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Type 15 VT5 ZTQ-15 lightweight main battle tank
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The VT5, also named Type 15 or ZTQ-15 in the Chinese army, is a lightweight battle tank designed and manufactured by the Chinese defense company NORINCO (China North Industries Corporation). The VT5 was unveiled to the public during the Zhuhai AirShow China in November 2016. According to NORINCO engineers, the VT5 was developed for the export market. The VT5 has a weight from 33 to 36 tons depending on the armor fitted to the tank. With this weight, the tank offers more mobility than a standard main battle tank offering the same level of firepower. The power-to-weight ratio is between 27 and 30 hp/ton depending on the armor package. This tank can be used in mountain areas and operate in terrains that are inaccessible to standard main battle tanks which a weight of around 50 tons like the ZTZ99. The VT5 features good battlefield awareness, strong information capabilities and high maneuverability. It is suitable for modern joint operations, according to NORINCO. On December 27, 2018, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense Wu Qian announced that the new Type 15 lightweight tank was commissioned by China's army. Type 15 was shown for the first time to the public during the military parade rehearsal for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on September 2019. According to information published in December 2019, the Bangladesh Ministry of Defense officially announced that its army has ordered VT5 light tanks from China.
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