The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is currently developing a Main Battle Tank (MBT) equipped with a hybrid power pack.
Images and information in open sources, suggest the tank test bed technology demonstrator combines a diesel engine with electric power and a high-capacity battery array. Much of the current information on the test-bed are coming from social media posts such as China’s Weibo. So far there have been no official government releases. As a result details are limited. However, photos show the demonstrator is using the running gear and suspension of the current T-99 MBT.
The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) industry is renowned for its advanced electric motor technologies and high-capacity batteries. These critical areas are pivotal in applying hybrid propulsion to combat vehicles, aligning with the PLA’s stated goal of utilizing commercial technologies in military applications.
The Type 099A MBT, from which the chassis is being use, is the PLA’s latest first line MBT. It entered service in 2011 with an estimated three hundred fifty currently in service. With increased armour it is powered by a 1500 hp diesel engine and weighs fifty-five tons making it the heaviest PLA MBT. This higher weight is inconsistent with previous PLA MBT designs which sought to accommodate the existing capacities of both the road infrastructure and the demands of the varied topography of the country. A hybrid power pack could provide a Type 99 successor with equivalent performance at lower combat weight. In addition the hybrid power would address the PLA’s concerns over the reduced power provided by diesel engines in thin-air conditions of the Himalayan plateau high elevations.
Western MBT, armored combat vehicle, and some tactical truck developers have also recognized the significant benefits of hybrid power in military vehicles. These include increased range, higher torque, faster acceleration, silent running capability, and greater electrical power generation. The PLA may view the hybrid-powered MBT as a solution to powering its MBTs and other tactical combat vehicles operating at extreme elevations, where conventional diesel engines are less efficient. The hybrid development may also indicate that PLA battlefield technology is reaching levels equivalent to Western forces narrowing or even eliminating the quality advantages previously anticipated.
Hybrid powering offers major tactical advantages, enabling vehicles to meet the increasing power demands of electronic systems, including active protection, advanced sensors like radar, and even energy weapons. Switching to electrical power can also eliminate or significantly reduce the vehicle’s acoustic and thermal signatures. Typically, technology demonstrators or test beds serve as the initial practical step towards incorporating technologies into a “next-generation” system, with the potential for implementation within four or more years.
by Stephen W. Miller
