Steel Gauntlets - Asia's Tank Force Reviewed

While the replacement of old MBTs for new on a 1-to-1 basis is unlikely, Asian governments are seeking new or modernised armour to keep ‘a heavy punch’ available if needed.

- Grant Turnbull

While much has been made of their operational irrelevancy in recent years, main battle tanks (MBTs) remain the premier armoured vehicle capability for most land forces. The MBT represents the pinnacle of firepower, mobility and protection - usually having all three in abundance.

MBT numbers have reduced significantly since the end of the Cold War, particularly during the early 2000s when conflict against non-state actors was in vogue. Today, however, the uncertain security environment, and the return to great power competition between states, has seen a renewed interest in the capabilities of MBTs.

China

WIth the largest defence budget in Asia, the People’s Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF) continues to rapidly develop its land capabilities. The US Department of Defense’s (DoD) most recent Chinese military assessment, Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2019 (May 2019), noted that production capacity is advancing in nearly every land category, including APCs, assault vehicles, air defence artillery systems, ground artillery systems and main and light armoured vehicles.

In recent years, the PLAGF has restructured as part of its modernisation with each group army (equivalent to a US Army Corp) now including six combined arms brigades, serving as the service’s primary manoeuvre force. “Lower level changes are also simultaneously occurring within the PLA [Army], including an ongoing increase in the size of tank platoons from three to four tanks,” noted the DoD assessment.