72 models. Effective range is only listed as three kilometers, though the gun can also fire anti-tank and helicopter missiles with tandem-charge warheads at targets up to five kilometers away.
The gun barrel reportedly can elevate to very high angles. This could prove useful, as historically, limited gun elevation has often bedeviled tankers in mountainous regions, who have even resorted to improvised ramps to shoot at higher angles. Thanks to an autoloader which ejects spent shells out the rear, the Xinqingtan requires only a crew of three: a gunner, driver and commander.
The vehicle boasts a purportedly sophisticated sensors and fire control system, including thermal sights for both the commander and gunner, a targeting computer linked to a wind sensor and “hunter killer” engagement mode that automatically adjusts the aim to paint enemy vehicles. Other gear includes a laser rangefinder, a GPS navigation system and battle management software allowing to network effectively with friendly vehicles. These are typical design features in modern tanks, but not cheap to include on a disposable vehicle.
In terms of secondary weapons, there is also a remotely controlled 12.7 millimeter machine and a 35mm automatic grenade launcher on top of the turret, plus a co-axial 7.62mm gun inside the turret. This adds up to quite a bit of anti-personnel firepower.
The Xinqingtan is reportedly deployed as part of a PLA integrated brigade in Tibet, which would imply a minimum of one tank battalion of thirty-one to thirty-three tanks, though there could be several battalions. An initial order of 300 tanks is suggested by available sources, a number which implies implies the tanks would occupy a specialized role in the Himalayas or for air-deployment operations, rather than generalized role throughout the PLA. The new vehicles will replace the recently retired Type 62, a design which suffered 50 percent casualties when PLA armor invaded northern Vietnam in a punitive war in 1979.
Guancha characterized the Xinqingtan as “far more advanced” than the Indian T-90S tanks across the border. While it is possible the lighter Chinese vehicle might have more advanced fire control systems, allowing it to hit more accurately at range, the T-90 still far outclasses it in terms of hitting power and armor protection. However, the real danger to the Indian military may be that the Xinqingtan could operate in remote mountain passes and traverse especially rough roads that the T-72s and T-90s simply could not reach at all.
Light tanks have always traded survivability for mobility and access—and sometimes simply getting to remote battlefields where they are most needed and least expected is enough to secure victory, as demonstrated in the history of the and, and even the U.S. Army’s much criticized. While the Sheridan has been retired without a replacement in U.S. service, China and now India still see a useful role for light armor in their ongoing confrontation in the Himalayas.
In June 2017, the Chinese periodical Guancha reported that the Xinqingtan(literally “New Light Tank”), a mountain-going tank formerly known by the equally generic appellation ZTQ-105, had entered trials in Tibetan Plateau. The newspaper characterized these as “a show of force designed to deter the Indian military,” while a military spokesman stated on June 29 they were “aimed to test the tank’s performance and are not targeted at any country.”
As defense writer Robert Beckhusen recently observed, is surely aimed at countering the Xinqingtan. India and China, of course, have been escalating the militarization of their Himalayan border for well over a decade. India is still bitter over China’s close relationship with Pakistan and its defeat by attacking Chinese forces in a border war in 1962, while Beijing still fumes over Indian asylum granted to the Dalai Lama. Troops from the regional powers recently engaged in a tense two-month standoff over Chinese construction through a mountain pass claimed by the country of Bhutan.
India’s Himalayan Tank-scapade
Light tanks began to fall out of favor way back in World War II. Romantic notions about light cavalry using their speed to race ahead and outmaneuver foes were dashed when vehicle like the Panzer II or M3 Stuart lost out time and time again when confronted with heavier tanks and fortified strong points due to a lack of firepower.
But light tanks aren’t really meant to win tank battles or fortified sieges. You win by bringing a light tank to a gunfight—somewhere the enemy isn’t prepared to fight tanks at all. In fact, this was a concept the Indian Army had already demonstrated in the Himalayas in 1948 during the first Indo-Pakistani war.
Indian troops were seeking to take back the city of Kargil from Pakistani forces, but first had to seize Zoji La pass—popularly known as the “the Path of Blizzards”—by traversing freezing terrain devoid of cover overlooked by entrenched Pakistani infantry. To make it happen, Indian General Thimayya had Indian sappers haul dismantled M5 Stuart light tanks of the 7th Cavalry from the regional capital of Srinagar to a staging area 11,500 feet above sea level, using a mule track and several fragile bridges with limited maximum weight tolerances. The turretless tank hulls at times had to be literally pushed by foot soldiers up steep inclines.
The under-gunned Stuart had not exactly distinguished itself in World War II. But when dozens of the re-assembled tanks stormed the pass on November 1 as part of a combined arms assault backed by infantry and artillery, the Pakistani troops were shocked to face any armor in such a remote location, and officers were recorded on radio voicing their disbelief at the panicky reports issuing from the frontline. By November 24, the little Stuart tanks had rolled into Kargil.
China’s Alpine Armor
The People’s Liberation Army had been, with early photos emerging in 2011 always featuring the turret swathed in camouflage netting. Later in October 2016, the manufacturer Norinco unveiled an export variant designated the VT-5, from which much of the information on the Xingqingtan has been gleaned—note, however, that it is unclear what distinguishes the VT-5 from the domestic model. Now, Chinese state television is airing footage of the Xinqingtan tanks on maneuvers on the Tibetan plateau.
