The Al-Khalid ( ur, —, literally "The Eternal Tank") is a Pakistani

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

developed by

Heavy Industries Taxila Heavy Industries Taxila (Reporting name: HIT), ( ur, ) is a Pakistani state-owned defence, military contractor, engineering conglomerate, and military corporation located in Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan.China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) under the name MBT-2000.Around 310 Al Khalid MBTs had been produced by 2014. The

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and def ...

ordered 44 MBT-2000s from China in 2011. The Norinco-made MBT-2000 is also used by the

Royal Moroccan Army zgh, ⵜⴰⵙⵔⴷⴰⵙⵜ ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⴰⵏⵜ , image = , caption = Flag of the Royal Moroccan Army , start_date = active since: 1088 CE current form: 14 May 1956 , ...

. It was trialled by the

Peruvian Army The Peruvian Army ( es, Ejército del Perú, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions ...

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 A smoothbore weapon is one that has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars. History Early firearms had smoothly bored barrels that fired projectiles without signi ...

tank gun A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. Modern tank guns are high-velocity, large-caliber artilleries capable of firing kinetic energy penetrators, high-explosive anti-tank, and cannon-launched guided projectiles. Anti-aircraft guns can also ...

that is reloaded automatically, the tank uses a

fire-control system A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs the same task as a ...

and night-fighting equipment. Al-Khalid is named after the 7th-century Muslim commander

Khalid bin al-Walid Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arab military commander. He initially headed campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career i ...

(592–642 AD). The current production variant of the Al-Khalid uses a diesel engine and transmission supplied by the

KMDB The Korean Movie Database (KMDb) is a South Korean online database of information related to Korean movies, animation, actors, television shows, production crew personnel and other film-related information. KMDb launched in February 2006 by Ko ...

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.

History

The China's People's Liberation Army was concerned about the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

threat, and requested an improved main battle tank (MBT) to replace the old and obsolete

Type 59 tank The Type 59 (; industrial designation: WZ-120) main battle tank is a Chinese-produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an early model of the ubiquitous T-54/55 series. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service ...

. Thus, in 1980,

Norinco China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, doing business internationally as Norinco Group (North Industries Corporation), and known within China as China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation Limited (), is a Chinese state-owned defense ...

was formed and the Inner Mongolia First Machine Group Corporation was tasked with developing a series of new tanks. A joint development deal was signed with Pakistan in January 1990. Initial Chinese-built prototypes were tested in Pakistan in August 1991. Pakistan completed its manufacturing plant at Taxila in 1992. Pakistan spent more than USD $20 million over the next eight years on the co-development of a model suitable for its needs and on creating a capability to manufacture it locally. The Project Director at Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Brigadier Nasir Mahmood SI(M) led Pakistan's first indigenously produced tank from conception to production. His team modified the tank to accept a foreign-built engine. Several different prototypes were evaluated. In light of high ambient temperatures and the fine sand or dust that would be encountered in operational areas such as the deserts of southern Pakistan, the development of high performance cooling and air filtering systems was emphasized during the planning stage of the project. Implementation of a hydro-gas suspension system was considered but, after technical evaluation, it was found to be impractical due to various limitations such as problems with reliability and maintainability. Installation of the Renk 304 transmission was also considered but discarded. An early version was armed with a Chinese gun and

, and had a German-designed MTU-396 diesel engine which was built under licence in China. Another version was equipped with a more advanced Western digital fire-control system and powered by a Perkins Condor diesel engine (as in the British

Challenger Challenger, Challengers, or The Challengers may refer to: Entertainment Comics and manga * Challenger (character), comic book character * ''Challengers'' (manga), manga by Hinako Takanaga Film and TV * ''The Challengers'' (TV series), a 1979 ...

) and SESM ESM500

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...

(as in the French Leclerc). This version was considered too expensive, and under-performed in the extreme heat of southern Pakistan. Finally, a version was tested with the compact Ukrainian 6TD-2 1,200 hp diesel engine. This configuration was chosen by Pakistan for the production version of the tank and came to be known as Al-Khalid. The final tank design resulting from a decade of co-operative development was designated ''Type 90-IIM''. The Chinese company Norinco showed the new Type 90-IIM during the March 2001 Abu Dhabi Defense Expo, under the export name ''MBT 2000''. The version powered by the Ukrainian engine, intended for domestic production in Pakistan, was named ''Al-Khalid''. During the development period,

