China mobilised its latest generation of lightweight tanks after tensions with India cranked up regarding the ongoing bitter dispute over the Galwan Valley on the Himalayan border.

China’s latest type of lightweight main battle tank, Type 15, were spotted participating in a recent exercise in a low-temperature mountainous plateau region.

According to the Global Times, Global Times, Type 15 tanks conducted live fire drills at an altitude of 4,500 meters in SW China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.

This type of tank has significant advantages over other types of tanks or armored vehicles in such regions, said military experts in a Global Times report.

The Type 15 lightweight tank is highly mobile even on plateaus, a type of terrain which heavy tanks can struggle in due to the lack of oxygen to support the engine; any lesser armored vehicle that can operate on plateaus are no threat to the Type 15. This means that the Type 15 is basically unrivalled on plateaus.

In a tweet, Editor of Janes and defense journalist Sam Cranny-Evans noted that these tanks belong to the Xizang military command, which you might know as the Tibet Autonomous Region.

“Tibet has its own military formation that sits outside of the Group Army structure adopted by the majority of the PLA, it enables it to focus on mountain warfare etc.,” Cranny-Evans wrote.

These vehicles belong to the Xizang military command, which you might know as the Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibet has its own military formation that sits outside of the Group Army structure adopted by the majority of the PLA, it enables it to focus on mountain warfare etc.

— Sam Cranny-Evans (@Sam_Cranny) June 22, 2020