The Xinqingtan weighs between 33 to 36 tons depending on the armor configuration, whereas contemporary Western or Russian main battle tanks typically tip the scales ranging from 50 to 70 tons. The design apparently is a downsized VT-4 export tank, which traces its lineage back to the Russian T-72. The lighter vehicle can be air dropped by parachute, though it is not amphibious.
The new design’s hull is made of welded steel—nothing special, though at least it’s not flammable lightweight aluminum—and it can fit modular add-on armor, including composite or Explosive Reactive Armor types, either of which might improve survivability versus missiles or rocket propelled grenades. However, at this weight class the Xinqingtan is unlikely to withstand a hit from a modern tank main gun, though it could prove resistant to the automatic cannons widely employed on infantry fighting vehicles.
The Xinqingtan boasts a rear-mounted 1,000 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine giving it an excellent power-to-weight ratio. This enables it to climb on steep inclines and operate at higher altitudes, where the thinner air simply starves out the engines of heavier vehicles. Furthermore, the new light tank uses expensive hydropneumatics suspension which affords a smoother ride and can adjust the ground clearance of the vehicle as necessary, an ideal feature for overcoming craggy or boggy terrain.
The light tank’s primary weapon is a full-stabilized 105-millimeter rifled gun with thirty-eight rounds of ammunitions. It can fire tungsten sabot rounds capable of penetrating an equivalent of 500 millimeter of rolled hardened steel. This is far from adequate for penetrating the frontal armor of contemporary main battle tanks, but possibly enough to defeat older T-72 models. Effective range is only listed as three kilometers, though the gun can also fire anti-tank and helicopter missiles with tandem-charge warheads at targets up to five kilometers away.
The gun barrel reportedly can elevate to very high angles. This could prove useful, as historically, limited gun elevation has often bedeviled tankers in mountainous regions, who have even resorted to improvised ramps to shoot at higher angles. Thanks to an autoloader which ejects spent shells out the rear, the Xinqingtan requires only a crew of three: a gunner, driver and commander.
The vehicle boasts a purportedly sophisticated sensors and fire control system, including thermal sights for both the commander and gunner, a targeting computer linked to a wind sensor and “hunter killer” engagement mode that automatically adjusts the aim to paint enemy vehicles. Other gear includes a laser rangefinder, a GPS navigation system and battle management software allowing to network effectively with friendly vehicles. These are typical design features in modern tanks, but not cheap to include on a disposable vehicle.
In terms of secondary weapons, there is also a remotely controlled 12.7 millimeter machine and a 35mm automatic grenade launcher on top of the turret, plus a co-axial 7.62mm gun inside the turret. This adds up to quite a bit of anti-personnel firepower.
The Xinqingtan is reportedly deployed as part of a PLA integrated brigade in Tibet, which would imply a minimum of one tank battalion of thirty-one to thirty-three tanks, though there could be several battalions. An initial order of 300 tanks is suggested by available sources, a number which implies implies the tanks would occupy a specialized role in the Himalayas or for air-deployment operations, rather than generalized role throughout the PLA. The new vehicles will replace the recently retired Type 62, a design which suffered 50 percent casualties when PLA armor invaded northern Vietnam in a punitive war in 1979.
Guancha characterized the Xinqingtan as “far more advanced” than the Indian T-90S tanks across the border. While it is possible the lighter Chinese vehicle might have more advanced fire control systems, allowing it to hit more accurately at range, the T-90 still far outclasses it in terms of hitting power and armor protection. However, the real danger to the Indian military may be that the Xinqingtan could operate in remote mountain passes and traverse especially rough roads that the T-72s and T-90s simply could not reach at all.
Light tanks have always traded survivability for mobility and access—and sometimes simply getting to remote battlefields where they are most needed and least expected is enough to secure victory, as demonstrated in the history of the and, and even the U.S. Army’s much criticized. While the Sheridan has been retired without a replacement in U.S. service, China and now India still see a useful role for light armor in their ongoing confrontation in the Himalayas.
Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
Tank does not work alone they have infantry to protect them from ATGM. In defensive position they are buried in the ground
The most potent Indian ATGM is Spike not sure if they are operational now . Depending on the version the LR version can penetrate 700mm RHA with tandem warhead . We don't have reliable data on the ZTQ? composite armor some say it is good for 500mm who knows?
Anyway if they want it they can fit it with APS like this guy here. Or use EW system like the Russian does
This one is test against RPG and ATGM
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That's the risk every battlefield commander takes when ordering tanks into battle. India cannot haul their T-72s and T-90s up the Himalayas so Spike missiles are the best they have. They won't have many of them either because it's difficult getting anything up the Himalayas, never mind a heavy ATGM.
The PLA, on the other hand, won't have to haul anything up because they're already there on a permanent basis. They also have 300mm MLRS and AFT-10 Sino-Spikes in addition to ZTQs so basically, the PLA has everything the Indians can possibly bring to a fight, and more. India brings 1 Spike, China counters with 10 AFT-10s, 12 300mm rockets, and a ZTQ company. What do you think is going to happen?