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China’s futuristic smart tank can turn drones against drones, leaked images suggest

  • Images of new hi-tech tank circulating on social media hint at move from traditional tank-on-tank combat to more comprehensive approach
  • The performance of expensive and heavily armed tanks in the Ukraine war shows their vulnerabilities against even cheap drones

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Images such as this one, circulating on Chinese social media, have drawn comments on China’s tank technology and what might be in store. Photo: Weibo/飞扬军事铁背心
Zhang Tongin Beijing
Recent images circulating on Chinese social media suggest the country has made significant progress in developing a futuristic battle tank with comprehensive defence capabilities against missile and drone attacks.

The new tank appears to be advanced, with a two-person crew and potentially featuring a completed active protection system. That would give the new model more protection than its predecessors, and more offensive power.

Its integrated defence system could preemptively detect and neutralise incoming missiles, significantly reducing the risk of destruction by conventional anti-tank missiles and high-explosive anti-tank rounds.

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Moreover, its attack system – which integrates drones and weapon stations – suggests a shift away from traditional tank-on-tank combat to a more comprehensive warfare approach.

Traditional tanks have struggled to survive in the Ukraine war. On the modern battlefield, a cheap drone can destroy a heavily armed tank worth millions of dollars.

China’s new-generation tank project suggests that technologies such as drones can also be used for tank protection, allowing the “king of land warfare” to continue playing an important role in future armed conflict.

Currently, the tanks mainly in use globally are third-generation models but many nations are exploring fourth-generation tanks given the evolving nature of warfare and increased threat from drones and missiles.

Notably, the Russian T-14 Armata, unveiled in 2015 and recognised as one of the world’s first fourth-generation tanks, was equipped with an advanced active protection system.

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