Heavy Industries Taxila Heavy Industries Taxila (Reporting name: HIT), ( ur, ) is a Pakistani state-owned defence, military contractor, engineering conglomerate, and military corporation located in Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan.Type 85-IIAP The Type 80 () and the Type 88 () are a family of Chinese second-generation main battle tanks (MBTs). They are also known as the ZTZ80 and ZTZ88. History In the 1970s China's primary MBT in service was the Type 59, a copy of the T-54 medium t ...

under Chinese licence and prepared to begin production of the Al-Khalid tank in 1999. A pilot batch of fifteen tanks was inducted into the 31st Cavalry Regiment of Pakistan's Armoured Corps on 20 July 2001. Pakistan signed a contract with Ukraine's

Malyshev Factory The Malyshev Factory ( uk , Завод імені В.О. Малишева, translit=Zavod imeni V.O. Malysheva; abbreviated ), formerly the Kharkov Locomotive Factory (, ), is a state-owned manufacturer of heavy equipment in Kharkiv, Ukraine. It ...

in May 2002 for the delivery of 315 KMDB 6TD-2 diesel engines over three years. An additional batch of Al-Khalid tanks was delivered on 23 September 2004. Pakistan planned to build a total of 600 Al-Khalid tanks for its

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. In December 2017, HIT officials told the Pakistan Senate that budgetary constraints had reduced the output of the tank to 18 per year on average. On July 28, 2020, the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

inducted the first Al Khalid-I main battle tank into its Armoured Corps Regiment. The handing over ceremony of the tank, which is an upgraded version of Al Khalid tank, was held at HIT.

Unveiling

Al-Khalid was revealed on 17 July 1991, by the then

Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan ( ur, , romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen cabinet, despite the president of Paki ...

Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime minister of Pak ...

, along with the then Pakistani Chief of Army Staff,

Mirza Aslam Beg General Mirza Aslam Beg ( ur, ; born 2 August 1931), also known as M. A. Beg, was a Pakistan Army officer, who served as the 3rd Chief of Army Staff from 1988 until his retirement in 1991. His appointment as chief of army staff came when hi ...

, in a ceremony held at the Heavy Rebuild Factory (HRF),

Taxila Taxila or Takshashila (; sa, तक्षशिला; pi, ; , ; , ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and ...

. In his speech, the Prime Minister said that the completion of the project was a big step towards self-reliance. The Army Chief said that for the first time in history, not only had technology been transferred to Pakistan, but the design was also made by Pakistani engineers themselves.

Design

Armament

Al-Khalid Main Battle Tanks and Ghazab MLRS in action

Al-Khalid is designed with a 125 mm bore, 48 calibre long

smoothbore A smoothbore weapon is one that has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars. History Early firearms had smoothly bored barrels that fired projectiles without signi ...

, 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 Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS), long dart penetrator, or simply dart ammunition, is a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition used to attack modern vehicle armour. As an armament for main battle tanks, it succeeds A ...

, 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 missile An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...

s can also be launched. Al-Khalid also fires a Pakistani

depleted uranium Depleted uranium (DU; also referred to in the past as Q-metal, depletalloy or D-38) is uranium with a lower content of the fissile isotope than natural uranium.: "Depleted uranium possesses only 60% of the radioactivity of natural uranium, hav ...

round, the Naiza 125 mm DU round which gives an armour penetration of 570 mm RHA at 2 km. It is equipped with a muzzle reference system and dual-axis stabilisation system. Elevation and azimuth control is achieved by electro-hydraulic power drives. The automatic ammunition-handling system for the main gun has a 24-round ready-to-fire magazine and can load and fire at a rate of eight rounds per minute. The tank is also equipped with a 7.62 mm-coaxial machine gun, a 12.7 mm remotely controlled externally mounted air-defence machine gun that can be aimed and fired from within the tank, and 16 smoke grenade launchers(12 Smoke, 4HE). The gunner is provided with a dual-magnification day sight and the commander with a panoramic sight for all-around independent surveillance. Both sights are dual-axis image stabilised and have independent laser range-finders. The tank has hunter-killer capability, giving the commander the ability to acquire new targets independently while the gunner is engaging another target. The automatic target-tracking system is designed to work when tank and target are both moving.

