Thai Army Receives 10 New Chinese VT4 Tanks, will Orders 14 Additional Vehicles

27 Desember 2018

VT-4 of the Royal Thai Army (photos : RTA)

It was reported on 26 December 2018 that the Royal Thai Army received the main battle tank VT4 (MBT-3000) produced by NORINCO, defence industry company of the People's Republic of China,  is the second set of 10 units already.

The latest VT4 main tank has been transported by boat at Thung Prong Pier, Sattahip, Chonburi since November 2018, and has been transported by car to the low-land trailer. The Cavalry Center, Adisorn Camp, Saraburi, to conduct a performance test before the examination was delivered in December 2018.

According to the VT4 main battle tank supply project, PHASE 1, 26 cars, a budget of 4,4 million baht ($ 147 million) in the year of 2016, received in October 2017.

The supply of VT4 main battle tanks, PHASE 2, 11 vehicles of 2,000 million baht ($ 60 million) in the year 2017 that has already been delivered above, the Thai Army now has 39 VT4 main battle tanks (including repair vehicles). The project value is the budget 8,000 million baht ($ 218 million).

Lastly, from the documents of the Army Ordnance Department on 15 November 2018, the budget for Project for supplying VT4 main battle tanks, PHASE 3, amount of 14 cars, amount 2,362,217,177 baht ($ 73,425,976), complete with equipment type 5, type 5, various types and sizes, consisting of artillery shells, 125mm tank, drill type, shell Balance with the trajectory tail (APFSDS-T: Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Sabot-Tracer) 190 shots, 90 explosive missiles (HEAT-T: High-Explosive Anti-Tank-Tracer) (HE-T: High Explosive-Tracer) 150 shots and 12.7x108mm machine gun penetration Fire armor (API: Armor Piercing Incendiary) with 5,830 ammunition joints.

If the approval of the procurement of VT4 main tanks, Phase 3, another 14 vehicles have been approved and signed the supply contract will make the Thai Army have VT4 main battle tanks and armored recovery vehicles to replace 53 tanks in the same family, as part of the replacement of the M41A3 light tanks from US that have been in service since 1962. In addition to the VT4 main battle tank in the training section of Cavalry school of the Cavalry Center and the Army Ordnance School, the VT4 main battle tank will be deployed in two cavalry battalions of the 7th Cavalry Regiment that is a direct unit of 3rd Cavalry Brigade by paying the tank parallel to each other.

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