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Welcome to the suggestion for the ZTQ15 light tank! This is one of the PRC’s most modern light tanks, and would be an excellent addition to the Chinese tree, being a unique design, but would also be heavily effective, complimenting China’s top tier. It would give Chinese tank commanders of War Thunder something smaller and more mobile to flank around while still maintaining the heavy firepower of a tank. Although it is a relatively recent tank, a lot can be gathered about it from what is seen so far of it, and I will try my best to document all of it in this post, but please feel free to post your own information on it, as well as discuss it. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy.
Overview
A Type 62G, an upgrade of one of China’s first domestic designs. It ultimately didn’t see much service with the PLA, however.
The role of light tanks with the People’s Liberation Army has been to operate in the wetland regions and rice paddy fields of Southern China, and also rough terrain in general. During the 1950s, a tank capable of crossing this region was necessary. The heavier Type 59 entering service was too heavy for some bridges, and this led to development of the Type 62 and Type 63 light tanks, both armed with 85mm guns. In the 1979 war against Vietnam, both the Type 62 and Type 63 tanks proved to be ill suited to the terrain of Vietnam, with around half of the tanks sent being lost in combat. Due to this, they would later be modernized towards the turn of the century, becoming the Type 62G and Type 63A respectively. These featured improved armor, fire control systems, and much better 105 mm rifled guns capable of firing APFSDS. But they were still using an older chassis, and something new was required.
ZTQ15s during the 70th National Day Parade.
The ZTQ15 was built with the same purpose as the Type 62, despite changing political situations and a changing battlefield, to get over terrain MBTs couldn’t, and be able to support infantry and fight enemy armor if need be. The ZTQ15 was first spotted in the 2010s by Chinese citizens, but it was still a mystery up until the latter part of 2018, when the Chinese Ministry of Defense officially confirmed the existence of a new light tank. The vehicle would then be officially showcased in October of the next year, during the PRC’s 70th National Day Parade, shown below. With its more modern technology, powerful gun, and improved performance over previous light tanks, the ZTQ15 looks to be a promising design. It has not seen combat yet, but was deployed in June of 2020 along the Line of Actual Control with India, in the high altitude of the Tibetan Plateau. The ZTQ15 is able to access these higher terrains that most Main Battle Tank engines start to lose power due to its oxygen generators, powerful engine, and good power-to-weight ratio. So far, the ZTQ15 has been seen in a number of exercises with the People’s Liberation Army, and a vaguely similar design, the VT5, has been been marketed internationally.
DTC02-105 APFSDS-T ammunition used by the ZTQ15, capable of penetrating about 550mm LOS.
The autoloader access hatch at the rear of the turret, the crew member here is loading in a DTB02-105 HE round.
The autoloader in action.
The ZTQ15 uses a new 105 mm rifled gun, dual-axis stabilized, capable of firing APFSDS, HE, HEAT, and even GLATGMs. This 105 mm is an improvement over previous guns on ZTZ59D and Type 62G, but it can still fire the ammunition used by them. The most modern kinetic projectile available for it, the DTC02-105 APFSDS round, is stated to have 500 mm of penetration at 2,000 m. One of the features that boosts the firepower of the ZTQ15 lies in the turret bustle, an autoloader for the main gun. This can reload a new round every 4 to 5 seconds, giving the vehicle a short time between shots.
Internally, the ZTQ15 has modern systems, including NBC protection, air conditioning, and command and control equipment. To aid in gunnery, it features thermal imaging for the gunner, a panoramic CITV, a laser rangefinder, and ballistic computer.
A ZTQ15 without add-on armor in the factory.
On the exterior of the tank, the vehicle features ERA and provisions for a laser warning system. By design, the ZTQ15 is a light tank, and is not meant to take heavy fire. While the basic model has only all-welded steel armor, with 30 mm of RHA on the turret, it has recently been seen deployed with a more protective armor package. This package includes FY-5 ERA blocks covering the front of the vehicle, with an option for additional ERA or slat armor to be fitted to the side skirts. Compared to the standard version, the ERA comes at about 3 tons of additional weight. Another recent configuration, likely due to the prevalence of drones in modern warfare, is cage armor covering the top of the turret.
Engine of the vehicle being lifted out.
To suit its role as a light tank, the ZTQ15 has to be able to be fast and mobile. It is powered by a 1,000 horsepower electronically controlled diesel engine mounted at the rear of the hull. This is coupled to a hydro-mechanical fully automatic transmission with a pivot steering capability and a cooling system. The suspension is a semi-active torsion bar suspension and the tank uses electronically-controlled hydraulic dampers that use centrifugal impellers to achieve different damping levels. Due to this and its weight of 33 to 36 tons, it can go up to 70 km/h on road at maximum, and around 35 to 40 km/h off road. Due to its light weight, the ZTQ15 can be airlifted and much easier than an MBT, and can be airdropped if needed. As an example of this, only one ZTZ99 can fit on a Y-20 transport aircraft, but two ZTQ15s can fit into a Y-20, but it should be noted that due to the cargo capacity, this is somewhat difficult still.
A ZTQ15 at an exhibition in Beijing, 2022.
Specifications
- Crew: 3 (Commander, driver, gunner)
- Weight: 33 - 36 tons depending on the armor package
- Length: 9.2 m
- Hull length: 7.5 m
- Width: 3.3 m
- Height: 2.5m
- Main armament: 105mm rifled gun
- Main armament rounds carried: 38 rounds of APFSDS, HE, HEAT-FS, or ATGM
- Main armament elevation: ~ -7° or -8°/18°
- Traverse range: 360°
- Secondary armament: 5.8 mm QJT coaxial machine gun & 12.7 mm QJC88A heavy machine gun
- Engine: 1,000 hp diesel engine
- Maximum speed on road: 70 km/h
- Maximum speed off road: 35 - 40 km/h
- Maximum operational range: 450 km
- Gradient: 60%
- Side slope: 30%
- Vertical step: 0.85 m
- Trench: 2.5 m
- Fording: 1.1 m
Sources
- Chinese ZTQ-15 Light Tank - War History
- NORINCO ZTQ-15 (Type 15 / VT-5) Light Tank
- https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/type-15.htm
- 我军15式轻型坦克炮小威力大 最大射程可达5000米|坦克_新浪军事_新浪网
- https://www.china-arms.com/2020/07/15-tank-autoloader-apfsds/
- Y-20 war wagon can transport two Type 15 tanks - Asia Times
- The Dead District: Chinese Type-15 light tank in assembly line
