Some design flaws and poor qualities can only be uncovered in actual combat. Reports of the Nigerian Army’s VT-4 tanks taking 30 minutes to fire a shell are related to the same overheating issues with the VT-4 tank turret demonstrated by the Thai Army.
Not only did the Royal Thai Army report that Chinese VT-4 tanks’ turrets overheated and exploded, but the Nigerian Army also reported that Chinese VT-4 tanks fired a single shot every 30 minutes due to turret overheating and auto-loader malfunctions.
The VT-4 tank is designed and built with automatic reloading capability. Still, the VT-4 has an automatic loader incapable of rapid firing (8 rounds/min), as advertised by Norinco and sold to Pakistan, Nigeria, and Thailand. Nigerian soldiers said the VT-4’s performance is comparable to that of the upgraded Russian T-72 tank, regardless of what China claims.
Nigerian crews are experiencing 30-minute load times due to turret overheating. The VT-4 tank’s design flaws are visible in Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram, where Boko Haram destroyed some VT-4 tanks with simple RPG fire. At the same time, Thailand experienced the same inherent design flaws of the VT-4.
The VT-4 autoloader malfunction prevents quick, continuous firing, unlike in modern European tanks, where the autoloader fires without issue.
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