Basic Information

Name

Al-Khalid Pakistan Main Battle Tank (MBT)

Designation

MBT-2000, Type 90-11, Al-Khalid

Alternate Designation

MBT-2000, Type 90-11, Al-Khalid

Equipment Type

Main Battle Tank (MBT)

Manufacturer

NORINCO

Date of Introduction

2001

Description

The Al-Khalid is a main battle tank jointly developed by Pakistan and China during the 1990s, based on the Chinese Type 90-IIM tank. The original prototype was developed by China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) under the name MBT-2000, and Norinco also offered the tank for export. Around 310 Al Khalid MBTs had been produced by 2014. The Bangladesh Army ordered 44 MBT-2000s from China in 2011. The Norinco-made MBT-2000 is also used by the Royal Moroccan Army. It was trialled by the Peruvian Army for possible acquisition, but was not purchased due to financial problems. Operated by a crew of three and armed with a 125 mm smooth-bore tank gun that is reloaded automatically, the tank uses a fire-control system and night-fighting equipment. Al-Khalid is named after the 7th-century Muslim commander Khalid bin al-Walid (592–642 AD). The current production variant of the Al-Khalid uses a diesel engine and transmission supplied by the KMDB design bureau of Ukraine. The first production models entered service with the Pakistan Army in 2001. The country placed an order with Ukraine to further upgrade the tanks with a new engine. Al-Khalid is designed with a 125 mm bore, 48 calibre long smoothbore, auto-frettaged and chrome-plated gun barrel which is manufactured from highly stiff electroslag remelting steel. The gun is then put under stringent quality control process to ensure standard barrel life of 1,100 rounds EFC; barrels that cannot pass this test are rejected. This gun provides very high internal chamber pressures for APFSDS, HEAT FS and guided missiles. The gun can also fire the following types of conventional ammunition: APFSDS, HEAT-FS and HE-FS. The gun is a modified variant of both the ZPT-98 and KBA-3 series of 125 mm smooth bore gun for Al-Khalid MBT which provided compatibility with Ukrainian ATGMs such as Kombat. The gun retains qualities of both Chinese and Ukrainians mated with indigenous design for better and accurate firepower on stationary and moving targets alike. The Gun-launched, laser-guided anti-tank guided missiles can also be launched.

Ground Specifications

Crew 3

Mobility Type Tracked

Main Weapon 125 mm smoothbore gun

Engine Diesel (1200 hp)

Active Protection Yes

NBC Protection Yes

Max Speed 65.0 km/h

Range 500.0 km

Variants

MBT-2000 The MBT-2000 was developed in China by NORINCO, where it was known as the Type 90-II and was later marketed for export as the MBT-2000. The MBT-2000 developed and offered for export by NORINCO is believed to have very similar specifications as the Al-Khalid and externally appears almost identical. The MBT-2000 has been exported by NORINCO to Bangladesh. The MBT-2000 has a crew of three, a 125 mm smoothbore gun as a main armament, and an all-welded steel construction with additional layer of composite armour over the frontal arc for protection.

VT-1A Export Version of the MBT-2000. Bangladesh: 44, Morocco: 54, Myanmar: 50

System

Alternative Designation MBT-2000, Type 90-11, Al-Khalid

Date of Introduction 2000

Estimated out of Service Date 2035-2050

Manufacturer NORINCO

Proliferation China: INA, Bangladesh: 44, Morocco: 54, Myanmar: 50. Over 150 total.

Type Main Battle Tank

Status In Production

Family INA

Crew 3 ea

Passenger Capacity INA

Maximum Effective Range (Road) 500 km

Maximum Effective Range (Main Gun) 5,000 m

Add on Parts Yes, Additional Armor

Dimensions

Length 10.33 m

Width 3.5 m

Height 2.4 m

Weight, Combat 48 tons

Ground Pressure INA kg/m

Automotive

Engine Name Ukrainian 1,200 hp 6TD-2 six cylinder turbocharged multi-fuel diesel engine.

