SteelBird
Colonel
The beauty and the beast
ZTQ-15 and PRC Light Tanks
- Thread starter by78
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Unless PLA commanders screwed up particularly badly (Type 15 got flanked), Type 15 will wipe the floor with the M41. But modern warfare is mostly combined arms, so the direct comparison is rather moot.
Still, even in combined arms I also expect Type 15 to outperform M41 due to it's information network.
timepass
Brigadier
Well, one is a light tank of late WW2 standards and the other is the 21st century light tank.
If the Type 15 has all its add on armor I think the M41 has no chance of penetrating it.
The fire control and communication systems in the M41 are so out of date it isn't funny.
It would be a turkey shoot.
Actually Indian T90s are deployed at about 4000+ metres above sea-level (and hopefully, suffering from engine power loss), an altitude at which ZTZ99 and ZTZ99A have been reportedly deployed.
However ZTQ15 can be deplyed at 5xxx meters where it only needs to counter infantry or IFVs at most. Besides it can still run faster than an SUV at such an altitude.
Light tanks aren't in the same class as MBTs, nor do they fulfill the same roles. Light tanks tend to be used more to exploit their high maneuverability and terrain access in support of infantry or in conduct of reconnaissance. Moreover, they tend to be worse armored, to carry worse firepower, or both.
When it comes to T-90 vs ZTQ-15, it really depends on the scenario. If the T-90s are doing an armored thrust, the ZTQ-15 can attempt to flank, but otherwise can't really do much about it due to its thin armor and underpowered main gun. It can attempt to launch gun-launched ATGMs, but there's travel time and guidance needed for the gun-launched ATGMs.
On the other hand, if the ZTQ-15s are exploiting terrain the T-90 can't use, i.e, the ZTQ-15 is attacking from an area the T-90s couldn't possibly reach, the ZTQ-15s could hit the T-90's side armor.
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In either case, the ZTZ-99 has almost the same power to weight ratio as the ZTQ-15 and is deployed to the border region. And the Chinese have IFVs armed with modern tank-destroying missiles, light vehicles with tank-destroyer load-outs, attack helicopters with ATGMs, and anti-tank artillery munitions in the area.
If a ZTQ-15 is going to be called to destroy a T-90, something has gone horribly wrong for the Chinese or the Indians--either the T-90 is vulnerable enough to be a target of opportunity for the ZTQ-15s, or the ZTQ-15s have been ambushed or there's no other tank support available at the location.
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Also, to quantify the claims that the T-90 is engine-screwed at altitude, Leh is about 11000 feet. That translates to about a 33% reduction in engine power if the T-90 doesn't have a supercharger or some other way to increase airflow. But the T-90MS has a supercharged engine, and if it's good for 6 psi of boost the T-90MS is basically running at the equivalent to sea level at 11000 feet.
The main mobility advantage of a ZTQ-15 would be through its lighter weight and higher power-to-weight ratio; i.e, the ZTQ-15 can go places the T-90 can't go and it can climb slopes more effectively than a T-90.
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Gun and ammunition of ZTQ 15 is simply not powerful enough. It's ammunition has a DOP of 220mm at 66.42° from 2km that's around 350mm at 0°.
Even flanking won't help , chances of which itself happening are very low in first place lol ,any modern MBT like T 90 will eat it alive. Hell even Indian army ATGM Arsenal is more than enough to deal with this tin can, even APS won't save it.
Sprut light tank are coming with 125mm gun to provide better operation flexibility on our side.
Even flanking won't help , chances of which itself happening are very low in first place lol ,any modern MBT like T 90 will eat it alive. Hell even Indian army ATGM Arsenal is more than enough to deal with this tin can, even APS won't save it.
Sprut light tank are coming with 125mm gun to provide better operation flexibility on our side.
Most Chinese members here simply don't realise that for ZTQ 15 to be somewhat effective in one on tank battle, it would have to come close to around 1km of T 90. it would be a dead meat , no Matter how much flanking manuver's it try lol 
. ATGM are it's best hope. But even that won't cut it against T 90.
. ATGM are it's best hope. But even that won't cut it against T 90.