Al-Khalid Tank (Paperback)

The designations Al-Khalid and MBT-2000 refer to the Pakistani and Chinese variants of a modern main battle tank developed during the 1990s by China and Pakistan. The Al-Khalid has been in service with the Pakistan Army since 2001, while the MBT-2000 is built and marketed internationally by China and was recently ordered by the Peruvian Army. Operated by a crew of three and armed with a 125 mm smooth-bore tank gun that is reloaded automatically, the tank uses a modern fire-control system integrated with night-fighting equipment and is capable of firing many types of anti-tank rounds as well as guided anti-tank missiles. Al-Khalid is named after the legendary Muslim general Khalid bin al-Walid. An evolution of Chinese and Soviet tanks, the design is considerably smaller and lighter than most Western main battle tanks. It is based on the Chinese Type 90-II, which combined technologies from several Soviet/western tanks and is ultimately a descendant of the widely-produced Soviet T-54. The Al-Khalid is unusual in that it is was designed to be adaptable for manufacture, so that it can be easily integrated with a variety of foreign engines and transmissions.