Engine Type Diesel

Engine Power 1,200 hp

Cruising Range 500 km

Speed, Maximum Road 65 km/h

Speed, Average Cross 55

Speed Maximum Swim INA km/h

Gradient 60 deg

Side Slope 40 deg

Vertical Step 0.85 m

Fording Depth 1.4 m

Fording with Preparation 5 m

Tench 2.7 m

Suspension Torsion Bar

Hydraulic Shock Absorbers Yes

Communications

TBR-121

VHF Transceiver Yes

VHF Range 1 to 50 km

Proliferated Widely

Digital Data Yes, Full

Control Self-Adaptive Control (Including Automatic Antenna Tuner)

Frequency Agile Yes

Wireless Network Capabilities Yes

Note: Very similar in capabilities to the US SINCGARS ASIP

Main Gun

System

Name MBT-2000 Main Gun

Type 125 mm smoothbore gun

Max Rate of Fire 6-8 rds/min

Sustain Rate of Fire INA

Time the Max Rate of Fire can be Sustained INA

Range Finder Type Laser

Loader Type Autoloader

Thermal Jacket Yes

Fume Extractor Yes

Ammunition (Option 1)

Type High Explosives (HE)

Purpose High explosive fragmentation fin stabilised. General purpose rounds, for use against infantry, bunkers and light vehicles and other "soft" targets.

Caliber 125 mm

Muzzle Velocity 850 m/s

Basic Load 39 in total any combination

Maximum Effective Range 5,000 m

Minimum Effective Range INA m

Armor Penetration Yes

Max Dispersion 0.23 mrad

Tungsten Rods 450 ea

Charge A-IX-2 (73% RDX, 23% aluminium powder, phlegmatized with 4% wax) 3.0 kg

Projectile Weight 23 kg

Fragments 2,500 ea

Variants 3VOF22/3OF19, 3VOF36/3OF26, 3VOF128/3OF82

Ammunition (Option 2)

Type High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)

Name 3VBK27/3BK31 "Start"

Caliber 125 mm

Muzzle Velocity 915 m/s

Basic Load 39 in total any combination

Maximum Effective Range 3,000 m

Minimum Effective Range INA m

Armor Penetration Estimated at 800 mm triple charge HEAT

Max Dispersion INA

Charge INA

Charge Weight 1.62 kg

Projectile Weight 18.4 kg

Variants 3VBK7/3BK12, 3VBK10/3BK14, 3BK12M, 3BK14M, 3VBK16/3BK18, 3BK18M, 3VBK17/3BK21, 3BK21B, 3VBK21/3BK25, 3VBK25/3BK29 "Breyk", 3VBK25M/3BK29M

Ammunition (Option 3)

Type Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot Tracer or APFSDS-T rounds.

Name 3VBM?/3BM69 "Vacuum-1"

Caliber 125 mm

Basic Load 39 in total any combination

Muzzle Velocity 2,050 m/s

Muzzle Energy 15-24 MJ

Maximum Effective Range 3,000 m

Minimum Effective Range INA m

Projectile Dimension 900 mm

Penetration 1,000 mm

Projectile Weight 11 kg

Note Entered service in 2005[5] Utilising a new sabot. Reported to be uranium alloy. For 2A82/2A82-1M cannon on T-80UM-2/T-14s.

