Buy high-end or low-end? Thailand and Vietnam import Chinese and Russian tanks respectively, who is better?
Introduction. Vietnam and Thailand, two neighbors in Southeast Asia, have long been rivals. From the perspective of military strength, both China and the United States are increasingly in need of more and better new tanks.
On the arms deal between China and Thailand.
In the late 70s of the 20th century, after the victory of the Vietnamese troops, they invaded Cambodia, causing panic in Thailand. For national defense reasons, Thailand's purchase of Type 59 tanks from China played a large role in the intrusion of Vietnam's border areas. This military ** made Thailand realize the power of the ** fire. Later, because of China's low commodity quality, Thailand began to buy more advanced tanks from Western countries to enhance its strategic deterrence capability in Vietnam.
Reservoir construction in Thailand.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Thailand imported a large number of American tanks from abroad, which were very old and urgently needed to be replaced. At first, Thailand intended to purchase T84 tanks from Ukraine, but for various reasons, the delivery date was delayed. Eventually, Thailand decided to bid again to compete with competitors such as the Chinese VT4 and the Russian T90.
Chinese tank No. 4.
China's VT4 is a combat vehicle developed by Meishi Industrial Group Corporation to meet the needs of the world. The product is a new type of car, which is a new type of car that integrates automobile traction, optoelectronics, information and new materials. The tank was armed with a musket of 125 mm caliber, as well as fire control devices capable of easily penetrating armor with a thickness of 1000 mm. Although the defense is a little worse, with the blessing of reactive armor, everything can be solved. Thailand purchased 50 VT4 tanks from China, with a total value of $200 million.
Vietnamese Army T90S combat vehicle.
The Russian T90S is a low-end product compared to the Chinese VT4. T90S is highly susceptible to humidity in hot and humid environments and is not very adaptable to the tropical regions of Vietnam. In addition, the weight of the T90S is on the low side, and maneuverability is limited. However, Vietnam spent a lot of money on the purchase of this type of tank, but it did not perform as well as expected.
Real Comparisons and Conclusions.
In real battles, the Chinese VT4 is clearly in the lead. Although it was a foreign trade chariot, it was not completely "castrated", but was perfectly suited to the countryside and hot and humid places. So VT4 has a better chance. In addition, the VT4 tank is also a typical example of China's automobile products going global, and it is also a demonstration of China's first-class strength and scientific and technological level.
Based on the above analysis, the reason why Vietnam introduced T90 from Russia is not only due to the cost factor, but also due to the low practical application value. Thailand, on the other hand, opted for the Chinese VT4 because it was more suitable for its needs and had greater advantages in battle. The success of this military industry also reflects the huge potential and development trend of China's leading industry in developing the world's high-end equipment.