The PLA makes replacement of antiquated equipment the top priority
China is developing an advanced 'super tank' that, if fielded, would be the most powerful vehicle of its type, according to Jane's Defence Weekly.
In an article to appear in next week's issue, the magazine quotes unidentified sources as saying the new main battle tank would incorporate most of the advanced systems used in modern western armour, and would be equipped with a 152mm main gun fed by an automatic loader. Most tanks use 120mm or 125mm main guns.'[The main gun] would be coupled to an advanced day/thermal sighting system that will allow moving targets to be engaged with a high first-round-hit probability while the vehicle is stationary or mobile,'' the article says.
The International Institute of Strategic studies estimates the People's Liberation Army has 8,300 main battle tanks, more than any other nation. About 6,000 of the tanks, however, are based on a design from the 1950s and are obsolete. Only a few hundred PLA tanks could match tanks fielded by the US or European nations.
The PLA has made the replacement of its large stock of antiquated equipment with more modern weapons a top priority. The interest in new tanks is not surprising, given that Taiwan is interested in buying US M1 Abrams tanks.
The Abrams was highly effective in both Iraq wars, and the American armour was easily able to destroy Iraq's tanks, many of which were supplied by China in the 1980s, while suffering few losses.
