Chinese VT5 light tanks were handed to the Bangladeshi army on November 24, 2021, according to a photograph posted on Twitter by Ha Gao. The timing and location of the photograph are unknown as the background image is blurred to hide the location. Earlier this year, the Bangladesh Ministry of Defence said that the country's army had placed an order with China for VT5 light tanks. The VT5 is presently being used by the Xinjiang Military Command of the Chinese army and Chinese Marines.
China is Bangladesh"s largest supplier in terms of military equipment, supplying the MBT Type 59G, the WS-22 122mm Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), and the FM-90 air defence missile systems.
A total of 44 VT5 light tanks have been ordered by Bangladesh, according to reports.
The VT5, also known as the Type 15 or ZTQ-15 in the Chinese army, is a light battle tank designed and produced by the Chinese defence company NORINCO. It is capable of carrying out a variety of missions (China North Industries Corporation). The VT5 had its public debut at the Zhuhai AirShow China in November 2016.
This vehicle"s primary weapon is a single 105-mm rifled cannon equipped with a thermal shield and fume extractor, which can fire at ranges up to 3,000 metres. In addition to the primary armament, an automated loading mechanism is also featured in it. There were a total of 38 rounds of 105mm ammunition carried by the VT5. This included Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS), High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT), High-Explosive (HE), and gun-launched anti-tank guided missile (GLAGM). The steel armour of the VT5"s hull and turret have been welded together. The VT5 can be upgraded with sophisticated composite armour and/or explosive reactive armour to provide increased protection in combat (ERA).
