http://thediplomat.com/2016/05/thailand-to-buy-battle-tanks-from-china/
>buying Chinese tanks
Welp. What can you tell me about the MBT-3000?
Anyone?
>>30163209
Its a heavily updated t55 with bits from the t72 and leo2.
>>30164080
>>30164169
>>30163209
I can tell you that Thailand has begun to warm up to the Chinese under the current military junta, hell they've even allowed the Chinese to build a railway across Thailand. So the decision to buy the MBT-3000 wasn't out of seeing that it was the best fit for their army, but a political move, possibly one that had money and infrastructure tied to it.
>>30163209
Shit it's been awhile since I actually bothered to learn anything about this vehicle.
>http://www.military-today.com/tanks/mbt_3000.htm
Reputation of the source aside, it's basically a T-72 clone that I believe has had the hull and entire chassis extended out some. Hull armor is some type of composite, with steel and ERA. Laser jammer doesn't seem to be an option like it is on the Type 99. Armor effectiveness is a big unknown.
Powerplant is some ukrainian diesel engine that makes about 1200ish HP. Road speed is about 65km/h.
The gun is a 2A46 copy that fires Russian ammo. It has a modern FCS with LCD displays and thermals, laser rangefinder and such. Not sure if the tank has GPS. I would think so but you never know with the state of Chinese and Russian military GPS.
The gun, optics and FCS have been downgraded from the Type 99 in some way, and the engine is rated for 300 less HP than the Type 99.
It's cheap though, costs about $4 million a pop according to Norinco.
If I was some second world dictator or shithole country I would buy me some. Seems legit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnvVlw8Ca2A
>>30164169
>Type 99 has hard kill
Since when.
as with Everything made by china, it's just a cheap copy
>>30164243
>they've even allowed the Chinese to build a railway across Thailand
The chinks build railway everywhere; Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Kenya, Nigeria, Argentina, even the US.
>>30164099
Nice meme!
>>30163209
Say, why doesn't the US just buy one of these things and pull it apart to see what it's actually made of?
>Welp. What can you tell me about the MBT-3000?
I can tell you that the contact will be completed in a timely manner, unlike the previous Thai tank order.
>>30163209
>yfw it's just a fancy T-72
>>30164279
Saddumb bought Chinese tanks. How well did that work for him.
>>30163209
Looks pretty damn cool.
>>30168574
>Saddumb bought Chinese tanks. How well did that work for him.
Aside from odd the armor to armor engagements.
Rekt by airpower/ crew members surrendered en masse.
>>30167382
This