CSU-152/CSU-88 MBT "9958 Project"

[August Comrade]

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9940/chinambt10rr.jpg
http://www.cmilitary.com/forums/general/archive/articles/213.html

It caught my attention that China is fielding a new MBT that will be the most powerful/advanced tank in the world. The lack of information of this devasting piece of military hardware is scarce and i'm wonering if any of you have more information about it?

[backwindow]

The 152mm/57 gun would be 8.6 m long.
And how big it will be.
Like the one in the game "General"?
:o

[August Comrade]

If this MBT was like the 'Overlord Tank' in CnC Generals, that' woul dbe one hell of a tank! going at 75 mph able to crush tanks and carry some form of gattling gun :D hehe, but that seems more of a fantasy. How can anyone construct something on that scale!? It's like four tanks in one ! :roll:

[jackbh]

It must have been top secret as no photo has been seen.
From the Jane's article that it is already under trial testing in 2003.

[vincelee]

you do realise that by putting a 152mm high pressure gun on a tank, that tank must be close to 80 tons, right? Bridges in China only support up to 50 tons.

[MIGleader]

Are you sure? The black eagle tank, which is designed to support a 152mm hgh pressure smoothbore, weighs only 52 tons. Thats what the use of composite armor can do.

[tphuang]

you do realise that by putting a 152mm high pressure gun on a tank, that tank must be close to 80 tons, right? Bridges in China only support up to 50 tons.
I believe it was 60 tons, I saw a picture on CDF blog before that said that.

[vincelee]

the one with 50/60 tons written on the tank carriage? I saw that too. It said 50.

As for Black Eagle, I don't know. But stress tests has been done on this before, and the conclusions were that you need a lot more support for the turret to get the same service life.

[August Comrade]

yeah, the Black Eagle is speculated to use the T-80 chassis with a lengthened diameter. Meh there's pictures of the tank anyway http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/armored_vehicles/black-eagle.htm
http://armor.kiev.ua/fofanov/Tanks/MBT/b_eagle.html

I'm justed peeved that the PLA haven't released any official documents for their project.

I also hope the PLA is able to pull together a better rounded tank than the Russians. Since it incorperates many technologies from across the globe - hand picking the finest to put in those CSU152s!

Where's the American mock up to their M1A2s? Proablly believe that their Abrams will continue to dominate throughout the decade so no worries on a future tank. :S

:china:

[Kampfwagen]

I dont know...It's been notoriously dificult to implement tanks of this size into an active combat role asside from mobile artillery. Besides, according to popular consensus, the tank is 'going out of style' so to speak. So why make a bigger one?