Pakistan hold IPR of AK series, therefore it seems illogical that Pakistan would drop AK program in favour of other tank which may not provide us the luxury of holding IPR.
Common sense dictates that we may keep trying to get systems or subsystems from abroad in our effort to absorb as much technology which would be available in market and to keep our platform up-to-date but closure or cancelation of AK program seems impossible unless some other programs is inatiated which may provide us the luxury of owing the IPR.
I didn’t imply any cancellation or end of the AK project, I meant that they might not name it “AK-2” and instead go for something like “AK-1A” because they may not intend to change the design of the tank, just add some missing technology. Though I actually hope they change the design and keep taking it forward too.
I’m going off what the HIT chairman said. He said that the next iteration of the AK may be using tech from the VT-4. Now that is a very open ended statement, It can mean they’re still trying to get ToT for the exact parts of the VT-4 they want, basically whatever’s missing in AK-1. Or it can mean they’re just developing technology to use on the AK that is used on the VT-4. For example, VT-4 uses a CITV, They want to put a CITV on The next AK, but they’re making it themselves. Or it could end up just not using said tech, but the upgrade will have to be along the lines of VT-4 anyways, as that seems like the natural progression for the AK series. VT-4 is one example of what the Next major AK can be, it’s the same design after all.
Pakistan could make its own tank analogous to it but with more local and non Chinese tech. just as we did with Al-Khalid vs VT-1, Al-Khalid-1 vs VT-1A.
As for foreign versus local tech;
They’ve tested multiple foreign ERA, Polish ERAWA, Ukrainian DUPLET, Chinese FY4 for the Next AK. The engine will also most likely come from China, or so I hope, the 6TD-3 is an upgrade over the 6TD-2E but not to the level of the Chinese 150HB, and using a Chinese engine will ease logistics.
They’ve tested GL-5 and Zalson APS. Granted these are on the more complex side of tank technology, something Pakistan would have trouble making (for the APS and engine at least, but better local ERA could have been made).
There is also credit due to them for making a Good Auto-loader and FCS/GCS for the AK-1 that they will probably reuse. Maybe there is still room for improvement in the base armor Too (composite and steel layout etc), which can be done by HIT, and surely a CITV, an auto-bore sight system, laser warning system etc can be made locally. Most of the stuff will remain the same as it’s just an upgrade and not a new tank (not that it’s needed, AK-1 is already good in most metrics).
Though the Bottom line is, unless they greatly redesign the AK Hull and turret as a whole, the tank cannot be reaslticslly taken much further, even the VT-4 is limited in its protection capabilities by its design, which is just the same as AK with a new turret (and not really a good turret redesign at that, the frontal Arc is no bigger) Hence I feel this upcoming Iteration could be the last of this AK series. (They could keep the name going though). Wether HIT designs a new Pakistani tank after that depends on the PAs requirements.
Me and Bilal had a discussion about this before here:
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/al-khalid-tank-type-90-iim-mbt-2000-information-pool.127686/page-101
