[Secret Agent Man]

nice to not be inthe middle of a conflict once in awhile

[datura]

I wonder if Russia isn’t hoping this gets worse? Both of these are their weapons customers, and they probably want China to be preoccupied with a border other than the Russian eastern zone.

[lightman]

The army's decision to deploy the T-90 Bishma tanks was taken after the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) had beefed up its positions on the river bed with armoured personnel carriers and troop tents.

The CPLA chooses the LOW ground?

WTF?

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Reno89519]

Let the Indians and Chinese kill each other off. Good riddance to two cesspool countries, both enemies of US in different ways. Need to send all Indian and Chinese students and visa workers home to help defend their homelands and free the US of their occupation.

[texas booster]

I thought that the reason that China stole the design for a “mountain tank” was that traditional tanks did not perform well at altitude.

Any insight into using a T-90 at 15,000’ up?

[texas booster]

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a25728271/china-new-tank-type-15/

Answering my own question:

Chinese army units working in rugged, mountainous border regions are getting some new firepower now that China's new next-generation light tank has gone into service.The Type 15 tank is smaller and lighter than the existing main battle tanks of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), meaning it can traverse terrain heavier tanks can’t cross.

According to the South China Morning Post, the vehicle is equipped with a 1,000-hp diesel engine, which will give it a sprightly 28-to-1 horsepower-to-weight ratio. By comparison, the latest version of the U.S. M1A2 Abrams main battle tank has a 23-to-1 horsepower-to-weight ratio. The Type 15’s high ratio will be useful in mountainous regions, where it could spend a lot of time traveling uphill. Diesel engines are less affected by altitude than gasoline engines, giving them better efficiency at altitude.

Why build a tank for the mountains? China and India share a large, disputed border with lots of mountains and not a lot of modern, robust infrastructure to move military vehicles. Roads, for example, may not be wide enough to accommodate a full-size main battle tank, and bridges may not be rated for a 50-ton tank. A lighter tank could go where other tanks can’t, giving the PLA commander on the ground more options for deploying his troops.