During the Second World War, efforts were made by Germany to develop super-heavy tanks that were truly meant to be rolling fortresses. Yet, such massive behemoths were seen to have significant drawbacks, and main battle tanks (MBTs) developed during the Cold War were built around a combination of speed, firepower, and armor.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has shown that larger isn't always better, especially as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and loitering munitions can turn a lumbering tank into a metal coffin in a matter of seconds. Yet, tanks still have a place on the battlefield.

It is all a matter of developing the right machine for the job and the terrain.

To that end, China developed the Type 15 "Black Panther," a third-generation light tank that succeeded the now-retired Type 62. The new platform, which has been in service since 2018, has been employed along the China-India border – the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – where mobility has long been an issue.

Beijing's larger and heavier Type 99 and Type 96 MBTs have had trouble not only in traversing the mountainous ground but difficulties in just getting there. By contrast, due to its lighter weight, the Type 15 can be more easily airlifted to remote regions – like the LAC. It can also be paradropped by transport aircraft.

A Powerful Light Tank

Despite its smaller size, the Type 15 employs a fully-stabilized 105mm rifled main gun, which has an effective firing range of three km (1.86 miles), while it is also compatible with standard NATO 105mm tank ammunition. It is equipped with a bustle-mounted autoloader, reducing the crew size to three, and spent cases are ejected automatically via a hatch at the rear turret.

The Chinese tank also features a robust armor package, as well as CRBN (Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) protection, typically found in larger MBTs. It can produce its own oxygen, which was seen as critical at such high altitudes. Still, it also features advanced weapons and fire control systems that include a ballistic computer, laser rangefinder, and thermal sights for the gunner.

The Type 15 is equipped with a 1,000 hp diesel engine, has a maximum speed of 70 k/h, and a range of 450 km. It is speedy enough to get into a fight and get out just as quickly.

Developed to operate in challenging conditions and environments where main battle tanks (MBT) generally cannot, the Type 15 can tackle terrain in plateau regions and high mountain deserts, but also forests, urban areas, and notably beaches and water net-intensive areas. As a result of its capabilities, the tank could now see service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy Marines Corps (PLANMC).

The Type 15 can be transported to a landing zone via ships, and during an amphibious assault could provide strong fire support and cover for the infantry. Additionally, because of its compact size, two Type 15s could be carried aboard the Y-20 large transport of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) for long-range transport operations.

India Counter to the Type 15 – Enter the Zorawar LT

This month, India announced that it will conduct trials for a new light tank specially designed to operate at high altitudes. Designated the Zorawar Light Tank, it was designed specifically to counter Chinese armored deployments near the LAC, where the Indian Army has been locked in a stand-off with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) since May 2020.

The development time of India’s first indigenously designed light tank has been short, and it is reportedly nearing completion and will next begin tests in December. New Delhi has plans to build 350 of the Zorawar – named for the 19th century Dogra General Zorawar Singh – beginning next year.

The tank was jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and private vendor Larsen & Toubro (L&T), after the Indian Army issued a Request for Information (RFI) in 2021 calling for a new tank that weighed less than 25 tonnes, yet had a margin of 10 percent and the same firepower as a regular MBT.

It would appear that the tank more than met the requirements.

It will be armed with a 105mm main gun, while it will also be artificial intelligence-enabled, and further fitted with an active protection system that includes tactical drones to provide situational awareness and loitering munition capability. Like its Chinese counterpart, the Zorawar was designed to be air transportable for rapid deployment, and it can operate from high-altitude areas to island territories.

Moreover, the Zorawar would be just the first of New Delhi's future tanks to be developed domestically as part of the Make in India program. 

The Indian Army is also reported to be working on future tanks that will replace the Russian-designed and supplied tanks, including the T-72 and T-90s currently in its arsenals.

Author Experience and Expertise

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs.

Image Credit: Image is of a T-72 tank via Shutterstock.