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China’s Type 99A main battle tank deployed in high-altitude border defense frontier: reports

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China’s Type 99A main battle tank deployed in high-altitude border defense frontier: reports
By Liu Xuanzun
Published: Feb 04, 2021 11:30 PM

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Main battle tanks (MBTs) attached to a brigade under the PLA 76th Group Army rumble though dirt roads in formation during a long-distance maneuver on June 18, 2020.Photo:China Military

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed its most powerful tank, the Type 99A, in the high-altitude border frontier at Karakoram Mountain, with supplies to celebrate the Spring Festival arriving in the hands of PLA border defense troops, recent media reports said.

To let Chinese troops stationed in the border defense frontier in the Karakoram Mountain enjoy a festive and warm Spring Festival, the PLA Xinjiang Military Command recently dispatched a transport regiment to deliver festive foods to the frontline troops, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday.

In the CCTV footage showing the defense frontier base camp at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters, a Type 99A main battle tank and a Type 04A infantry fighting vehicle could be seen, Passion News, a media outlet under k618.cn, a news portal run by the Communist Youth League of China Central Committee, reported on Thursday.

Reports said that the PLA Xinjiang Military Command recently received and commissioned its first batch of China's newly developed Type 15 light tanks, which analysts said would complement the heavy Type 99A and become good partners in combat.

The Type 99A is China’s most powerful main battle tank with excellent firepower and armor, while the Type 15 is China’s latest light tank with high mobility, a military expert told the Global Times on the condition of anonymity.

In high-altitude mountainous regions, the operation of the heavy Type 99A main battle tank could be limited due to the lack of oxygen and complicated terrains, but their sheer power remains decisive, the expert said, noting that the Type 15 light tank could outgun and outrun almost all enemies, and in case it were to encounter a hostile heavy tank, the Type 99A will have its back.

Plateau troops attached to PLA Xinjiang Military Command recently also received delivery of the first batch of newly developed identification tags for military personnel, according to a separate CCTV report on Wednesday.

The tag is not only carved with basic information including name, gender and blood type of each person, but also has a chip inside that carries digital information like a finger print, and allergy and injury history, and the troops can use them when seeking medical support and accommodation, the report said.

The troops will also get watches equipped with the Beidou Navigation Satellite System that can be used in search and rescue missions and to monitor vital signs, Liu Weicheng, head of logistics support section of the troops, said on CCTV.

 
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Xinjiang border troops receive the latest most advanced 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
The 155mm wheeled vehicle-mounted howitzer weighs only 25 tons, making it much lighter and faster and with longer endurance than the previous self-propelled howitzer which uses crawler tracks and weighs more than 40 tons, the CCTV report said, noting it can also hit targets at longer ranges with increased firepower.

This data means the PCL-181 not only has high mobility, but it can also be transported by large transport aircraft like the domestically made Y-20, which has a cargo capacity of more than 60 tons, a military expert who requested to remain anonymous told the Global Times on Thursday.

A single Y-20 can likely carry two PCL-181s, or a combination of one PCL-181 and one 30 ton-class Type 15 lightweight main battle tank, both of which are choices that offer frontline troops immense firepower, the expert said, noting that this will give the Chinese military more tactical flexibility in strategic transport and quick reaction operations.

The vehicle the howitzer is mounted on has a large driver's cab that can accommodate all six artillery squad members, protecting them with bulletproof glass that enhances the unit's survivability.

Digitalized control panels can be found in the cab, and this highly digitalized system allows artillery gun deployment with the press of a button, automatic gun calibration and half-automatic ammo reload. This can shorten the preparation time to shoot the weapon, giving the artillery stronger combat capabilities, according to the report.

China has been leading the world in the artillery sector for many years, and the PCL-181 has set yet another example, the expert said.
 
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PLA Xinjiang Military Command commissions first Type 15 light tanks
By Liu XuanzunPublished: Feb 01, 2021 08:33 PM

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Type 15 lightweight tanks of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) were spotted participating in a recent exercise in a low temperature mountainous plateau region. This type of tank has significant advantages over other types of tanks or armored vehicles in such regions, experts said.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Xinjiang Military Command recently received delivery of and commissioned its first batch of China's newly developed Type 15 light tanks, which excels at rapid reaction combat in plateau regions, a Chinese expert said on Monday.

With the commissioning, both Xinjiang and Tibet military commands safeguarding China's western borders are now operating these advanced tanks specializing in plateau combat, analysts said.

In January, a regiment attached to the PLA Xinjiang Military Command received the delivery of a batch of Type 15 light tanks while stationed in a plateau region, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

Immediately after the commissioning, the regiment sent the tanks to a freezing region at 4,300 meters altitude for adaptation exercises, so they can rapidly form combat capability, CCTV reported.

The report did not mention the number of tanks delivered.

Compared with the PLA's Type 96 and Type 99 tanks, the Type 15 is of lighter weight, boasts better mobility in high altitude regions with low oxygen levels, and is more suitable for plateau combat, CCTV said.

"The Type 15 tank is easy and flexible to operate and has high mobility, as it is equipped with a new engine designed for plateau missions and an oxygen producer. It also uses new armor materials and stealth technologies, so it has reduced weight but better protection and stealth functions," said Zhang Hongjun, a master sergeant class one at the regiment, in the CCTV report.

It also has advanced fire control and weapons systems as well as extra battlefield situational awareness capabilities, particularly the ability to identify friends or foes, providing significant convenience to the troops, Zhang said.

Since the recent China-India border tensions, Type 15 tanks have been deployed by the PLA Tibet Military Command starting mid-2020, and now the Xinjiang Military Command has also received the advanced tanks, which means both of West China's border military regions now have the tanks, analysts noted.

Commissioning plateau-operable Type 15 tanks can significantly boost China's rapid reaction capabilities in high-altitude regions, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Monday.

The Type 15 strikes a balance between fire power, mobility and protection to best suit plateau regions, where harsh environments hinder weapon performances compared with operating in plains, Song said.

The latest commissioning also indicated that the Type 15 tanks, which made their debut at the National Day military parade in Beijing in 2019, are being mass produced and commissioned into the PLA at a fast pace, analysts said.

A type of wheeled armored ambulance also entered service with the regiment together with the Type 15, and more weapons and equipment suitable for plateau combat are expected to be commissioned in the near future, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Xudong, a deputy commander of the regiment, told CCTV.

 
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