Pakistan unveils Haider main battle tank

The Haider MBT is Pakistan's variant of the Chinese VT4 MBT (pictured above from a demonstration at Airshow China 2018), which is an export-only third-generation MBT marketed by Norinco. (Janes/Kelvin Wong)

Pakistan's state-owned Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) unveiled an “indigenously manufactured” Haider main battle tank (MBT) during a ‘rollout ceremony' on 6 March, Pakistan Armed Forces' Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) agency said in a press release on 7 March.

The HIT collaborated with China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco) and various local industries to manufacture the Haider MBT, which is a variant of the Chinese VT4 MBT, for the Pakistan Army, the ISPR added.

In most respects, the Haider resembles the VT4s delivered to Thailand and Nigeria. It is armed with an automatically loaded 125 mm smoothbore gun and a 7.62 mm co-axial machine gun (MG) mounted in its two-person turret.

A remotely operated weapon system (ROWS) is also mounted on the turret roof behind the commander's position. This ROWS is armed with a 12.7 mm MG fed from an ammunition stowage box mounted on the left side of its cradle.

Both the gunner and commander have access to stabilised sights containing thermal imagers, enabling hunter-killer target engagement.

Like other VT4s, base protection consists of welded steel and composite armour, and a laser warning system is mounted on the turret roof to alert the crew if targeted by laser rangefinders or laser designators.

However, compared with the VT4s delivered to Thailand and Nigeria, the Haider appears to have a different type of explosive reactive armour (ERA) fitted to the hull and turret.