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The Chinese VT-4 main battle tank has successfully proven its capabilities in Algeria.
During rigorous evaluations, the tank aced long-range firing exercises with a 100% hit rate. It showcased its endurance by driving continuously for 500 kilometers.
https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/replacing-t90-vt4-trials-algeria
Replacing Russia’s T-90 on World Markets: China’s High Tech VT-4 Tank Excels in Trials in Algeria
Africa and South America , Ground
Military Watch Magazine Editorial StaffSeptember-2nd-2024
Thai Army VT-4 Main Battle Tank
The Chinese VT-4 main battle tank has successfully completed assessments in Algeria, including long range firing exercises during which it achieved a 100% hit, and exercises testing its continuous driving capabilities over 500 kilometres and its ability to fire under a range of conditions. The tank’s performance was reportedly noted positively by the Algerian Armed Forces. The Algerian Army is the second or third largest operator of the T-90 main battle tank after India, and possibly Russia depending on how many have been commissioned and lost by the country since February 2022. Multiple sources have reported that Russia has been unable to meet Algerian orders for further T-90s for over two years, with T-90s built for export having instead been commissioned into the Russian Army from 2022. With North Korea being under a UN arms embargo, and in any case having only very recently began to serially produce its modern Chonma 2 tank, this has left China as the only supplier of compatible main battle tanks. China currently has five separate tank classes in production, including the Type 96 sold to Algeria’s close strategic partner Sudan, derivatives of the Type 59 sold to Iraq, and the Type 99A which forms the elite of China’s own ground forces.
Algerian Army T-90SA During Live Fire Exercises
The VT-4 shares several technologies and design features with the VT-5 light tank which entered service in China in the end of the 2010s. The vehicle was developed specifically for export, and has been sold to Thailand, Pakistan, and on a very small scale to Nigeria. Pakistani reports indicate that the tank has a superior performance to T-80s supplied by Ukraine, and is expected to have significant advantages over India’s T-90 tanks. For Algeria, the VT-4 represents one of the most attractive options to modernise the country’s tank units and diversify away from a heavy reliance on Russian armour, particularly due to Russia’s shortfalls as a supplier. Entry into the Algerian market, which is by far the most lucrative in Africa and, outside the Gulf, in the Arab world as well, potentially places Chinese industry in a strong position to market its next generation main battle tanks. Previously Russia was expected to market its successor to the T-90, the much delayed T-14 Armata, to the Algerian Army.
VT-4 Tanks in Thai Service
The VT-4 boasts very high levels of mobility, with its1,300 hp diesel engine ensuring a high power-weight ratio. The tank benefits from torsion bar suspension, an integrated hydraulic transmission system, and automatic gear transmission for steering and acceleration. Like Russian tanks, but unlike American and German ones, the vehicle uses an autoloader allowing its weight to be reduced considerably and its crew cut from four to just three personnel. The tank uses a 125mm main gun, which is the same calibre used by Russian and North Korean tanks, where Western, Japanese and South Korean tanks use 120mm guns. The tank uses composite armour and FY-4 explosive reactive armour for protection, reportedly providing an equivalent of approximately 700mm of protection. Algeria is reportedly evaluating a more advanced variant of the tank, the VT-4A1, which boasts a hard kill active protection system equivalent to the well known Israeli Trophy system, and includes associated radar equipment. The enhanced tank variant also integrates grenade launchers and a laser warning receiver. T-90 tanks up until August 2024 notably lacked any kind of hard kill active protection systems, with Russia considered unlikely to be able to supply such systems for Algeria’s T-90s for the foreseeable future.
Algerian Army T-90SA Tanks During Exercises
The Algerian Armed Forces have increased their reliance on Chinese military equipment significantly in recent years, and in August announced the acquisition of YJ-12B anti ship cruise missiles, complementing its acquisition of Chinese CX-1 anti ship cruise missiles in 2018. Other notable acquisitions have included CH-4 and WJ-700 drones, WM-80 rocket artillery systems, PLZ-45 self-propelled howitzers, HJ-12 anti tank missile systems, CHL-906 electronic warfare systems, Adhafer Class stealth corvettes, and according to some sources even HQ-9B air defence systems. Algeria on May 22 was confirmed to have applied to become a dialogue partner of the Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation military bloc, and on September 1 was announced to have joined the Chinese-led BRICS New Development Bank. The growing discrepancies between China and Russia as economic, strategic and defence partners in the former’s favour is expected to lead Algeria to continue to expand defence cooperation and arms acquisitions. The African country redoubled investments in its military capabilities since NATO’s assault on neighbouring Libya in 2011, and has continued to perceive a significant threatfrom Western military activities in its region.
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