Quick thoughts on state of Pakistan Army (PA) Armored Corps basis a recent report -
(1) PA Armored Corps is not exactly in top shape and there's not modernization happening. Pakistan simply lacks the money for undertaking the much required upgrades.
defensenews.com/global/asia-pa…
(1) PA Armored Corps is not exactly in top shape and there's not modernization happening. Pakistan simply lacks the money for undertaking the much required upgrades.
defensenews.com/global/asia-pa…
(2) T-80UD tanks were inducted in mid-90s. Even latest T-80UD would be reaching 20 years of service life. And it forms the core of their vaunted 1st Armored Division under Multan based 2 Corps (Army Reserve South). While Pakistan does a good job at their rebuild factories+ 
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there is a limit to which you can upgrade & extend the service life. And if cutting edge of your main strike force is a 20+ years old tank, it tells you about the lack of resources to get new technology.
(3) Al-Khalid - For all the hoopla around Al-Khalid, the production rate+
there is a limit to which you can upgrade & extend the service life. And if cutting edge of your main strike force is a 20+ years old tank, it tells you about the lack of resources to get new technology.
(3) Al-Khalid - For all the hoopla around Al-Khalid, the production rate+
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has been low; not even an armored regiment per year. Tells you that PA again lacks resources to replace older tanks with Al-Khalid. For a tank whose pilot batch was inducted in 2001, my estimate is that over 18 years, the number of Al-Khalid-1s produced stand at ~350 tanks.
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has been low; not even an armored regiment per year. Tells you that PA again lacks resources to replace older tanks with Al-Khalid. For a tank whose pilot batch was inducted in 2001, my estimate is that over 18 years, the number of Al-Khalid-1s produced stand at ~350 tanks.
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(3) Al-Zarrar - Pakistan Army continues to modernize the legacy Chinese Type-59 tanks. And while Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) has done a commendable upgrade job, the fact that a Al-Zarrar forms the single largest tank type in Pakistan Armored Corps, tells you about the state
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of affairs.
(4) Type-85IIAP - Pakistan Army's interim import from China which was modified as per its expectation. PA went the T-80UD and Al-Khalid route after this as it had sub-optimal performance.
- Pakistan continues to focus on upgrading older tanks. And using rebuild to+
of affairs.
(4) Type-85IIAP - Pakistan Army's interim import from China which was modified as per its expectation. PA went the T-80UD and Al-Khalid route after this as it had sub-optimal performance.
- Pakistan continues to focus on upgrading older tanks. And using rebuild to+
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to extend the life of its legacy platforms. There is no new induction of a technologically superior product. Trials of Chinese tanks and rumours of T-90 have not come to fructification. And it has to face a modern, upgraded and expanded Indian Army Armored Corps!
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to extend the life of its legacy platforms. There is no new induction of a technologically superior product. Trials of Chinese tanks and rumours of T-90 have not come to fructification. And it has to face a modern, upgraded and expanded Indian Army Armored Corps!
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Al-Khalid is a competent tank design and Al-Khalid-2 will build on it. But the issue is with production and not quality. It seems HIT has been facing production issues. And engine has been their Achilles heel. In an ideal scenario, it AK-1 would've replaced older tanks but
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Al-Khalid is a competent tank design and Al-Khalid-2 will build on it. But the issue is with production and not quality. It seems HIT has been facing production issues. And engine has been their Achilles heel. In an ideal scenario, it AK-1 would've replaced older tanks but
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it has not. And the fact that PA ran trials of Chinese tanks shows PA feels the need for a modern 'heavy' tank and that AK-1 by itself is not a complete solution. While PA tries to optimize its resources, the gap between Indian and Pakistan Armored Corps is increasing.
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it has not. And the fact that PA ran trials of Chinese tanks shows PA feels the need for a modern 'heavy' tank and that AK-1 by itself is not a complete solution. While PA tries to optimize its resources, the gap between Indian and Pakistan Armored Corps is increasing.
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To counter this gap and even the odds, Pakistan Army will continue to reply on its Heavy and Light Anti-Tank battalions. Also, my research shows that Pakistan Army has created new armored brigades - it is possible to do this by not retiring older tanks even as new ones enter
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To counter this gap and even the odds, Pakistan Army will continue to reply on its Heavy and Light Anti-Tank battalions. Also, my research shows that Pakistan Army has created new armored brigades - it is possible to do this by not retiring older tanks even as new ones enter
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service. Of course, Pakistan Armored Divisions and Independent Armored Brigades are smaller in size compared to Indian Army. Pakistan hopes that time & space factor, along with the fact that India does not have disproportionate disparity, will allow it to hold fort.
service. Of course, Pakistan Armored Divisions and Independent Armored Brigades are smaller in size compared to Indian Army. Pakistan hopes that time & space factor, along with the fact that India does not have disproportionate disparity, will allow it to hold fort.
- So, Pakistan Army has ordered the heavy and long range KORNET-E anti-tank missiles!
- Bhaktar-Shikan not up to the job against new ERA tiles?
- And it seems, TOW-2, which is PA's standard heavy ATGM, is too expensive to buy in larger numbers.
janes.com/article/91749/…
- Bhaktar-Shikan not up to the job against new ERA tiles?
- And it seems, TOW-2, which is PA's standard heavy ATGM, is too expensive to buy in larger numbers.
janes.com/article/91749/…
