Al Khalid
Channel: Main Battle Tank
Date: 2023-02-07

The Al Khalid main battle tank was jointly developed by China and Pakistan. It is a further development of the Chinese Type 90-II tank, which was not accepted to service with the Chinese Army. In the late 1990s it was marketed for export as the MBT-2000. Pakistan acquired production license of this MBT. The Al Khalid is named after the legendary general Khalid ibn al-Walid. First deliveries of this tank were made in 2002. The Al Khalid is currently in service with Pakistan. About 600 were planned to be built by 2007.

   The Al Khalid main battle tank is based on Chinese and Soviet designs. It is considerably smaller and lighter than modern western MBTs. Vehicle has a composite armor and is fitted with add-on explosive reactive armor blocks. It is also fitted with NBC protection and automatic fire suppression systems. It also has a advanced laser detection warning system.

   The Al Khalid MBT is armed with a fully-stabilized 125 mm smoothbore gun, fitted with an autoloader. It is capable of firing anti-tank guided missiles in the same manner as ordinary rounds. It is a Russian-made 9K119 Refleks (NATO designation AT-11 Sniper), which is produced in China under license. Maximum range of effective fire is 4-5 km. The AT-11 Sniper can also target low-flying helicopters.

   Secondary armament consists of coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and another 12.7 mm machine gun, mounted on top of the roof.

   The Al Khalid tank has a fire control system of western origin. It also has an integrated battle management system. Navigation is assisted by the GPS and internal navigation systems

   Vehicle is powered by Ukrainian 6TD turbocharged diesel engine, developing 1 200 hp. It is worth mentioning, that Pakistan also operates the T-80UD MBT, powered by a similar engine. The Al Khalid is also fitted with auxiliary power unit, which powers all electrical systems when the main engine is turned off. The Al Khalid can be fitted with snorkel kit and self-entrenching blade.