Type 15

A lightweight main battle tank purpose-built for China's mountainous and riverine border regions where heavier Type 99A tanks cannot operate. It trades armor mass for a compact seven-road-wheel chassis and amphibious capability.

In service since 2018 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km/h

450

km range

25.6

hp/t

105

mm gun

36,000

Several performance figures for China-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Chinese state channel

State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.

Channel: State export agency

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2018. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

105 mm NATO

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 70 km/h

Stronger than 73% of main battle tanks
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 450 km

Stronger than 32% of main battle tanks
Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.: 25.6 hp/t

Stronger than 81% of main battle tanks
Muzzle velocity Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.: 1,600 m/s

Stronger than 13% of main battle tanks

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 105 mm smoothbore with autoloader
Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.: 12.7 mm + 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 105 mm
Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.: 38

Stronger than 13% of main battle tanks

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.: Modular composite armor
Active protection Hard-kill APS (Trophy, Arena, Afganit) intercepts incoming projectiles before impact.: GL5 (optional)
Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.: No
Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.: smoke grenade launchers
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.: Yes

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 9.2 m
Width Overall width — matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.: 3.3 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 2.4 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 36,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 3

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: Turbocharged diesel
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 1,000 hp

Stronger than 31% of main battle tanks
Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume.: 900 L
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Diesel

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: panoramic commander's sight, thermal imaging fire control
Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.: Yes

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 23% of main battle tanks

Specifications compiled from public NORINCO and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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