During the military parade that was held in Tanzania on December 9, 2021, to commemorate the country's 60th anniversary of its independence, a Chinese-made VT2 main battle tank was displayed, and we can assume that this tank is now officially in service with the Tanzanian army.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
A Chinese VT2 Main Battle Tank MBT was displayed during the Tanzanian independence day military parade. (Picture source Screen Shot Video Kenya Digital News)
According to the military balance 2020, the Tanzanian army has a total of 45 main battle tanks including 30 Russian T-54/T-55 and 15 Chinese Type-59G as well as light tanks including 30 British FV101 Scorpion, 25 Chinese Type-62 and 2 Chinese Type-63A.
China has delivered a variety of military hardware to Tanzania, including 24 Type 63A light amphibious tanks, 12 Type 07PA 120 mm self-propelled mortars, FB-6A mobile short-range air defense systems, and A100 300 mm multiple rocket launchers.
In February 2018, Army Recognition has reported that China had opened a Chinese-built training center for the Tanzania People's Defense Forces (TPDF). Tanzania continues to strengthen defense collaboration with China and plans to conduct naval exercises, construction projects, and the supply of military equipment.
The VT2 is Main Battle Tank (MBT) produced by the Chinese company NORINCO, and it's an export version of the Type 96A MBT.
According to NORINCO information, the VT2 MBT is equipped with the latest generation of combat equipment including an advanced image-stabilized fire control system, which includes a bi-axial image-stabilized gunner sight integrated with IR (Infra-Red) and laser range finder, combined with target automatic tracking device, fire control computer and various sensors.
The VT2 tank is armed with a fully stabilized 125mm and can fire advanced ammunition ensuring the tank high all-weather first-round hit probability against both stationary and moving targets while the tank is on the move or in a static position.
The layout of the VT2 is conventional with driver position at the front, turret in the middle, and engine compartment at the rear. It has a crew of three with a combat weight of 42.8 tons. The tank is powered by a water-cooled turbo-charged Diesel engine developing 800 hp. It can run at a maximum road speed of 57 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 500 km.
