If you want to discuss who cares most about China's military development, you may be foreign military experts. Recently, someone posted a screenshot of a video on foreign social media platforms, speculating that under the cover is the next generation of the People's Liberation Army's main battle tank, and lamented that China has many weapons and equipment developed in absolute confidentiality, and the outside world will only have the opportunity to know when it is proactively announced! Of course, this picture, which was considered to be the "next generation main battle tank" of the People's Liberation Army, did not reveal its appearance, but instead adopted the same method as the H-20 that year, to cover the tarp. So, is China developing the " fourth-generation main battle tank "?
German Rheinmetallurgical Corporation KF-51 Black Panther Main Battle Tank
US General Land Systems Corporation's "Abrams X" main battle tank
We know that in the summer of 2022, German Rheinmetallurgical Corporation publicly displayed its latest KF-51 Black Panther Main Battle Tank, which is also the second fourth-generation main battle tank in the world after the Russian T-14 "Amata". General Land Systems of the United States also launched its "Abrams X" main battle tank in Washington in October this year. Although the United States did not call it the "fourth generation main battle tank", in fact, the "paper" advanced nature of the "Abrams X" is far beyond the current main battle tanks of countries around the world, and has epoch-making combat performance. Therefore, this is the de facto "fourth generation" main battle tank of the U.S. Army . But in contrast, the development of our army in tanks and is not only much behind the leap forward development of the navy and air force's main combat equipment, but also has lagged a little behind in the world's "fourth-generation main combat tanks". After all, since the service of the Type 99, the People's Liberation Army has not updated its main combat tank for a long time, except for the Type 15 lightweight tanks.
CCTV's suspected new generation of main battle tank "Monbu" in CCTV's "Chasing the Light"
So after the foreigners discovered clues about our latest main battle tank from CCTV's special film this time, they couldn't wait to post it online and sighed at the excellent confidentiality of China's military scientific research work. Although we cannot confirm from this screenshot covered with a tarp, this is the next generation of main battle tanks in our country, if we judge based on some of the news circulating in previous years, our country has indeed started the development of the next generation of main battle tanks. After all, more than 10 years have passed since the mass production of 99A in 2010. Although the 15 is a "new recruit" who has only served in recent years, its positioning is not used to "fight the line" with the enemy's latest main battle tank. So shortly after the 2019 military parade, the "two-seater, big screen" main battle tank simulation cockpit screen appeared in the commemorative promotional video of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the First Institute of Weapons. It was so eye-catching that it has been taken out by foreigners again, proving that the development of the fourth-generation main battle tank in my country has made rapid progress!
2019 promotional video The new generation of main battle tank simulator
At that time, this promotional video only had a short glance at the camera of this main battle tank simulating cockpit, and there was no introduction and explanation. But netizens still found many highlights in the screenshots. If compared with the 99A, they can definitely be included in the category of the new generation of main battle tanks! After all, there are only two crew members in the car, which means that this type of tank has an extremely high level of automation. All tasks such as travel, search, strike, alert, reconnaissance, and self-defense can be completed by two members in the car. The specific division of labor should be: the driver's seat on the left mainly operates the vehicle through the steering wheel and various buttons for various maneuvers; the driver's seat on the right can operate the offensive and defensive weapon system of the entire vehicle through dual handles and equipment and buttons like the wheel. It can be said that the debut of this simulation equipment can prove that at least three years ago, the development progress of my country's next generation main battle tank was already very fast.
Of course, until now, the performance parameters or appearance forms of my country's next generation main battle tanks are still a mystery. As for whether the tarp is the next generation main battle tank and whether it is the "fourth generation main battle tank", we have no way to know.However, judging from the huge resources that the country has invested in the development of the sea and air force in recent years, as the "big brother", its equipment update cannot be stopped at Type 99A and Type 15. However, the equipment development of modern military should focus on "cooperation". It is impossible to concentrate all resources on one cutting-edge weaponry. For example, after the Navy owns the aircraft carrier and 055 large drive, it still needs to continue to build the 052D and 054A; after the Air Force installed the J-20, the mass production of J-16 and J-10C is still continuing. Therefore, after the 99A is gradually mass-produced and replaced, the Army must also invest resources in various types of armored vehicles , striving to improve the construction of a new generation system for land combat equipment.