Night vision Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night vi ...

for the gunner and commander is achieved through a dual-magnification

thermal imaging Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal video and/or thermal imaging, is a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process, which are examples of infrared i ...

sight. Both sights are integrated with the fire-control system. The production Al-Khalid tank's fire-control system is the ISFCS-122B and is a modified version of the Chinese ISFCS-122 modified with French Assistance by adding features like Auto-tracking and more. In the MBT 2000, the Chinese Norinco fire-control system takes inputs from ten sensors. The ballistic computation time is less than one second. The manufacturer claims routine first round hits on standard square targets at ranges over 2,000 metres. * Effective range: 200 to 7,000 metres * Sensor: laser ranging from 200 to 9,990 metres * French Auto-tracking, interfaced with gunner station, firing four types of munitions, gunner's thermal imaging sight, commander's image intensification night vision sight, gyro-stabilised and UPS power supply system. Prototypes were demonstrated with various fire-control systems of Chinese and western origin, but the production model of the Al-Khalid MBT's use a modified Chinese fire-control system (FCS) and gun control system (GCS). The Al-Khalid-1's FCS has been improved and is able to cue up multiple targets at once and has Auto-tracking for both the 125mm Main gun as well as for the 12.7mm Anti-air gun. It is also equipped with the "Integratated Battlefield Management System" (IBMS), named "Rebar", a digital communications system developed domestically by HIT and CARE (Centre for Advanced Research in Engineering). It comprises a flat-screen display mounted inside the tank which communicates with those of other vehicles, including command posts such as the HIT Sakb. It uses a

data-link A data link is the means of connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information (data communication). It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a transmitter and a recei ...

to facilitate secure communication of battlefield information between units, including tank video footage and information from

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

s. A project to manufacture the first Pakistani tank gun barrel was started by Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division (SPD) in 2000. In April 2011, it was reported that the first Pakistani-produced tank gun barrel was ready to be delivered to HIT for installation on the Al-Khalid and

Al-Zarrar The Al-Zarrar (Urdu: الضرار), is a third generation main battle tank (MBT), currently in the services of the Pakistan Army since 2004. The tank is named after Muslim warrior Zarrar bin Al-Azwar. It is a highly upgraded version of Pakista ...

. Previously, HIT imported 125 mm gun barrel blanks from France for the two tanks which would then be machined in Pakistan by HIT. The first Pakistani gun barrel blank was produced at Heavy Mechanical Complex (HMC) in a joint project involving HIT, People's Steel Mills Limited (PSML) and other defence-related organisations. The specialist grade steel was produced at PSML and the resulting steel block was passed on to HMC. HMC then pressed the block to a length of 5 metres and square cross-section, before forging it into a 125 mm smoothbore barrel. The barrel was then heat treated several times in facilities such as a large vertical furnace. The process took 2–3 months and was watched by experts from other defence-related organisations. The barrel was to be capable of firing at 4 rounds per minute as well as being compatible with the autoloader and its 24-round magazine. According to a HIT official, a joint team proved to the

that strict standards would be met before the army approved production of a first batch of 50 gun barrels by HMC. The Pakistani gun barrels would likely be installed on upgraded versions of the Al-Khalid which are under development by HIT. A Rs200 million PKR contract has been finalised by HIT for the first 50 barrel batch, which is slightly lower than the barrels imported from France. After production of the first batch of local tank gun barrels in 2011, Heavy Machinery Complex is planning to explore manufacture of artillery guns.

Mobility

The production model Al-Khalid is powered by a 6TD-2 liquid-cooled

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...

, designed by the Kharkiv Morozov Design Bureau (KMDB) of

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. The 6TD-2 is a

supercharged In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...

6-cylinder engine delivering . The

2-stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of t ...

design, with the pistons arranged horizontally in an opposed piston configuration, makes the engine very compact and therefore more suitable for being fitted into relatively small vehicles such as the Al-Khalid MBT. The 6TD-2 is part of a Ukrainian powerpack and is capable of semi-automatic power-shifting, the transmission has 7 forward and 4 reverse speeds along with a braking system that incorporates carbon friction brakes and a secondary speed-retarding system. Gear changes are controlled by a

torque converter A torque converter is a type of fluid coupling that transfers rotating power from a prime mover, like an internal combustion engine, to a rotating driven load. In a vehicle with an automatic transmission, the torque converter connects the power ...

which is made more efficient by addition of an automatic lock-up clutch. There is also a mechanical back-up system for use in emergencies, able to shift 2 gears forward and reverse. The Al-Khalid is fairly lightweight compared to the Western tanks, weighing 46 tonnes compared to the 60 tonne

M1 Abrams The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare and now one of the heaviest ta ...

and

Leopard 2 The Leopard 2 is a 3rd generation main battle tank originally developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s for the West German army. The tank first entered service in 1979 and succeeded the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West Germ ...

