Thailand To Procure VT-4 Main Battle Tanks From China

The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has signed an agreement with China to procure MBT-3000 main battle tanks.

The contract to procure an initial 28 MBT-3000 (or VT-4, as referred by China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO)) was signed on 16 May.The deal is valued at about US $150 million and will commence before year end and conclude in two years, Janes reported Monday.

Royal Thai Army commander-in-chief  Teerachai Nakwanich said Tuesday that he went to China earlier to look at the tanks and believed the price tag was reasonable considering their quality.

"The price and quality of the Chinese VT4 are suitable, according to the army's committee. I didn't examine the tanks alone but also sent several officers to check on them many times," he said.

If the first batch of deliveries is successful, sources indicated the RTA would look to procure additional MBT-3000s as it seeks to meet a long-standing requirement for up to 150 MBTs.