ZTQ-15 and PRC Light Tanks

Gloire_bb

Captain
Registered Member
Surprising choice to go with 105mm. Maybe has got to do with the autoloader set up and design.
Designing a horizontal autoloader for 125mm ain't especially hard. If anything, it's going to be mechanically simpler than one China already has.

-China already has lighter MBT("medium tank") in form of type 96A. Here they clearly wanted something different.

-105 is riffled, 125mm is a smoothbore.
A riffled gun is basically an equal/superior option for anything other than shooting darts, and even then there is difference only if you're trying to punch through MBT frontal armor. ZTQ-15 isn't an MBT nor it is a specialized tank destroyer.
Fin-stabilized HE tend to be worse than rotation-stabilized ones(because, well, fins), and their accuracy rapidly deteriorates with range.

-105 is a standard Chinese gun for infantry support, thus any ammo development is going to be mutually beneficial.
 

ougoah

Brigadier
Registered Member
Designing a horizontal autoloader for 125mm ain't especially hard. If anything, it's going to be mechanically simpler than one China already has.

-China already has lighter MBT("medium tank") in form of type 96A. Here they clearly wanted something different.

-105 is riffled, 125mm is a smoothbore.
A riffled gun is basically an equal/superior option for anything other than shooting darts, and even then there is difference only if you're trying to punch through MBT frontal armor. ZTQ-15 isn't an MBT nor it is a specialized tank destroyer.
Fin-stabilized HE tend to be worse than rotation-stabilized ones(because, well, fins), and their accuracy rapidly deteriorates with range.

-105 is a standard Chinese gun for infantry support, thus any ammo development is going to be mutually beneficial.

I did forget the 105mm is actually standard and used by the Type 08 range of vehicles. It actually makes a lot more sense with this huge piece of the puzzle. But they could have similarly employed the 125mm used by all PLA's MBTs from the Type 96 and up. The only real reasons why not could be weight, size, engine + chasis and hydraulics considerations. It's a lot more firepower if they could do it though but I guess it wasn't that easy to keep everything else stable and operating well.
 

ougoah

Brigadier
Registered Member
Forgot the Type 63A amphibious assault light tank also uses the 105mm... this one features a muzzle break. Anyway common ammo available for all these 105mm guns. Lighter weight for the tank, easier on the hydraulics, better fire control, more manageable recoil, smaller dimensions. Enough reasons. Just can't punch through the front of an MBT. I guess they don't expect to encounter MBTs where they use the Type 15.
 

by78

General
A ZTQ-15 is put on static display to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the
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.

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TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Reminds me of the Iraqi "Lion of Babylon" tanks that were captured and put on display by the Israelis. Similar color scheme and display.
....:oops:
The Only Lion of Babylon T72 (Possibly the only complete of the type ever built) is on display at Fort Hood, Texas which last I checked isn’t in Israel. The color is right though.
 
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