Al-Khalid based on T-72 ?

Mr Erdogan said the two sides also had the potential “to take many steps” to increase cooperation in defence industry, but did not elaborate what projects they discussed. An aide to Mr Erdogan said later that the two countries were considering joint production of tanks, armoured personnel carriers and patrol boats, while Turkish company Aselsan was willing to sell the Pakistani army electronic warfare equipment.

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Tank-2000 (New generation Main Battle Tank) project: Status: The tender to co-produce 1000 new generation MBTs has been cancelled in May 2004. It is likely that a new request for proposal will be issued during the upcoming months to include more foreign companies in the competition. On a seperate agenda, three Turkish companies (BMC, FNSS and Otokar) were asked to join their efforts to carry-out indeginous research and studies for the purpose of manufacturing the shell and sub-systems (excluding navigation and fire control) of a new-generation MBT.

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But there a some major different on the Al-khalid and the T-72 then make it possilble for the AL-khalid to out-classes the T-72 in some way

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Gollevainen said:

Well like i said, Al-Khalid is ofcourse better than standart T-72 and perhaps even better than T-72M, it should be, othervise the chinese designers would have been quite incapaple. The question was that wheter it was "based" on T-72, not if it better, ofcourse tank wich have been able to learn from it's orgins mistake should be superior.

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FreeAsia2000 said:

Imagine yourselves as Pakistani engineers (mustache optional )what tank would YOU come up with ? remember the environmental, financial and other constraints...so don't go overboard

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Gollevainen said:

Well this is basicly the same issue wheter chinese tanks are based on T-72 as the Al Khalid is direct and undenyable ofspring of Chinese Type 90 MBT.

This issue have been very controversial, as many chinese seems to look the issue trough completely biased and nationalsitic filters. I found it very weird. It seems that it is overhelming to certain people to accept the fact that the newest and somewhat spearhead of chinese militarytindustry isen't completely indegenious. Perhaps it is somesort of inferiorcomplex gained from the bad reputation of chinese arms production in the past. I don't know, but i've tryed to give my obinion and wievs in the matter before and it had have some very negative reception. I hope this isen't the case in this issue as many do share my views. So what i'm going to say in this post should not couse any fuzz, it's just my obinion. You all are free to proof me wrong (with good manners ofcourse)

So is Al Kahlid based on T-72? Yeas and no. It hasen't got any direct link to T-72, like it would be just licenced build version of it in the ways of M84 or PT-91. Also it isen't unlicenced copy or ripof, like none of the chinese tanks isent...so what it is? Well to awnser that, we have to look to the chinese tank development.
Chinese tank development started up by licence produce Type 59, a direct copy of T-54. The development continued and they made slightly improved version of it and the last of that "line" was Type 80 which was so quite different from the first type 59, but still it had direct link to it so one can say it orginally based to the T-54. Chinese had made some efforts to developt an indegenious and superior tank to T-54 but those projects failed. Reason is the same as in so many other chinese indegenious designs; The overall industrial and engineering base wasen't ready nor was the political desicion making supportive enough. So therefore the designs were mostly just slightly impoved versions of soviet weaponsystems or very rugiment and simple desings requiring minium of knowhow.
But the tank development did stop and as the supporting sector improved, more innovative designs came along. But Chinese weren't still ready for developing a totaly indegenios tank so they chosed a shortcut. They selected to make a tank very similar to Soviet T-72 in general layout but fitted with western propulsion and wedled turret. This was the Type 90 but it failed to saticfy the PLA. The development continued and different hull was selected and thus came out the Type 98. The weaponsystem and turret was adopted to Type 80 derivates Type 88 and thus came the first serie production 125mm gun fitted chinese tank, Type 96. It was a stopcap meassure to field somewhat modern tank to PLA troops before Type 98 was ready for production.
But the Type 90 didn't die and it was then actively marked for export item and Pakistan started to develpt it under the name Al Khalid.

So Al Khalid and T-72 are cousins, but not the same product. Al Khalid shares the concept of T-72 (and other russian tanks) with all it's benefits and downsizes of the concept, apart of the cast turret issue. Does this mean the Al Khalid is as "bad" as T-72? No, it certainly have improved performance due it's more efficient engine. But thats about it. It has practically the same gun, with same loading methods and thus limited in same type of ammoes. Al Khalid is propaly superior to early generation version of the T-72 but not "the best tank in the world" as many pakistanese seems (and wants) to think.


If you think i'm wrong, please take part of the conversation, no need to be afraid of me and fear what might happen if you go against the big G...but i highlight the word CONVERSATION...it means mature discussion with clear bases on what you say and leaving all idiotism out...

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