Documents
China NORINCO
VT-4
Norinco's export-oriented main battle tank derived from the Type 99 design, offered with a choice of engines and modular armor packages. It has been sold to Thailand, Pakistan and Nigeria as an affordable alternative to Western and Russian tanks.
In service since 2012 · 3 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
70
km/h
500
km range
22.4
hp/t
125
mm gun
52,000
kg
💲 ≈ $5,200,000, Disputed and likely understated at the manufacturer's list price. Norinco's cited export list price is roughly USD 4.9 to 5.25 million per unit, but actual Royal Thai Army contracts from 2016 to 2023 for 60 tanks worked out closer to USD 5.2 to 5.8 million per unit once support packages are included, and Beijing does not publish an official export price.
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 · 3 operators
In service since 2012. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$13M – $18M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
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.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the VT-4 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
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 |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 500 km |
| Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility. | 22.4 hp/t |
| Muzzle velocity Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration. | 1,700 m/s |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 125 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. | 125 mm |
| Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity. | 38 |
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, laser warning receiver |
| 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. | 10 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 3.4 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. | 52,000 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. | 1,200 hp |
| Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume. | 1,200 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 |
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
| Caliber Bore diameter the round is fired from. | 125 mm |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $5,200,000 |
|---|---|
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 3 |
Specifications compiled from public NORINCO and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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KNDS Leopard 2A7 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the NORINCO VT-4? +
The NORINCO VT-4 has a maximum speed of 70 km/h.
What is the range of the NORINCO VT-4? +
The NORINCO VT-4 has a maximum range of 500 km.
How much does the NORINCO VT-4 weigh? +
The NORINCO VT-4 has a combat weight of 52,000 kg.
How many crew does the NORINCO VT-4 require? +
The NORINCO VT-4 requires a crew of 3.
What is the main armament of the NORINCO VT-4? +
The NORINCO VT-4's primary weapon is the 125 mm smoothbore with autoloader.
What engine does the NORINCO VT-4 use? +
The NORINCO VT-4 is powered by the Turbocharged diesel.
What is the NORINCO VT-4 used for? +
The NORINCO VT-4 is a main battle tank typically used for anti armor, infantry combat.
How many countries operate the NORINCO VT-4? +
The NORINCO VT-4 is operated by 3 countries.
How much does the NORINCO VT-4 cost? +
The NORINCO VT-4 has an approximate unit cost of 5,200,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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