During the recent Pakistani military parade, several new armoured personnel carriers (APCs) were displayed as well as the latest generation of Main Batte Tanks (MBTs). One of the new vehicles presented during the military parade is the MAAZ which is an anti-tank version of the Talha, an APC (Armoured personnel Carrier based) armed with an anti-tank launcher unit Baktar-Shikan.
According to the military balance, the Pakistani army has a total of 3,200 tracked APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) vehicles including 2,300 M113A1/A2/P, 200 Talha, 600 Italian VCC-1/VCC-2 and 100 Chinese ZSD-63.
The Talha is the first Pakistani-made armoured personnel carrier designed and developed by Heavy Industries Taxila, a state-owned defence company located in Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan. It is based on the chassis of the US M113 APC but provides enhanced protection. The primary weapon of the Talha APC is a 12.7 mm machine gun mounted on the roof.
Designed as an APC, the Talha can transport 11 fully equipped infantrymen. It features two firing ports on each side, an improvement over the M113, which lacked this feature. Troops can access and exit the vehicle through a ramp at the rear.
The MAAZ, the anti-tank version of the Talha, is fitted with the locally-made Baktar-Shikan anti-tank missile firing unit which is based on the Chinese HJ-8 anti-tank missile, manufactured under license by Pakistan since the late 1990s and had a successful first test in July 1997.
The missile of the Baktar Shikan anti-tank weapon system can be equipped with two types of warheads: the standard and the tandem. The tandem warhead is particularly effective against the majority of explosive reactive and spaced armours currently in use. Incorporating a smaller warhead, it neutralises the protective Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), allowing the main warhead to effectively penetrate the tank’s armor.
The missile features a short, cylindrical body with a hemispherical nose and foldable stabilising fins at the tail. It has a maximum range of 3,000 meters. The standard warhead can penetrate armour up to 500 mm thick, while the tandem warheads are capable of penetrating armour exceeding 600 mm.
Over the past decade, Pakistan has actively collaborated with foreign countries to advance its combat vehicle capabilities, focusing on expanding its indigenous military production and enhancing the performance of its armored vehicles. A significant partnership in this realm has been with China, with whom Pakistan shares robust defense ties. This collaboration has particularly focused on the development and ongoing enhancement of the Al-Khalid tank, which is part of the joint MBT-2000 project. While the Al-Khalid tank itself was initiated before the last ten years, continuous upgrades and new iterations of this tank have been part of recent cooperative efforts.
Additionally, Pakistan has engaged with Turkey, another key partner in military production. The two countries have worked together on several defence projects, including the development of armoured vehicle systems. These collaborations not only involve the direct acquisition of military equipment but also the sharing of technology and expertise, which is crucial for building Pakistan’s local defence manufacturing capabilities.
April 2024
Source: Army Recognition