Norinco MBT-3000 joins China’s export line-up.
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS - Land Consultant.
China North Industries Corporation’s(Norinco’s) MBT-3000 main battle tank (MBT) made its international debut at the Eurosatory defence exhibition in Paris in mid-June.
The MBT-3000, which has similar road wheels but a slightly different hull to the Type 98/ Type 99 MBT currently in People’s Liberation Army service, is the latest model tojoin Norinco’s streamlined MBTexport line. As well as the MBT-3000, Norinco now offers theMBT-2000, which has a combatweight of 48 tonnes, and the VT2, which has a combat weight of 42 tonnes.
Although it is not yet in series production, officials described the MBT-3000 as the most advanced MBT offered by Norinco on the export market to date. Norinco claims it is fully digitised, air conditioned and fitted with an over-pressure NBC system and an inertial navigation/global positioning system.
The MBT-3000 is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore gun fed by an automatic loader that holds 22 rounds of ready-use ammunition (projectile and charges) plus 18 rounds in reserve. It also has a roof-mounted remote-controlled 12.7 mm machine gun (MG) operated by the commander and a 7.62 mm co-axial MG.
Gun control equipment is electric and the fire control system includes stabilised day/ second-generation cooled thermal imager sights for the commander and gunner, including a laser rangefinder.
The tank commander is provided with a roof-mounted stabilised panoramic sight that allows a target to be acquired and then handed over to the gunner for engagement.
Norinco’s MBT-3000 made its international debut at Eurosatory. Norinco says the MBT-3000 is the most advanced MBT offered by the company on the export market to date.
View attachment 45669 MBT-3000