Vietnam Officially Embarked on the Path on the R&D of its Own Indigenous MBT

14 September 2026

Vietnam is starting to research and develop modern main battle tanks that meet combat requirements, are effective, and are cost-effective (photo: QDND)

On the morning of September 8th, Lieutenant General Pham Hoai Nam, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission, and Deputy Minister of National Defense, chaired a working session with several agencies and units on the orientation of research and development plans for main battle tanks, aiming to gradually improve self-reliance and meet the requirements of building the Army in the new situation.

During the meeting, agencies and units reported and discussed the direction and methods for researching, designing, and manufacturing main battle tanks to serve training and combat readiness tasks; focusing on clarifying the requirements for mastering technology, being proactive in research, manufacturing, and production, and ensuring strategic self-reliance.

A Ministry of National Defence delegation at Factory Z125 (General Department of Defence Industry) (photo: QDND)

According to the guidelines, the research and development process of main battle tanks focuses on developing products that are integrated, modern, suitable for combat requirements in new conditions, ensuring high technological content, efficiency, and reasonable costs. Along with combat performance requirements, the product must ensure ease of operation, use, repair, and maintenance under the actual conditions of the units.

Regarding the design of the main battle tank, delegates argued that it is necessary to fully consider the technical maintenance capabilities throughout the product's lifecycle. The tank's equipment systems must be modern and advanced, possessing strong firepower, good protection, high mobility, and excellent off-road capability; it must be able to operate on various terrains and in different weather conditions, both day and night.

The T-90S/SK main battle tank of the Vietnam People's Army is featured alongside T-62 tanks (photo: VoV)

Concluding the working session, Lieutenant General Pham Hoai Nam emphasized that orienting the research and manufacturing of main battle tanks is one of the directions contributing to achieving the goal of building a proactive, self-reliant, self-strengthening, dual-use national defense industry, gradually improving self-sufficiency in weapons and technical equipment, and meeting the requirements of building a  modern army .

General Pham Hoai Nam requested that agencies and units incorporate the opinions expressed at the meeting, promote a proactive and creative spirit, accelerate research to master technology, and gradually develop the capacity to design, manufacture, and produce main battle tanks; strengthen coordination between management agencies, research facilities, factories, and user units so that products are designed realistically, are easy to operate, meet technical standards, and have the potential for future development and upgrading.

(QDND)