During the 2022 International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS), Pakistan showcased a number of projects and initiatives. Some of these projects may indicate the direction of its modernization efforts.
Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Reveals VT4 MBT Co-Production Plans
During IDEAS 2022, Pakistan’s Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) officially revealed that it will co-produce the VT4 main battle tank (MBT) as the “Haider” in collaboration with NORINCO.
The NORINCO VT4 is among the latest in China’s armoured offerings for the export market. It has a total weight of 52 tons and is reportedly powered by a 1,200 hp turbocharged diesel engine (some sources also report it using a 1,300 hp powerplant), explosive reactive armour (ERA), and 125 mm smoothbore gun.
The Pakistan Army (PA) initiated the Haider MBT program in 2015 in an effort to acquire a new-generation tank. With the Haider, the PA had two goals in mind. First, to accelerate the replacement of its aging tanks, such as the T-59. Second, to complement the domestically-built al-Khalid MBT with a platform that brings new technologies and capabilities into the PA’s armour inventory.
The PA had shortlisted the Ukrainian KMDB (Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau) Oplot and NORINCO VT4. It chose the VT4 and, in 2018, signed a deal with NORINCO for 176 tanks with an option to expand the order to around 300 units. NORINCO started delivering the VT4s to Pakistan in 2020 and, later that year, the PA officially inducted the platform.
However, with HIT announcing that it will involve itself in the supply of the VT4/Haider, it seems that the PA is committing to the platform at a wider level than solely an off-the-shelf purchase. The actual extent of the expansion was not officially revealed, but there are observer reports claiming that the PA will more than double its Haider MBT order.
It is unclear how HIT launching the Haider MBT line impacts the al-Khalid 2 program. In fact, in its current form, the VT4 already contains many of the improvements the PA sought in the al-Khalid 2. These include, among other things, a higher-torque engine, improved armour technology, the ability to fire guided anti-tank rounds, and network-enabled warfare capabilities.
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