Recently, the Vietnamese media reports the latest development of the country’s home-made main battle tanks, and added that the tanks equipped with an advanced 125 mm artillery guns and missiles, F-hunting systems and modular armor, can be and the world’s most advanced main battle tank is comparable . Performance of the new main battle tank in the end how the military special Xinhua commentator east on the existing image data of a preliminary analysis.

Photo preliminary analysis

Although Vietnam’s state-run television had reported the new tank, but China has not found video reports, be able to find only a few online video is not clear screenshots and photographs.

These photos and video shots roughly into three categories.

The first category is the description of the new tank driving and shooting, and all the video shots, clarity is not high, only dimly see the broad outline of tanks. But I can see tanks in preparation for shooting, the crawler does not smoke and dirt behind, clearly tanks are firing at the stationary state.

Fire from a tank to see an instant screenshot of the video, even though there have been some behind the tank track dust, it seems that tanks are shooting in motion, but then red flag flying from the front of the vehicle to determine the direction of the tanks should be shooting in the wind. Then the track after the dust is also possible that the dust stirred up the muzzle blast wave.

The second category is the description of the Vietnamese high-ranking officers visited the new tank photos from these photographs we can see that with the exhaust devices and thermal jacket of the tank gun barrel. Thermal jacket fixed manner with our 79 tanks is somewhat similar to the thermal jacket, extraction device does not seem like a Soviet-style 125 mm tank gun barrel as concentric set, but rather tend to the top of the barrel this point and 105 mm tank gun compare like with like.

The third category is the heavy vehicle factory in Vietnam, state-run shot in the workshop, ranging from tanks, front right, front, left front, left rear and the turret on the panoramic shot of the close-up sight, all with a new type of turret No. 153 tank.

Chassis similar to the T-55

From this tank the left rear view photographs, and tanks of the load wheel, driving wheel, induced wheel and the engine exhaust port and T55 are identical, even the interval between the load wheel are the same, but an increase of side skirts , blocked the track. T55 tank at the top of the toolbox on the left wing panels have also been blocked, looking like a plastic surgery done.

Photographs taken from a tank in front of view, the first armored tank cars, tracks, fender, headlights, driver’s window, anti-surfers, periscope, etc., are the same with the T55, the first under the armor is also fitted for fixed mine with the large bolt. However, the depth of the hole heading machine gun fired a number of deeply than T55, should be based on the original armor added new armor plates. And the right side of turret periscope is coated with “TM-3″ the words of the armor pieces, their edges under the top to the periscope, the distance a lot bigger than T55.

The first armored vehicles by increasing the thickness or install a new armor pieces, and increased side skirts, the Vietnamese new tank chassis part of the protective capacity than T55 increased. It is not aware of the new tank’s engine, transmission parts, how to manipulate some of the changes has been compared to T55, from the current view of the action section of photographs of little change, so the new tank’s mobility has not improved compared with T55, In what ways has improved, increasing the number, but also very difficult to judge.

Protection and gun turret

Looking at the photo, the turret on the right and left sides are equipped with a greater thickness of the wedge-shaped armor, from shooting photos of periscope optical sight can be seen, these wedge-shaped armor is to use bolt fixed. In the rear turret increased by protective fencing, Pojia Dan is beneficial for improving the protection, and can also be used for all kinds of items, such as machine bullet boxes, tools, accessories, spare parts.

Artillery on both sides of Defensive Shield, retained the T55 tank sight holes and tied for machine guns firing hole, do not see what more effective means of protection. It appears that turret and the body have taken protective armor in the T55 on the basis of the original increase in additional armor a way to be strengthened. As for the additional armor structure, materials and armor-piercing bombs Pojia Dan protection capabilities, the current limited information alone is not a good estimate.

Currently used by countries 125 mm tank gun, with the Soviet Union, T64, T72, T80, T90 and other tanks on the 125 mm tank gun used in connection with more or less, or at least very similar appearance, are concentric-style pumping device . In Zheliang new tanks, the Vietnamese government claimed that also is equipped with an advanced 125 mm tank gun, but used widely used around the world with 105 mm tank gun of similar eccentric installation of exhaust devices.

