ZTQ-15 and PRC Light Tanks

ZTQ 15.

Type-15 light tanks of the Western Theater Command participating in a large scale exercise.

Type 15 being transported by train along with various other vehicles.

A few more images from a recent exercise in Tibet.

15 looks like it has near zero side armour. Can that even defeat 30mm? Was the design requirement just to defeat small arms and maybe 12.7/50 cal anti-material? Heavier MBTs have side armour that look like they can easily defeat 30mm and they can potentially be beefed up to resist highly angled 120/125mm shots. Interesting to see 15's protection philosophy is basically scaled down Type 99/96A.

AFAIK it has modular armor. They might simply not have fitted the heaviest armor panels to these ones.

Interesting... I wonder whether using elevated railways is a strategic vulnerability for China. If an enemy strikes a ground level railway it can be more easily repaired with a small crew, while an elevated railway would require a whole construction team