In a recent defense trade show, China took the stage to unveil the newest addition to the country's growing fleet of military hardware, the QN-506 tank or more popularly known as the "Terminator" Tank. The QN-506 Terminator tanks show a striking resemblance to the Russian BMPT-72 tanks which, coincidentally is also known as Terminator.
Many military observers have noted the hauntingly similar design of the Chinese QN-506 Terminator tank to that of the Russian BMPT-72. Regardless of this comparison, both tanks are not billed as main battle tanks like the American M1 Abrams or the Russian T-80.
The QN-506 Terminator is billed as a "combat support vehicle." This means that the tank is armed with small-caliber cannon and missiles. The tank's main role is to provide support to regular tanks, especially when dealing in urban warfare situations.
The contract to design and build the QN-506 Terminator was awarded to the Wuhan Guide Infrared Co. The tank is based on the highly respected Type 59 which was first fielded in 1959. On the other hand, the Type 59 is based on the Soviet T-54 main battle tank. However, the QN-506 ditches the turret of the Type 59 with a new and more sophisticated one which essentially turns the tank into a highly mobile predator.
The QN-506 Terminator tank packs a thirty-millimeter cannon. It has four anti-tank missile launchers, four anti-missile launchers, and twenty small guided rockets. The tank also packs a drone which can be used for reconnaissance given its massive ten-kilometer effective radius. The quadcopter drone has a maximum speed of 37 miles/hour and has a flight time of up to 40 minutes.
Despite its designation as a support tank, the QN-506 Terminator's arsenal is not at all lightweight. The tank's thirty-millimeter cannon has an effective range of up to two thousand meters and it can engage targets both in ground and air. The anti-tank missile can take out armored targets up to four kilometers away. Like the Russian BMPT-72, the QN-506's turret can be operated remotely. The tank also packs high-tech sensors including a day/night camera, laser range finder, panoramic sight, and a thermal imager.
With this massive set of the arsenal, the Chinese QN-506 Terminator is widely dubbed as the "New King of Ground Warfare." The QN-506 is well-equipped to take out enemy tanks, helicopters, drones, light armored vehicles, and infantry. Based on military documents, the Terminator is capable of taking out a heavily armored tank even those with more than 1,000 millimeters of armor.