. A

power-to-weight ratio Power-to-weight ratio (PWR, also called specific power, or power-to-mass ratio) is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measuremen ...

of 26.66

hp/tonne Power-to-weight ratio (PWR, also called specific power, or power-to-mass ratio) is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measuremen ...

gives acceleration from 0 to 32 km/h (0 to 20 mph) in 10 seconds and a maximum speed of 72 km/h, the speed and agility also helping to improve survivability. A snorkel allows the tank to cross water obstacles up to 5 metres deep, after some preparation by the crew. Navigation is assisted by an inertial navigation system (INS) and a

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...

satellite navigation system.

Protection

Al-Khalid has modular composite armour and

explosive reactive armour Reactive armour is a type of vehicle armour that reacts in some way to the impact of a weapon to reduce the damage done to the vehicle being protected. It is most effective in protecting against shaped charges and specially hardened kinetic ener ...

, high hardened steel plates over rolled homogeneous layers. The composite armour includes classified elements and NERA inserts. The vehicle also has overpressure nuclear-biological-chemical defense system, an effective thermal smoke generator, internal fire extinguisher and explosion-suppression system. The infrared signature of the tank is reduced by infrared reflective paint. The Al-Khalid's armour is publicly stated to be around 660mm vs HEAT and 550mm vs APFSDS without ERA on the Turret and the Glacis is Estimated to be aroumd 450-470mm without ERA. The Al-Khalid-1 later inducted into the Pakistan Army is improved further from the Al-Khalid 1 unveiled earlier anand is equipped with newly developed indigenous explosive reactive armor AORAK Mk.2, which is not only lightweight, but also more resistant to APFSDS, HEAT and HE-FS rounds. ERA is developed by Global Industrial Defence Solutions (GIDS) Corporation. l-Khalid is also equipped with an active protection system known as VARTA. HIT is working on an indigenous APS system for future batches, especially for Al-Khalid 2. An advanced laser detection system from ATCOP has been added. The LTS 1 consists of a mast-mounted sensor and operator's control box, which includes a display showing threats 360 degrees around the tank. It can detect

laser rangefinder A laser rangefinder, also known as a laser telemeter, is a rangefinder that uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by sending a laser pulse in ...

s and

laser target designator A laser designator is a laser light source which is used to designate a target. Laser designators provide targeting for laser-guided bombs, missiles, or precision artillery munitions, such as the Paveway series of bombs, AGM-114 Hellfire, o ...

s and responds automatically by triggering acoustic alarms, smoke generators and other countermeasure systems. LTS 1 can detect laser devices operating in the 0.8 to 1.06 µm waveband, has a 360° field of view in azimuth (resolution of 15°) and a field of view in elevation of -15° to +90°. The Laser Threat Sensor LTS786P is an early warning device which gives audio and visual alarms of threat by sensing a laser beam aimed at it from any direction. The exact location of the threat (incoming beam) is indicated by nine LEDs, covering all directions above the horizon. It has the capability to differentiate between a Laser Range Finder, Laser Target Designator or a Laser Target Tracker Signal. Provision of sensor output signal, interfacing for appropriate countermeasures, is also available. It can be used on stationary or moving objects of any size or shape. The maximum operating range is 10 km.

ATCOP LTS786P Technical Specifications

*Response: enhanced for Nd:YAG Laser Signal *Range: >10,000 m *Field of view: capable of detecting any signal aimed towards LTS786P. *Detector type: silicon photodiode *Size (approx): 214 x 134 mm (sensor head) *126 x 123 x 100 mm (display Unit) *Weight 2 kg (sensor head) , approx): 1 kg (display unit)

Variants

Prototypes

* Type 90-II – A further development of the Type 80/85 series main battle tanks introduced in 1992. * P1 – Prototype incorporating a Chinese 125 mm gun, autoloader and fire-control system, German MTU-396 diesel engine and Renk LSG-3000 automatic transmission. * P2 – Prototype incorporating a Chinese 125 mm gun and autoloader, Western fire-control system, Perkins 1200 hp Condor diesel engine and French SESM ESM500 automatic transmission. * P3 – Prototype fitted with Chinese 125 mm gun and autoloader, Western fire-control system, Ukrainian

6TD-2 1200 hp diesel engine and French SESM ESM500 automatic transmission. * P4 – Prototype export variant incorporating German NATO standard 120 mm gun, Western fire-control system, German MTU-871/TCM AVDS-1790 diesel engine and Renk LSG-3000 automatic transmission.

