Summary and What You Need To Know: China's military-industrial complex is rapidly advancing, and the Type 15, or ZTQ-15 "Black Panther" tank, symbolizes this evolution. Weighing between 33 and 36 tons, the Type 15 is designed for maneuverability in challenging terrains like Tibet and Taiwan, where heavier tanks like the Type 99 have struggled. Despite its lighter weight, the Black Panther is armed with a 105 mm rifled gun capable of firing laser-guided anti-tank missiles, enhancing its range and lethality.

-Its 1,000-horsepower engine gives it a power-to-weight ratio that rivals Western tanks like the M1A2 Abrams. The Type 15 also serves as a testbed for future Chinese military innovations, showcasing China's growing technical capabilities.

-As China aims to compete with global military equipment exporters, the Type 15 is set to play a crucial role in both mountain warfare and amphibious operations. Ignoring China's advancements could prove dangerous for the West.

China's Type 15 Black Panther: The Next Game-Changer in Tank Warfare

China’s military-industrial complex is rapidly evolving. No longer content to build cheap knockoffs of old Soviet systems and rip off American designs, China is coming into its own as a techno-military superpower.

Everything from quantum computing to artificial intelligence to hypersonic weapons systems are being competitively developed in a country that has risen to become the second-largest economy in GDP terms. Even in areas that were once almost dominated by the Americans and the Russians, such as Main Battle Tanks, the Chinese are catching up.

The Type 15, or ZTQ-15 “Black Panther,” represents just the kind of evolution that China has embodied since it opened itself up to the West in the 1970s. The Black Panther was meant to address significant shortfalls in the Chinese Type 99 MBT.

The Specs

Weighing between 33 and 36 tons, the Type 15 is much lighter than many of the MBTs that populate the modern battlefield. This is meant to help navigate the notoriously difficult terrain China’s Type 99 struggled with. Mountainous, hilly, or plateau regions are accessible to this lighter MBT. 

Even though China is rapidly becoming a naval power, it must still remain a potent force on land. After all, the bulk of China’s territory faces the inside of the Eurasian landmass. The Chinese Communist Party strives to enforce strict sociopolitical and economic control over outlying Chinese regions historically populated by foreign groups. 

China’s military needs reliable MBTs that can navigate the rugged, mountainous terrain of places like Tibet (and Taiwan). 

The Black Panther sports a 105 mm rifled gun, which is smaller than most MBTs of today with their 125 mm guns. This rifled gun can launch multiple forms of ammunition, including potent laser-guided anti-tank missiles. Thus, the range and lethality is considerably increased when the Type 15 squares off against other MBTs. As the Ukraine War has shown, both American and Russian tanks struggle to defend against most modern anti-tank missiles. 

In various exercises involving the Type 15, this tank reportedly engages targets with a higher-than-normal accuracy rating in very difficult environments.  

The tank possesses a 1,000-horsepower engine that provides a horsepower-to-weight ratio rivaling and possibly even exceeding most other Western MBTs, such as the vaunted American-made M1A2 Abrams. 

This land battleship can cruise at more than 43 miles per hour and possesses considerable operational range, meaning that it can be a real game-changer in tight tactical situations, especially considering the kinds of rough environments this tank was built to fight in.

What the Black Panther Tank Will Be Used For

In terms of mountain warfare, this tank comes with lighter weight and advanced suspension. Designers made this tank able to produce oxygen for its crew when operating at high altitudes, such as when squaring off against the Indian military along their shared, mountainous border near Tibet. This is undoubtedly a key feature of the tank, as tensions with neighboring India ramp up once more.

On the other hand, the Type 15 is perfectly suited for amphibious landings against neighboring Taiwan. Because of its lightness and mobility, this armored beast can be used in rapid deployment scenarios across rivers or in coastal regions. 

Underestimate This Tank at Your Own Risk

What’s more, China strives to ultimately compete with military equipment export rivals like America and Russia. The Type 15 might help them do just that. Lastly, to show their increasing sophistication, China has made the Type 15 capable of serving as a testbed for new technologies and subsystems that will ensure the tank remains competitive for years to come. It will influence all future tank design for China.

Don’t underestimate China’s growing technical challenge to the West. Instead, understand it. Respect it, even. And work to support policies and leaders who will ensure the United States remains ahead of the Chinese. But don’t write China off just because 50 years ago they were a giant North Korea. They are a true near-peer rival to the United States in ways that the old Soviet Union never was.

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock. 

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