China displays battle tank for export at air show

China is displaying a new light-duty main battle tank at an ongoing arms exhibition amid a muscle-flexing disclosure of ground weapons, in a bid to attract buyers who wish to quickly outfit their armies.

China North Industries Group Corp, commonly known as Norinco, the country’s biggest developer of land armaments, expects the VT-5 tank to lure foreign military officers from developing nations at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, commonly known as the Zhuhai Air Show, which runs from Tuesday to Sunday.

The State-owned defence giant said the VT-5 is the most advanced light-duty tank now available in the international market. The tank showed off manoeuvres on Tuesday morning in front of hundreds of foreign government and military officers at a range near the Zhuhai Air Show.

For armies of most developing nations, heavier main battle tanks in the international market, such as the US M1 Abrams and the German Leopard 2, are too expensive and “overqualified” for their basic needs, Lin Wei, a spokesman for Norinco, said during the air show, adding that they also are too heavy to operate on roads and bridges of developing countries.

Therefore the VT-5 is an ideal option for such users because its firepower, mobility and information capacity are as good as those of Western tanks, he added.

According to Norinco, the VT-5 is a multirole, light-duty main battle tank capable of operating in various terrain, including desert, forest and urban areas. It has a weight of 36 metric tonnes and a crew of three people. Its weapons include a 105-mm rifled tank gun, which can fire armor-piercing shells, high-explosive anti-tank warheads and missiles, and a 12.7-mm remotely controlled the gun.

The tank is equipped with an integrated electronic system, a tactical command system, a satellite-based positioning device and modular armour. It features good battlefield awareness, strong information capacity and high manoeuvrability, and is suitable for modern joint operations, the company said.

In addition to tanks, Norinco also sent a wide variety of weapons, including wheeled tank destroyers, tracked infantry fighting vehicles, multiple rocket launchers, low-altitude air defence systems and anti-tank missiles.