Production variants

Pakistani variants

* Al-Khalid – Based on P3 prototype of MBT-2000, operational as of 2001. Has an ammunition capacity of 39 125 mm rounds (22 in autoloader), 500 12.7 mm rounds and 3,000 7.62 mm rounds. **Al-Khalid I – Upgraded variant with ammunition capacity increased to 49 125 mm rounds, 1,500 12.7 mm rounds and 7,100 7.62 mm rounds. Incorporates modifications made to the fire-control system which is now a more advanced multi process fire control computer with up to 7 km effective identification range. The engagement range is also improved which is up to 3.5 km, digital driver panel, IBMS, side-skirts, track pads, digitally controlled FPGA based solid state auto-loader with bidirectional tray movement and ammo availability info on screen, info on empty and full trays and types of available rounds, bigger carousel for longer rounds, (rate of fire increased to 9 rounds per minute), Ukrainian Varta electro-optical jammer (disrupts laser rangefinders, laser designators and anti-tank guided missile tracking systems), Sagem third-generation thermal imagers for both gunner and Commander and improved air conditioning system. It is the most heavily weaponized tank by tonnage. It is fitted with a 1,200 hp Ukrainian engine. Al-Khalid I's top speed is 72 km/h, and it weighs 46 tonnes. ** Al-Khalid II – Upgraded variant incorporating redesigned turret, increased weight, upgraded modular armour package and sensors, improved ammunition and a new powerpack developing 1,500 hp.

Chinese variants

* Type 90-IIM/MBT-2000 – Type 90-IIM was introduced in 2000 with Ukraine's KMDB 1,200 hp 6TD-2 diesel engine. Export version MBT-2000 introduced in 2001 at a defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi. * VT-1A – A new export variant of the Type 90-IIM, with Chinese interior, turret, gun, electronics and armour. It has a Chinese 1300 horsepower engine.

Cancelled projects

* Type 90-IIA – An export model offered to Pakistan. It was powered by French V-series diesel engine, developing 1 500 hp. Cancelled after France joined the international arms embargo on Pakistan after the Pakistan's 1998 nuclear tests. Further production was reputedly on hold due to lack of tank engines, with Ukraine first refusing to provide engines, but later promising to deliver 110 new tank engines. Since the political instability, Ukraine was facing issues in making deliveries of equipment.

Operators

Current operators

* – 600 Al-Khalids and 150+ Al-Khalid-1s in service as of 2021, Al-Khalid-1 still in production at

HIT Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from ''Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization in ...

with 50 Tanks being delivered per year. * – 150 VT-1As in service.Vayu and Aerospace Defense: February 28, 2014. Chinese MBT-2000 export successes Orders placed in 2010. * – 44 VT1As in service. * – 50 VT-1s in service.

Failed Contracts

* - In April 2002, it was reported that Malaysia was considering purchasing the Al-Khalid after evaluation by Malaysian military personnel, but Malaysia eventually backed out without stating any reasons. * - The Peruvian government had expressed interest in purchasing 80–120 units to complement the fleet of Soviet

T-55 The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks ...

tanks in service with the

. However the deal fell through partly due to the unauthorised export of the Ukrainian engine. * - The

Saudi Arabian Army Royal Saudi Land Forces ( ar, القُوَّاتُ البَرِّيَّةُ المَلَكِيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة, Al-Quwwat al-Bariyah al-Malakiyah as-Su'udiyah) is the land warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arab ...

began conducting trials of the Al-Khalid's desert performance in April 2006, after expressing interest in purchasing a batch of the tanks 2 years earlier. No order for the tank was placed later. * – In May 2008, Lt. Gen

Sarath Fonseka Field Marshal Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka ( si, ගාර්දිහේවා සරත් චන්ද්‍රලාල් ෆොන්සේකා, ta, சரத் பொன்சேகா; born 18 December 1950), commonly know ...

of the

Sri Lanka Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

held talks with his Pakistan Army counterparts regarding the sale of military equipment, weapons and ammunition. The supply of 22

Al-Khalid The Al-Khalid ( ur, —, literally "The Eternal Tank") is a Pakistani main battle tank developed by Heavy Industries Taxila since the 1990s. It is based on the Chinese Type 90-IIM tan, whose original prototype was developed by China North ...

MBTs to the Sri Lanka Army was reportedly finalised during these talks in a deal worth over US$100 million. The order was later cancelled by Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary.

References

External links

KMDB 6TD-2 engine factsheet

{{PRCAFVs , state = collapsed Post–Cold War military equipment of Pakistan Post–Cold War main battle tanks Tanks of Pakistan Main battle tanks of Pakistan Tanks with autoloaders China–Pakistan military relations Pakistan–Ukraine relations Main battle tanks of Bangladesh Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s