Al - Khalid ( tank ) The designations Al - Khalid and MBT - 2000 refer to the Pakistani and Chinese variants of a modern main battle tank developed during the 1990s by China and Pakistan . The Al - Khalid has been in service with the Pakistan Army since 2001 , while the MBT - 2000 is built and marketed internationally by China and was recently trialed by the Peruvian Army for possible acquisition . Operated by a crew of three and armed with a 125 mm smooth - bore tank gun that is reloaded automatically , the tank uses a modern fire - control system integrated with night - fighting equipment and is capable of firing many types of anti - tank rounds as well as guided anti - tank missiles . Al - Khalid is named after the legendary Muslim general Khalid bin al - Walid . An evolution of Chinese and Soviet tanks , the design is considerably smaller and lighter than most Western main battle tanks . It is based on the Chinese Type 90 - II , which combined technologies from several Soviet / western tanks . The Al - Khalid is unusual in that it is was designed to be adaptable for manufacture , so that it can be easily integrated with a variety of foreign engines and transmissions . The current production variant of Al - Khalid utilises a diesel engine supplied by the KMDB design bureau of Ukraine . The first production models entered service with the Pakistan Army in 2001 and there are plans to induct approximately 600 in total . Peru leased five VT - 1A from China for trials in 2009 . The Peruvian government has expressed interest in purchasing 80 - 120 units to complement the fleet of Soviet T - 55 tanks in service with the Peruvian Army . The tank design resulting from a decade of co - operative development was designated " Type 90 - IIM " . Chinese company Norinco showed the new Type 90 - IIM during the March 2001 Abu Dhabi Defense Expo , under the export name " MBT 2000 " . The version powered by the Ukrainian engine , intended for domestic production in Pakistan , was named " Al - Khalid " . . During the development period , Heavy Industries Taxila gained experience building the Chinese Type 85 - IIAP and prepared to begin production of the Al - Khalid tank in 1999 . A pilot batch of fifteen tanks was inducted into the 31st Cavalry Regiment of Pakistan ’ s Armoured Corps on 20 July 2001 . Pakistan signed a contract with Ukraine ' s Malyshev Factory in May 2002 for the delivery of 315 KMDB 6TD - 2 diesel engines over three years . An additional batch of Al - Khalid tanks was delivered on 23 September 2004 . Pakistan plans to build a total of 600 Al - Khalid MBTs for its armed forces . In 2006 a U . S . - based market / special research organisation reported findings showing that the Al - Khalid , along with two other MBTs , would account for nearly 45 % of all new MBTs built until 2015 . In April 2002 it was reported that Malaysia was considering purchasing the Al - Khalid after evaluation by Malaysian military personnel . The Saudi Arabian Army began conducting trials of the Al - Khalid ' s desert performance in April 2006 , after expressing interest in purchasing a batch of the tank 2 years earlier . No order for the tank was placed . During the first week of May 2008 , Lt - Gen Fonseka of the Sri Lanka Army held talks with his Pakistan Army counterparts regarding the sale of military equipment , weapons and ammunition . The sale of 22 Al - Khalid MBTs to the Sri Lanka Army was finalised during these talks in a deal worth over US $ 100 million . However the current status of this purchase is unclear as Sri Lanka has subsequently cancelled some orders for military equipment . Mobility . The production model Al - Khalid is powered by a 6TD - 2 liquid - cooled diesel engine , designed by the Kharkiv Morozov Design Bureau ( KMDB ) of Ukraine . The 6TD - 2 is a supercharged 6 - cylinder engine delivering 1 , 200 horsepower . The 2 - stroke design , with the pistons arranged horizontally in an opposed piston configuration , makes the engine very compact and therefore more suitable for being fitted into relatively small vehicles such as the Al - Khalid MBT . The 6TD - 2 engine drives a French - designed hydro - mechanical automatic transmission , the SESM ESM500 , also fitted to the Leclerc MBT . Capable of manual and fully automatic power - shifting , the transmission has 5 forward and 2 reverse speeds along with a braking system that incorporates carbon friction brakes and a secondary speed - retarding system . Gear shifts are controlled by a torque converter which is made more efficient by addition of an automatic lock - up clutch . There is also a mechanical back - up system for use in emergencies , able to shift 2 gears forward and reverse . The suspension consists of torsion bars , hydraulic damper s and buffers , who ' s role is to provide a stable firing platform while the tank is moving at speed over rough terrain and as smooth a ride as possible to reduce crew fatigue . The tracks are mounted on six dual wheels with rubber tyres , a drive sprocket at the rear and an idler at the front . They are protected by side skirts , the forward sections of which can be fitted with explosive reactive armour , and track wear is reduced by replaceable rubber track pads . The Al - Khalid is fairly lightweight by Western standards , weighing 46 tonnes compared to the 60 tonne M1 Abrams and Leopard 2 . A power - to - weight ratio of 26 . 66 hp / tonne gives acceleration from 0 to 32 km / h ( 0 to 20 mph ) in 10 seconds and a maximum speed of 70 km / h , the speed and agility also helping to improve survivability . A snorkel allows the tank to cross water obstacles up to 5 meters deep , after some preparation by the crew . Navigation is assisted by an inertial navigation system ( INS ) and a GPS satellite navigation system . Protection . Al - Khalid has modular composite armour and explosive reactive armour , nuclear - biological - chemical defences , an effective thermal smoke generator , internal fire extinguisher and explosion - suppression system . The infra - red signature of the tank is reduced by infra - red reflective paint . An advanced laser detection system from Al Technique Corporation ( ATCOP ) is present , the ATCOP LTS 1 laser threat warning system developed by Institute of Industrial Control Systems . LTS 1 consists of a mast - mounted sensor and operator ' s control box , which includes a display showing threats 360 degrees around the tank . It can detect laser rangefinders and laser target designator s as well as respond automatically by triggering acoustic alarms , smoke generators and other countermeasure systems . LTS 1 can detect laser devices operating in the 0 . 8 to 1 . 06 µm waveband , has a 360° field of view in azimuth ( resolution of 15° ) and a field of view in elevation of - 15° to + 90° . Operating voltage is 12 V or 24 V DC nominal with power consumption being 8 W nominal . The sensor head is 165 mm in diameter and 35 mm high while the control box is 80 x 130 x 55 mm in size .