Al-Khalid tank (Type 90-IIM / MBT-2000) Information Pool

[Raja Porus]

Type 59s still being upgraded to AZs I believe, in total we will have a 1000 when the upgrades complete with over 800 done already. The rest will likely be retired/put in storage. Not sure how long the Type 69s will stay. I believe VT4s will be replacing them.

Currently VT4s are replacing AZs

 

[Dazzler]

The AK uses French ESM-500 transmission with 5 forward and 2 reverse gears. The P2 prototype used this trans with a western engine. The P3 prototype with the Ukrainian 6TD-2 had its own transmission with 7 forward and 4 reverse gears. Why was the French tans picked over the Ukrainian one? (Some people still claim it uses the Ukrainian one). Also, if available, what is the reverse speed of the AK series?

How accurate is this analysis, as it claims the trans is not the French one but the Ukrainian one. View attachment 739920
@Dazzler ^ , thank you and sorry for the repeated tags.

Ak uses Ukrainian power pack and transmission, not the french one. It was tested on one of the prototypes.

 

[iLION12345_1]

Currently VT4s are replacing AZs

Really? I don’t think so, AZs will serve till at least 2030, why replace AZ when there is Type 69 and 59 to be replaced? AZ project was restarted just a few years back, they were making more, why’d they be replacing them? I may be wrong.

 

[Dazzler]

Currently VT4s are replacing AZs

Not true.

Type 59s still being upgraded to AZs I believe, in total we will have a 1000 when the upgrades complete with over 800 done already. The rest will likely be retired/put in storage. Not sure how long the Type 69s will stay. I believe VT4s will be replacing them.

AZ production capped at 500 mbts.

 

[Raja Porus]

Not true

VT4s are replacing AZs of 6armd div. By replacing I mean that only in one particular formation, I didn't mean that they are being retired. Perhaps the AZs( previously of 6th armd div) are being used to form idp bdes or replace t59/69s.

 

[iLION12345_1]

Not true.


AZ production capped at 500 mbts.

So what about all the other type 59s? Still in service? I suppose those will be replaced by incoming AK-1s and VT-4s. I saw some other members discussing continuation of AZ program a while back, including Signalian.

 

[Dazzler]

VT4s are replacing AZs of 6armd div

True

 

[Reichmarshal]

The two orignal contenders for AK engine.
On the left is a 1200 hp perkins engine and on the right is the eventual winner a 1200 hp 6td2.

Just the size difference is huge n just for that I would have picked 6td2 over perkins any day.

 

[TsAr]

View attachment 740005
The two orignal contenders for AK engine.
On the left is a 1200 hp perkins engine and on the right is the eventual winner a 1200 hp 6td2.

Just the size difference is huge n just for that I would have picked 6td2 over perkins any day.

well the Ukrainian is half the size of perkin...

 

[Type59]

View attachment 740005
The two orignal contenders for AK engine.
On the left is a 1200 hp perkins engine and on the right is the eventual winner a 1200 hp 6td2.

Just the size difference is huge n just for that I would have picked 6td2 over perkins any day.

Seriously unbelievable

 

[iLION12345_1]

View attachment 740005
The two orignal contenders for AK engine.
On the left is a 1200 hp perkins engine and on the right is the eventual winner a 1200 hp 6td2.

Just the size difference is huge n just for that I would have picked 6td2 over perkins any day.

I wouldn’t have picked the 6TD-2, neither would have Pakistan if it had the option. Maybe the Perkins is Too big (but keep in mind it has the cooling system attached to it there, which for 6TD-2 is separate), but there could definitely have been better options had there not been issues with procurement.
6TD-2 makes very very poor torque. The 1200HP figure makes it look like it’s a powerful engine when in reality it performs closer to the 1000HP diesel in a T90A. It’s very underperforming for the HP it puts out, in tanks HP is not a good indicator of performance, torque is.

 

[Reichmarshal]

with the procurement of VT4, PA might be moving away from 6TD2 and replacing it with the Chinese engine powering vt4 .
as it has performed outstandingly, so much so that when vt4 came for trials initially, PA just asked the Chinese for the engine.

 

[Reichmarshal]

I wouldn’t have picked the 6TD-2, neither would have Pakistan if it had the option. Maybe the Perkins is Too big (but keep in mind it has the cooling system attached to it there, which for 6TD-2 is separate), but there could definitely have been better options had there not been issues with procurement.
6TD-2 makes very very poor torque. The 1200HP figure makes it look like it’s a powerful engine when in reality it performs closer to the 1000HP diesel in a T90A. It’s very underperforming for the HP it puts out, in tanks HP is not a good indicator of performance, torque is.

6td2 is a good reliable engine that has performed and served PA well throughout its service in all terrains and PA is pretty satisfied with its performance.
But having said that just like life their is always room for improvement and I am sure PA would have loved to have a1500 hp engine powering AK or even better the Honeywell AGT1500C gas turbine engine.
but just as in life one has to make compromises to make things work so as not to drown in others' wishes and expectations.

 

[iLION12345_1]

with the procurement of VT4, PA might be moving away from 6TD2 and replacing it with the Chinese engine powering vt4 .
as it has performed outstandingly, so much so that when vt4 came for trials initially, PA just asked the Chinese for the engine.

for AK-2 I believe both the Chinese and Ukrainian 1500HP options are open, but I think the Chinese one would serve us better, Chinese tech of the 90s and of the 2020s is worlds apart.

6td2 is a good reliable engine that has performed and served PA well throughout its service in all terrains and PA is pretty satisfied with its performance.
But having said that just like life their is always room for improvement and I am sure PA would have loved to have a1500 hp engine powering AK or even better the Honeywell AGT1500C gas turbine engine.
but just as in life one has to make compromises to make things work and not to drown in others' wishes and expectations.

Very True, It is definitely reliable and it’s served us well, I didn’t mean to call it a bad engine, just underpowered, but for the AKs size and role it was good enough. Pakistan has a history of working with the little it has and making it work. Can always be improved in the future.

 

[iLION12345_1]

Are there any photos available of the armored Ammo storage in the AK? Or the storage compartment between the engine and fighting compartment?