(TibetanReview.net, Sep06’21) – Continuing its boast about its readiness and capability to resolve its border dispute with India by use of force, China said Sep 6 that a new tank repair vehicle based on the Type 15 light tank had been in active service with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Tibet Military Region after it made its first public appearance in a recent plateau exercise.
Compared with its predecessor, the new repair vehicle is lighter and faster in plateau regions and can ensure sustained combat capability of tanks in such terrains, the official globaltimes.cn Sep 6 cited Chinese analysts as saying.
Citing a Sep 3 post by the PLA Tibet Military Region, the report said the PLA Tibet Military Region recently conducted a series of exercises in training sites at an elevation of more than 4,000 meters featuring long-range maneuvering, emergency repair and live-fire shooting, comprehensively honing the cooperation capability between combat and support units under combat scenarios.
Citing eastday.com, the report said a tank repair vehicle was equipped with many types of emergency repair equipment to conduct emergency repairs and recoveries of tanks directly on the battlefield if the tanks malfunction or get hit by anti-tank weapons, noting that this type of vehicle was vital for providing sustained combat capability of tanks.
The plateau-operable Type 15 tank can greatly enhance the PLA’s rapid reaction capabilities in high-altitude regions as it balances fire power, mobility and protection best suited for plateau operations, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, was quoted as saying.
