Kompromat
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I agree with you on that. If PA is developing an upgraded version of Al Khalid, then it is ridiculous to buy another tank which is also based on Al Khalid (MBT-2000). The only reason I feel reasonable is that PA may have met some obstacle for developing its AK II and they want to get technical support from the Chinese side. But before that, they want to know what MBT-3000 is capable of by testing it in their backyard.
We have answered this query before. The HIT's Al-Khalid is MUCH different from the MBT-2000 testbed. The AK-II is under development and the Army is pleased with its performance, therefore its production shall continue. The AKs are not suited to replace our Type-50/60 and 85XX standards of tanks as well as the Al-Zarrar upgrade in the long term. MBT-3000/VT-4 fits the bill for that particular role.
In the long term, Pakistan wants only 2 or 3 types of MBTs which must be built at home and must have a great degree of spare part similarities to make their operation and production cheaper. The VT-4 prototype if bought up would turn into a much different tank by the time it joins PA service. We expect a lot from our armor as we operate them in stringent desert heat and muddy terrains which is why we are seeking added HP/Tonne ratio. Adding a 1500HP powerpack to a 50< tonne MBT sounds silly till you get to see our deserts and plains in Punjab and Sindh where these tanks operate and are prepared to fight Indian armor. VT-4 will undergo extensive desert optimization at HIT and therefore would become a completely different beast once it hits the production line.