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On January 8th, the Nigerian Armed Forces launched operation “Tura Takai Bongo” in the Northeast of the country, and also Operation “Taimako Ya Zo” in the Northwest against Boko Haram.
With this new Operation Tura Takai Bango in the Northeast and now fruitful Operation Taimako Ya Zo in the Northwest, the military and other security forces seem to be taking the fight into the hideouts of terrorists and other criminals. This is a welcome development. #SecureNorth https://t.co/IBbWphvuqj
— Labaran Yusuf (@Chatwithlabaran) January 8, 2021
In particular, it is reported that VT-4 main battle tanks, ST1 wheeled tanks and SH5 105-mm self-propelled artillery units manufactured by the Chinese corporation Norinco are taking part in the operation.
This marks the first known and proven combat use of the VT-4 main battle tank.
The VT4 (formerly MBT-3000) main battle tank (MBT) is a third-generation MBT designed and developed by China North Industries Corporation (Norinco).
Intended primarily for export markets, the VT4 tank integrates advanced armour and fire control capabilities and offers increased firepower and protection to combat forces in the battlefield.
The Nigerian Army received VT4 main battle tanks from Norinco in April 2020.
The only other known customers so far are Thailand and Pakistan.
The VT4 is similar to the Type 99G which is currently in service with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), but has downgraded capabilities such as sights, engine and gun. Currently it is the most capable Chinese tank, offered for export.
Hull of the VT4 main battle tank is very similar to that of the Soviet T-72. This Chinese tank traces its roots to the Soviet T-72, which has been around for over 30 years.
In the 1980s China obtained this tank from Romania and cloned it. Since then, Chinese designers constantly improved and fine-tuned this tank and its systems. Also, the VT4 shows some Western influence in its design.
Hull and turret of the VT4 is of welded steel construction with a layer of composite armor over the front arc.
Also, there are modular add-on explosive reactive armor blocks. Turret has a wedge-shaped armor. If required, side skirts can be fitted with add-on explosive reactive armor. Add on explosive reactive armor of this tank is different than that used on the Chinese Type 99G.
It is likely that the VT4 has inferior protection to that of the Type 99G. The tank has an NBC protection system. It is also fitted with an automatic fire extinguishing system.
The VT4 is armed with a fully-stabilized 125 mm smoothbore gun. The gun is fed by a carousel-type automatic loader. The autoloader reduces the crew to three and allow to reduce dimensions of the tank. Loading speed is up to 8 rounds per minute.
This tank fires APFSDS, HEAT, HE and HE-FRAG rounds. It is also compatible with gun-launched anti-tank guided missiles. These are Russian 9K119M Refleks missiles, produced in China under license.
Missiles are launched in the same manner as ordinary munitions. Missiles have a maximum range of 5 000 m. Typically four missiles are carried.
A total of 38 rounds are carried for the main gun, 22 of them are loaded into the autoloader and are ready to use. Other rounds are stored inside the hull.
It is also fitted with a coaxial machine gun and remotely-controlled weapon station, armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun. The remotely-controlled weapon station is a huge advantage of the tank, as the tank commander no longer has to expose himself to enemy fire.
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The tank looks good.
But considering who is using it, I wouldn’t be surprised if it will perform badly….
I hope to be wrong.
Racist prick
how is it racist to point out that the nigerian army is sub par in its performance?
Sub par against what?
against evrything the nigerian military is very badly trained and suffers form alot of corruption the simple fact they cant even take out ISIS terrorists on their terretory for years and let them size terretory of their own is quite telling of how “good” the nigerian military is.
No different to the Septics and their Euro- and Middle East- lackeys then.
what are “Septics”? Also no not even close European militarys are some of the best trained and equiped on the planet tho i do agree middle eastern militarys are as if not even more sub par then the nigerian military.
Septic tanks (“rhymes with Yanks”). The record of the Seppoes and their Euro- and Middle Eastern- lackeys in Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria is hardly encouraging.
considering that the US destroyed the whole iraqi army in less then 6 months is quite telling on a tactical level they kicked the shit out of the Iraqi insurgents and taliban in afghanistan the only real reason they lost has more to do with political and sotial factors on the ground then the tactical prowess of their troops. (if you really think that a iraqi soldier is better trained then a US or European soldier i think you need a reality check) its a simple fact statistics on the ground show the US and European militarys are very effective at what they do.
Sophistry, the Iraqis have been fighting a guerilla war ever since and forcing the Seppoes out corps by corpse. The imperial armies are very good at slaughtering civilians, nothing else.
uhu soooo the the “imperial” armies are only good at killing civilians thats why they destroyed Saddam’s army in less then 6 months took over afghanistan in less then 4 and are still keeping enemy forces form taking over……..you are delusional if you really think US and European militarys are ineffective infact they are so ineffective that evry other military on the planet incorperates their battle tactics and methods…
“Still keeping enemy forces from taking over” so the invasions weren’t a success QED. PS your enemies perhaps but not mine.
” so the invasions weren’t a success QED” the fact that Saddam is dead and his nation is under US influence now says otherwise same goes for afghanistan.
“Influence” it already was before the US bloodbath. That the US state has stopped bothering to pretend that it isn’t the heir to nazi Germany is hardly a success to normal people.
Yes the US lost its infruance when Saddam decided to sell his oil in Euros instead of dollars you dont screw with a superpowers intrests and expect to getaway with it thats how things work in the real world their is not good or bad guy their are just nations with intrests. Also plz elaborate in what way is the US ” the heir to nazi Germany”? The US littearly is the polar opposite of what Nazis want i hate to break it to you but nazis hated capitalisam as mutch as they hated communisam (its ironic since both are very close) not to mention that the US is so mixed and its not racialy homogenous .
