Type 2000 MBT by Andrei Pinkov <Kanwa news April 9, 1999> China exhibited its Model 2000 tank in 1999. This tank was upgraded from the original T90 2M and it was designed mainly for Pakistan. According to the source of the NORINCO, what makes the Model 2000 tank different from the original T90 2M is that the engine of the former is replaced by the Ukrainian 6TD 1200hp engine and that the thermal viewer system that China has newly developed has been added to the Model 2000 tank to improve its nocturnal fighting capability. It is reported that the thermal viewer system installed on the tank model exhibited by the NORINCO was produced by the Luoyang Optoelectro Technology Development Center LOEC)
The Model 2000 tank weighs 48 tons. According to the chief designer of the Ukrainian Morozov Machinery Complex, Ukraine is now helping China and Pakistan in the joint production of the Model 2000 tanks. The purpose of using the Ukrainian engine is to match the T80U system that Pakistan now uses and thus to make the future maintenance and repairs easier. According to the Chinese source, after the explosive reactive armor is added to the Model 2000 tank, the self-protection performance of the tank will further improve. As a whole, the tank weighs the same as the Ukrainian T72 120 but more than the Russian T80U (46 tons). It is reported that the Model 2000 tank remains at the stage of further upgrading and evaluation. The Chinese ground army has not made any purchase orders yet and nor will it use the same tank.
After the Model 2000 tank, China has already developed a newer model, which is expected to make its appearance within this year.
The exhibition of the Model 2000 tank demonstrates that the Chinese tanks tend to grow heavier and that their self-protection capability will be better than that of the previous T85 2/3 series. After the above cooperation with Ukraine, the future transfer of the fire control technology used in the Russian and Ukrainian tanks is worth attention( Kanwa news).
