Armament
Al-Khalid is designed with a 125 mm bore, 48 calibre long smoothbore, autofrettaged and chrome-plated gun barrel which is manufactured from high strength electroslag remelting steel. The gun is then put under stringent quality control process to ensure standard barrel life of 1,100 rounds EFC; barrels that cannot pass this test are rejected. This gun provides very high internal chamber pressures for APFSDS, HEAT-FS and guided missiles. The gun can also fire the following types of conventional ammunition: APFSDS, HEAT-FS, and HE-FS. The gun is a modified variant of both the ZPT-98 and KBA-3 series of 125 mm smooth bore gun for Al-Khalid MBT which provided compatibility with Ukrainian ATGMs such as Kombat. The gun retains qualities of both Chinese and Ukrainians mated with indigenous design for better and accurate firepower on stationary and moving targets alike. The Gun-launched, laser-guided anti-tank guided missiles can also be launched.[23][24]
Al-Khalid also fires a Pakistani depleted uranium round, the Naiza 125 mm DU round which gives an armour penetration of 570 mm RHA at 2 km.[25] It is equipped with a muzzle reference system and dual-axis stabilisation system. Elevation and azimuth control is achieved by electro-hydraulic power drives. The automatic ammunition-handling system for the main gun has a 24-round ready-to-fire magazine and can load and fire at a rate of eight rounds per minute.[26]
The tank is also equipped with a 7.62 mm-coaxial machine gun, a 12.7 mm remotely controlled externally mounted air-defence machine gun that can be aimed and fired from within the tank, and 16 smoke grenade launchers(12 Smoke, 4HE).
The gunner is provided with a dual-magnification day sight and the commander with a panoramic sight for all-around independent surveillance. Both sights are dual-axis image stabilised and have independent laser range-finders. The tank has hunter-killer capability, giving the commander the ability to acquire new targets independently while the gunner is engaging another target. The automatic target-tracking system is designed to work when tank and target are both moving. Night vision for the gunner and commander is achieved through a dual-magnification thermal imaging sight. Both sights are integrated with the fire-control system.[26] The production Al-Khalid tank's fire-control system is the ISFCS-122B and is a modified version of the Chinese ISFCS-122 modified with French Assistance by adding features like Auto-tracking and more. In the MBT 2000, the Chinese Norinco fire-control system takes inputs from ten sensors. The ballistic computation time is less than one second. The manufacturer claims routine first round hits on standard 8 ft square targets at ranges over 2,000 metres.
Prototypes were demonstrated with various fire-control systems of Chinese and western origin, but the production model of the Al-Khalid MBT's use a modified Chinese fire-control system (FCS) and gun control system (GCS).
The Al-Khalid-1's FCS has been improved and is able to cue up multiple targets at once and has Auto-tracking for both the 125mm Main gun as well as for the 12.7mm Anti-air gun. It is also equipped with the "Integrated Battlefield Management System" (IBMS), named "Rebar", a digital communications system developed domestically by HIT and CARE (Centre for Advanced Research in Engineering). It comprises a flat-screen display mounted inside the tank which communicates with those of other vehicles, including command posts such as the HIT Sakb. It uses a data-link to facilitate secure communication of battlefield information between units, including tank video footage and information from unmanned aerial vehicles.[24]
A project to manufacture the first Pakistani tank gun barrel was started by Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division (SPD) in 2000. In April 2011, it was reported that the first Pakistani-produced tank gun barrel was ready to be delivered to HIT for installation on the Al-Khalid and Al-Zarrar.[27] Previously, HIT imported 125 mm gun barrel blanks from France for the two tanks which would then be machined in Pakistan by HIT. The first Pakistani gun barrel blank was produced at Heavy Mechanical Complex (HMC) in a joint project involving HIT, People's Steel Mills Limited (PSML) and other defence-related organisations.[27] The specialist grade steel was produced at PSML and the resulting steel block was passed on to HMC. HMC then pressed the block to a length of 5 metres and square cross-section, before forging it into a 125 mm smoothbore barrel. The barrel was then heat treated several times in facilities such as a large vertical furnace. The process took 2–3 months and was watched by experts from other defence-related organisations. The barrel was to be capable of firing at 4 rounds per minute as well as being compatible with the autoloader and its 24-round magazine.[27] According to a HIT official, a joint team proved to the Pakistan Army that strict standards would be met before the army approved production of a first batch of 50 gun barrels by HMC. The Pakistani gun barrels would likely be installed on upgraded versions of the Al-Khalid which are under development by HIT. A 200 million PKR contract has been finalised by HIT for the first 50 barrel batch, which is slightly lower than the barrels imported from France. After production of the first batch of local tank gun barrels in 2011, Heavy Mechanical Complex is planning to explore manufacture of artillery guns.[27]
- Effective range: 200 to 7,000 metres
- Sensor: laser ranging from 200 to 9,990 metres
- French Auto-tracking, interfaced with gunner station, firing four types of munitions, gunner's thermal imaging sight, commander's image intensification night vision sight, gyro-stabilised and UPS power supply system.
Mobility
The production model Al-Khalid is powered by a 6TD-2 liquid-cooled diesel engine, designed by the Kharkiv Morozov Design Bureau (KMDB) of Ukraine. The 6TD-2 is a supercharged 6-cylinder engine delivering 1,200 hp.[29] The 2-stroke design, with the pistons arranged horizontally in an opposed piston configuration, makes the engine very compact and therefore more suitable for being fitted into relatively small vehicles such as the Al-Khalid MBT.[29]
The 6TD-2 is part of a Ukrainian power pack and is capable of semi-automatic power-shifting, the transmission has 7 forward and 4 reverse speeds along with a braking system that incorporates carbon friction brakes and a secondary speed-retarding system. Gear changes are controlled by a torque converter which is made more efficient by addition of an automatic lock-up clutch. There is also a mechanical back-up system for use in emergencies, able to shift 2 gears forward and reverse.[29][30]
Protection
Al-Khalid has modular composite armour and explosive reactive armour, high hardened steel plates over rolled homogeneous layers. The composite armour includes classified elements and NERA inserts. The vehicle also has overpressure nuclear-biological-chemical defense system, an effective thermal smoke generator, internal fire extinguisher and explosion-suppression system. The infrared signature of the tank is reduced by infrared reflective paint. The Al-Khalid's armour is publicly stated to be around 660mm vs HEAT and 550mm vs APFSDS without ERA on the Turret and the Glacis is Estimated to be around 450-470mm without ERA. The Al-Khalid-1 later inducted into the Pakistan Army is improved further from the Al-Khalid 1 unveiled earlier and is equipped with newly developed indigenous explosive reactive armor AORAK Mk.2, which is not only lightweight, but also more resistant to APFSDS, HEAT and HE-FS rounds. ERA is developed by Global Industrial Defence Solutions (GIDS).[2] Al-Khalid is also equipped with an active protection system known as VARTA. HIT is working on an indigenous APS system for future batches, especially for Al-Khalid 2.
An advanced laser detection system from ATCOP has been added. The LTS 1 consists of a mast-mounted sensor and operator's control box, which includes a display showing threats 360 degrees around the tank. It can detect laser rangefinders and laser target designators and responds automatically by triggering acoustic alarms, smoke generators and other countermeasure systems. LTS 1 can detect laser devices operating in the 0.8 to 1.06 μm waveband, has a 360° field of view in azimuth (resolution of 15°) and a field of view in elevation of -15° to +90°.
The Laser Threat Sensor LTS786P is an early warning device which gives audio and visual alarms of threat by sensing a laser beam aimed at it from any direction.