As we all know, able to independently produce high-pressure tank gun bore only a handful of countries, Vietnam, despite its weapons production plant, repair shop more than 100, but the army a long time to produce only light weapons and ammunition, does not produce heavy weapons capabilities, to be independent production of high-tank gun chamber pressure is even harder, I am afraid only purchased a road by now.

There have been reports that Vietnam a few years ago from Poland to buy dozens of vehicles T72. This tank gun whether it is from Poland to buy, why you want to modify the exhaust device installation, which are unable to find the answer. The artillery of this precision-made guided missile weapons, of course, only imported from foreign countries.

Fire Control System Analysis

In the turret at the top of the rear there is a rod-shaped object, at the top of enlargement is estimated to be cross-wind sensors. In the top of the original T55 tank turret gunner periscope installation location, installation of a new periscope optical sight, it should be used to gunners, but the eyepiece cover covered with armor, so do not see the number of optical channels and shape. In the periscope optical sight can be seen behind the tower is installed on the periscope, location higher, and T55 drivers installed on a similar command periscope.

As the turret left front sight Department has also opened a hole, and the T55 tesha mirror similar to the original target lens should still be retained, or on the basis of the original structure to be modified. In this way, the new tank fire control system and observation devices should be included in a gunner’s tesha mirror, periscope optical sight, and bus captains of command viewers. So, gunner’s tesha mirror and periscope-type sight between what might be a relationship? In my view, is no more than three possibilities.

The first, periscope optical sight is the fire control system, the main sight, while the tesha mirror is assisted sight; the second, to install the mirror in the original tesha targeting fire control system, the main mirror is a sight, periscope optical sight is just night vision; third, to install the mirror in the original tesha targeting fire control system for the primary mirror is a sight, periscope optical sight is the artillery missile guidance instrument.

In fact, in order to achieve the Vietnamese official said the basic functions of the system F-hunting is not difficult, T55 car long after finding the target, you can also use the target indicators, beyond a turret gunner turned around to the target, then aim and shoot from a gunner. But this habit of talking about hunting on the F-type fire control system is not the same as.

Commonly referred to as F-type hunting, fire control system is dual-command ceremony, fire control system, not only gunner’s sight is an independent and stable, the bus captains should also have an independent and stable, as the sight of weeks, so drivers and gunners in order to have a considerable The road between the observation capability, but also in targeting the condition does not affect the gunner, the independent observation of the implementation of 360 degree-viewing. Not visible in photographs of the existing car long weeks as crosshairs. Gunner’s periscope optical sight exposed parts of smaller sizes, whether it be able to achieve an independent and stable, is still a problem.

At present, the independent and stable sight in accordance with the stability of the different ways can be divided into stable and on the anti-anti-stability, and control a certain type of Chinese-made tanks, anti-stability target for the next mirror, the exposed parts of the lens than the new tank’s periscope of this Vietnamese-style Great sight. Taking into account Vietnam’s industrial base, could target such a small size mirror mirror the body to achieve line of sight of the independent and stable, it seems difficult to achieve.

Therefore, I believe that Vietnam officially declared hunting F-system, should T55 car length indicator with the target instructions to the gunners with similar objectives, rather than the commonly referred to as a bus captain with an independent and stable weeks depending on the command of sight fire ceremony system, while the gunner’s periscope optical sight is not very likely stabilization sight, but artillery missile guidance and control instrument, or night vision.

In addition, the first on the right side just before the headlights armor, there is no T55 infrared headlights, does not mean that the new tank driver with active-infrared night vision, night vision and use it? This possibility exists, but night vision is little high-tech products in the international market is also readily available.

To sum up, this new tank in Vietnam is in fact an improvement based on the T55 tank made of mobility, there will be no great improvement, and even may be due to use of additional armored vehicles, all leading to a significant increase in weight, which leads to unit power of decreased, so that motor performance. Turret and the body has a positive protective capacity should be largely improved. Artillery caliber and power should also be the T55 100-mm rifled gun, can not be compared. Fire control system is just the composition, working methods, like improvements in the T55 made on the basis of a simple fire control system, artillery missile guidance system is relatively independent.

However, taking into account Vietnam’s mechanical, electronic, optical and other industrial base and development and design ability of the performance of their real ability to meet the Vietnamese government declared a “world-class level”, I am afraid but also draw a big question mark.

Tags: Chinese experts, tank, Vietnam