Variants 1.1 3VBM3/3BM9/10 1.2 3VBM6/3BM12/13 1.3 3VBM7/3BM15/16 1.4 3VBM8/3BM17/18 1.5 3VBM9/3BM22/23 1.6 3VBM10/3BM29/30 1.7 3VBM11/3BM26/27 1.8 3VBM13/3BM32/33 1.9 3VBM17/3BM42 (3BM44 "Mango") 1.10 3VBM19/3BM42M (3BM44M "Lekalo") 1.11 3VBM20/3BM46 (3BM48 "Svinets") 1.12 3VBM22/3BM59 (3BM59 "Svinets-1") 1.13 3VBM23/3BM60 (3BM60 "Svinets-2") 1.14 3VBM?/3BM69 "Vacuum-1" 1.15 3VBM?/3BM70 "Vacuum-2"

Tank Commander's Weapon System

System

Name W-85

Type 12.7mm Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun

Max Rate of Fire 550-600 rds/min

Sustain Rate of Fire INA

Time the Max Rate of Fire can be Sustained INA

Range Finder Type Iron/Optical

Feed System Belt

Operation Gas Operated, Open Belt

Traverse 360 deg

Elevation Angle 90 deg

Ammunition

Type Type 54 Round

Caliber 12.7x108 mm

Muzzle Velocity 850 m/s

Basic Load 750 (50 Round Belts) ea

Effective Range 2.5 km

Armor Penetration Yes

Mounted Co-axially with the 125mm Main Gun

Loader's Weapon System

System

Name Type 80 Chinese Heavy Machine Gun

Type 7.62 Coaxial Machine Gun

Manufacturer NORINCO

Length, Total 1,192

Length, Barrel 658 mm

Weight (Gun Only) 12.6 kg

Weight (With Tripod) 17.5 kg

Max Rate of Fire 700-800 rds/min

Sustain Rate of Fire INA rds/min

Time the Max Rate of Fire can be Sustained INA seconds

Range Finder Type Scope

Action Gas-operated, open bolt

Feed System Belts in 100/200/250 round boxes

Sights Open sights. Optical/Night vision scope can be outfitted.

Variant 1 Type 80 - The copy of the PKM GPMG, chambered in 7.62×54mmR

Variant 2 Type 86 - A machine gun only used for tanks as a secondary weapon.

Variant 3 CF06 - An export-only version of the Type 80, which is chambered for 7.62 NATO ammunition.

Variant 4 (Foreign to China) BD-14 - A variant of the Type 80 made by Bangladesh Ordnance Factories under license which uses 7.62×51mm NATO instead of 7.62×54mmR

Ammunition

Type Rifle

Caliber 7.62x54 mm

Muzzle Velocity 840 m/s

Basic Load 4,000 ea

Effective Range 100-1,500 (With Sight Adjustments) m

Armor Penetration Yes

Fire Control

Name INA

Computerized FCS Yes, Image Stablished FCS

Ballistic Computer Yes

Thermal Sight Tank Commander Yes

Two-Axis Panoramix Sight (Commander) Yes

Commander's sight Magnication x6 with a 10 deg FOV

Thermal Sight Gunner Yes

Two-Axis Stabilised Fixed Roof-Mounted Sight (Gunner) Yes

Gunner's Sight Magnification x3 with a 20 percent FOV and x10 with a 6 deg FOV.

Main Gun Stabilization Yes

Auto-Tracking Function Yes

Image-Stabilized Gunner Sight Yes

Fire Control Computer and Sensors Yes

Laser Rangfinder Yes

Automatic Target Tracker (ATT) Yes

Thermal Imager Module Yes

Roof Mounted Crosswind/Angular Velocity Sensor Yes

Protection

Hull Armor all-welded steel, Protects from small arms fire and shell splintering

Turret Armor all-welded steel, Protects from small arms fire and shell splintering

Applique Armor Yes, Modular Armor

Explosive Reactive Armor Yes, added to the Glacis Plate, Sides, forward roof, and Vehicle Nose

Active Protection System Yes

Mine Clearing No

Self-Entrenching Blade Yes

NBC Protection Yes

Smoke Equipment Available

IR Reflective Paint yes

Anti-Neutron Liner Yes

Image Sources

Notes https://www.moddb.com/groups/tanks/images/al-khalid-pakistani-mbt; https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q429898; ;