A main battle tank, or MBT, is a heavily protected tracked vehicle that combines firepower, mobility and armour. The category took over the roles of the medium and heavy tanks of earlier decades, and it also absorbed the anti-tank role once handled by tank destroyers.
Light tanks remain a separate category. The tanks in service across the region follow each country’s own procurement history, budget and military needs.
The main battle tanks in Southeast Asia’s armies come from several different sources. Some countries operate modern European designs, others field Russian or Chinese platforms, and a few still keep older tanks built during the Cold War.
The inventory information used here comes from publicly available sources and covers all 11 countries in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia: Leopard 2
Indonesia operates the German-designed Leopard 2 in two versions, the Leopard 2A4+ and the upgraded Leopard 2RI. Both come from 103 second hand Leopard 2A4 tanks that Indonesia bought from Germany.
Indonesia ordered 61 of the upgraded tanks, known as the Leopard 2RI, and delivery was completed in March 2017 together with 42 Leopard 2A4+ tanks, which have the same upgrades except the armour kit. The vehicles came from surplus German Army stocks and were upgraded by Rheinmetall.
The Leopard 2 keeps the fully stabilised 120 mm smoothbore gun of the Leopard 2A4. It has a crew of four and a 1,500 hp engine. The army also fields the Harimau medium tank, which is left out of this list because it belongs to a different vehicle category.
Malaysia: PT-91M Pendekar
Malaysia's principal MBT is the Polish-built PT-91M Pendekar, a tank derived from the Soviet T-72 design and fitted with upgraded systems for Malaysian service.
It is an export variant with an enhanced 125 mm gun and an S-1000 engine. The crew is three, and the engine produces 1,000 hp.
Malaysia received 48 units. Deliveries began in 2007 and, according to defence publication Janes, continued until 2011, while some other sources put the delivery period at 2007-2009. The fleet has been difficult to maintain, with reported problems involving the transmission and fire-control systems.
Singapore: Leopard 2SG
Singapore operates the Leopard 2SG. The Singapore Army lists it as one of the main assets of its Armour formation.
According to the Singapore Army, the tank has a 120 mm L44 smoothbore gun, a crew of four and a 1,500 hp engine. It also carries a battlefield management system that links it with other forces.
Singapore's Leopard 2SG shares its Leopard 2A4 base with the Leopards in Indonesian service, and Singapore also bought its tanks second hand from Germany. The two countries chose different upgrade packages.
Thailand: A Mix of European, American and Chinese Tanks
Thailand operates several MBT types from different countries. Its fleet includes China's VT-4, Ukraine's T-84 Oplot-T, and American M60 and M48 Patton variants.
The VT-4 has a 125 mm smoothbore gun, a crew of three and a 1,200 hp engine. The Oplot-T also has a 125 mm gun and a crew of three, with a 1,200 hp engine in its 6TD-2E version. The M60A3 and M48A5 variants carry a 105 mm gun and a crew of four, and both use a 750 hp engine.
The mix comes from successive procurement decisions. The VT-4 is a more recent acquisition, and the American-designed tanks belong to older generations, so the inventory covers several generations of tank design.
Viet Nam: Russian T-90S
Viet Nam's most modern MBTs include the Russian-made T-90S and its command variant, the T-90SK. They joined an armoured force that also keeps older Soviet-designed tanks.
The T-90S has a 125 mm 2A46M smoothbore gun and a 1,000 hp engine. Its crew is three.
The inventory has historically included the T-54/55, Type 59 and T-62. The T-55 and Type 59 carry a 100 mm gun and a crew of four. The T-62 has a 115 mm smoothbore gun. Their engines produce between 520 and 580 hp.
Myanmar: Russian and Chinese Designs
Myanmar's publicly reported MBT inventory includes the Russian T-72S and Chinese-designed tanks such as the Type 59, Type 69 and MBT-2000, also known as the VT-1.
The T-72S has a 125 mm gun, a crew of three and an 840 hp engine. The MBT-2000 also has a 125 mm smoothbore gun and a crew of three, with an engine rated at 1,200 hp. The Type 59 and Type 69 carry a 100 mm gun and have engines of 520 hp and 580 hp respectively. The Type 69 has a crew of four.
Open sources make it hard to establish how many of these tanks are operational.
Cambodia: Older Soviet Designs and Chinese Upgrades
Cambodia has operated older T-54/T-55-series tanks and Chinese Type 59 variants. Reports in June 2026 documented the arrival of an initial batch of 39 Chinese T-59D MBTs, out of a reported total order of 93.
The T-59D is an upgraded development of the Type 59, which itself derives from the Soviet T-54/55 family. Type 59D tanks are generally reported to carry a 105 mm rifled gun and a 580 hp engine. The crew is four. Thai officials describe the delivered tanks as refurbished older platforms.
The final fleet size is unclear. Thai and Janes reports cite 93 tanks, and Cambodian media say the order will eventually exceed 100.
Laos: T-72B1 and T-55
Laos operates Russian-supplied T-72B1 tanks, reportedly the upgraded T-72B1MS variant, which began arriving in late 2018. Older T-55s serve alongside them. The number delivered has not been officially disclosed.
The T-72B1MS is have a 125 mm 2A46M gun and an 840 hp V-84MS engine. Its crew is three. The older T-55 has a 100 mm gun and a crew of four.
The T-72B1MS is not the same tank as the T-72S in Myanmar's inventory. The T-72S is an export version of the Soviet T-72B. The T-72B1MS is a modernised T-72B1 with an improved fire-control system and thermal imaging sights.
The Philippines, Brunei and Timor-Leste
None of these three countries is known to have operated a main battle tank.
The Philippine Army used M24 Chaffee tanks in the Korean War and M41 Walker Bulldog tanks in the 1950s, both of them light tanks. It later operated the British-built FV101 Scorpion, and its newest vehicles, the Sabrah, are also classified as light tanks, so they fall outside this comparison.
Brunei's Royal Land Force bought Scorpion light tanks from the United Kingdom in 1976. They carry a 76 mm gun.
Timor-Leste's defence force, set up in 2001, has two infantry battalions and a small naval component. Its vehicles and equipment come mostly from donations by other countries.