The nazis didn’t hate capitalism, they compromised with it in 1933 and did the dirty work left off by Bruning. Your first paragraph answers your question.
errrrr no conspiray theorys are not a good way to debate but i bet you also think that the US is controled by jews but somehow is the succsesor of Nazi germany………
“RUN CHARLIE!”
Are you a coincidence theorist? You do know that the Weimar Republic was murdered in 1930, don’t you?
The US uses zionist antisemites as a proxy. Zionist antisemites are a Brownshirt militia, which is another reason why Jews despise zionists.
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA W8 so you really do think the US is the succesor to th nazis but its lead by jews XDDDD also i suggest you look up the definition of Zionist XD bruh i legit can belive that ppl actually think this way xD
Can’t you read? The US empire uses zionists to do some of its dirty work, just as it uses the Saud perverts for the same. Zionist have nothing to do with Judaism.
“Zionism (Hebrew: צִיּוֹנוּת Tsiyyonut [tsijoˈnut] after Zion) is both an ideology and nationalist movement among the Jewish people that espouses the re-establishment of and support for a Jewish state in the territory defined as the historic Land of Israel” bruh bruhhhhh so let me get this straight you legit think the US is the sucsessor of the nazis while at the same time useing jewish nationalists for its dirty work? Holy shit you need a serious reality check……..
Religious zionism was elbowed out of the way by the proto-fascist, racist and terrorist ideology cooked up by Herzl and his cronies in the 1890s. Jewish nationalist is another euphemism for zionist antisemite. Remember, zionists murder Jews and the US state murders everyone.
……bruh so in your world their exist nazi jews?……..yea ngl the south front audiance can be considered mentally insaine at this point…
No fool, there are nazis who pose as Jews; they are the ones used by the US empire as one of its brownshirt militias.
You are good at digging holes for yourself; how are you getting on with your racist condescension against Nigerians?
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH ok ok i get it you think the US is the source of all evil. Then stop useing your computer laptop and smartphone and stop useing the internet all of those are super eveil zionist jewish nazi inventions from the US XDDDDDD what a retard.
Also muh racisam is irellevant since the nigerian military is dogshit just like all arab militarys are they are uneducated and unable to maintain the weapons they have and their officers operate on a level that is sub par to even junior NCO’s in other militarys around the world but hey pointing out that they are shit means i am racist well to bad so sad then i am racist.
The longer your replies, the more fatuous you appear. I will grant you the final word before you disappear up your own arse. :o)
Promising looking tank. Only combat will be the real test of its capabilities. (Corrections to the article: the ST1 8 x 8 wheeled vehicle mounting a 105 mm. gun is described as an assault vehicle by the manufacturer. The SH2 is a self-propelled 122 mm. gun on an 8 x 8 vehicle.)
The Indian T90 and T90 M are proven to be capabable.
In Thailand MBT tender VT-4 actually defeated T-90MS, note that Thailand operates Oplot prior to this tender.
ummmm no it did not well it did but not the raw performance the VT-4 just dosent have the performance of a T90MS however its cheaper both in therms of per unite cost and operational cost compared to the T90MS (the exact unite cost of both machines is unknown and depends on the deal struck but in general chinese weapons tend to be cheaper) so refrain your statment it defeated the T90MS in cost per unite and maintenance cost but not in actual performance and it makes sence for it not to while both are downgraded export models the VT-4 lachs alot of armor compared to the T90MS (this is speculation for the most part but its based on the notion of china haveing trouble with making propper composite armor) not to mention its about 4 metric tons heavyer then the T90MS and it seems to lack any good side protection and its ERA is inferior to the Retlik ERA used on the T90MS and as i mentioned its speculated its base armor is also inferior even to the standard T90S.
The Chinese VT4 needs to prove itself on the battlefield. China does not have extensive tank background, even so, the crews in the tank determine the efficacy of the weapon.
wow nice the price tag is okay for a tank its obviously more expensive than in iran but for global standard its pretty much cheaper than anyone else and probably they also got all the ressources from home production if at all imported only raw ressources which is probably the reason for the cheap price
iran produces crap
china is the only country in the world which i respect for its capabilities the rest is all a bunch of bluffs specially the usa and eu they cant even clean their own butts without a servant doing it for them
Chinese junk…probably killed some goats and sheeps lol.Even chinese army doesnt buy crap chinese weapons lol and imports russian weapons.
You’re self projecting ganga chugger.
Chinese spiked bats are enough to beat down and drown ganga chuggers.
Last, I heard you nincompoops released PLA troops, because of potential incoming spiked bats.
You silly people crack me up.
You heard that wrong muhammad and jesus humper ;)Infact today 20 chinese miners were killed lol.i can feel your salty tears ;)
And, 10 future road shitter perished on road side toilette hospital.
Dude them Mo and Jesus humpers left a big gape in collective indian’s behind.
Don’t worry them Chinese will fill the gap too.
Isn’t that quite rich you silly people are the one who go dominated by those humpers for 1000 years??
Now ex-Buddist commies are not happy with you lot.
Done with your ranting?I couldnt read your anti hindu propoganda.
Only people who’s been whinging for centuries are you folks
Richer still you folks flaunt your wealth by speaking the language of people that dominated you.
How’s the IRS scamming coming along rajesh?
I pray for the day when you filthy xtians and muslims are expelled from india and all the hindus return to india.
Indeed, all the hindus from West and Middle East crawls back to their ganga rat infested land.
Are you some Hindu hermit hiding in some mountain? Which Russian weapons do they import?
S-400,SU-35S,BUK,GAZ Tiger,TOR-M1,SU-30MKK,SU-30MK2,Kilo class subs,3M-54E Club-S anti ship missiles,etc etc Chine imports alot of stuff from Russia includeing jet engines since they have problems with their own so they have to use downgraded export model Russian gear.