US General Land Systems Company launched a complete set of new generation armored combat systems
This can be seen from the newly launched "Abrams X" model car in the United States. General Land Systems was not a single main battle tank when it launched the "Abrams X", but instead brought out a complete set of "combat system" for the US Army, including: the "Abrams X" main battle tank, the TRX "Destroyer" unmanned combat engineering vehicle, the Stryker X hybrid 8X8 wheeled armored vehicle and the new Stryker high-power microwave directional weapon vehicle. Even if we put aside the performance of the next generation of main combat armored vehicles of the US Army and only focus on the combat cooperation and complementarity between the various models, we can find that they have actually launched a new "armor combat system" in one go! This replacement model is much greater than the introduction of only one "main battle tank" to improve the combat effectiveness of the troops.
Therefore, it can be inferred that when my country's "next generation main battle tank" is truly unveiled, whether it belongs to the "fourth generation" or just the "third generation enhanced version", it should also be similar to launch a complete set of new "armor system". Of course, the launch format may not be like General Land Systems, the US, which uses a PPT to release 4 new main combat equipment at the same time. The pace of our release may be slower, and we will gradually deliver it to the troops, and then update, improve, finalize and mass production after receiving feedback. Undoubtedly, compared with the pace of American arms companies "making quick money", the operation of my country's military industrial system is still relatively "rigid", but the People's Liberation Army will definitely obtain new equipment with high initial completion and good maturity under this model. This in turn is much more conscientious than American arms companies' "fast delivery" and then "check upgrade"; the time it takes for new equipment to form combat effectiveness in the army is much shorter!
Perhaps, on the day when the tarp is unveiled, we will be amazed by the innovative wisdom of Chinese military scientific researchers!
However, judging from the huge resources that the country has invested in the development of the sea and air force in recent years, as the "big brother", its equipment update cannot be stopped at Type 99A and Type 15. However, the equipment development of modern military should focus on "cooperation". It is impossible to concentrate all resources on one cutting-edge weaponry. For example, after the Navy owns the aircraft carrier and 055 large drive, it still needs to continue to build the 052D and 054A; after the Air Force installed the J-20, the mass production of J-16 and J-10C is still continuing. Therefore, after the 99A is gradually mass-produced and replaced, the Army must also invest resources in various types of armored vehicles , striving to improve the construction of a new generation system for land combat equipment.
US General Land Systems Company launched a complete set of new generation armored combat systems
This can be seen from the newly launched "Abrams X" model car in the United States. General Land Systems was not a single main battle tank when it launched the "Abrams X", but instead brought out a complete set of "combat system" for the US Army, including: the "Abrams X" main battle tank, the TRX "Destroyer" unmanned combat engineering vehicle, the Stryker X hybrid 8X8 wheeled armored vehicle and the new Stryker high-power microwave directional weapon vehicle. Even if we put aside the performance of the next generation of main combat armored vehicles of the US Army and only focus on the combat cooperation and complementarity between the various models, we can find that they have actually launched a new "armor combat system" in one go! This replacement model is much greater than the introduction of only one "main battle tank" to improve the combat effectiveness of the troops.
Therefore, it can be inferred that when my country's "next generation main battle tank" is truly unveiled, whether it belongs to the "fourth generation" or just the "third generation enhanced version", it should also be similar to launch a complete set of new "armor system". Of course, the launch format may not be like General Land Systems, the US, which uses a PPT to release 4 new main combat equipment at the same time. The pace of our release may be slower, and we will gradually deliver it to the troops, and then update, improve, finalize and mass production after receiving feedback. Undoubtedly, compared with the pace of American arms companies "making quick money", the operation of my country's military industrial system is still relatively "rigid", but the People's Liberation Army will definitely obtain new equipment with high initial completion and good maturity under this model. This in turn is much more conscientious than American arms companies' "fast delivery" and then "check upgrade"; the time it takes for new equipment to form combat effectiveness in the army is much shorter!
Perhaps, on the day when the tarp is unveiled, we will be amazed by the innovative wisdom of Chinese military scientific researchers!
