During last month's Pakistan Day parade, the country's armed forces showcased various combat vehicles, including the latest locally manufactured anti-tank tracked armored vehicle, MAAZ. The parade saw multiple new armored personnel carriers (APCs) and the latest generation of Main Batte Tanks (MBTs) being displayed to the public. The MAAZ, an anti-tank version of the Talha, was among the new vehicles showcased during the military parade. It is equipped with an anti-tank launcher unit called Baktar-Shikan, enhancing its capabilities for anti-tank warfare. According to the Military Balance report, the Pakistani army has 3,200 tracked Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicles. This includes the following: 2,300 M113A1/A2/P 200 Talha 600 Italian VCC-1/VCC-2 100 Chinese ZSD-63 The Talha is Pakistan's first locally manufactured Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), designed and developed by Heavy Industries Taxila, a state-owned defense enterprise situated in Taxila. While it shares the chassis of the US M113 AP C, the Talha has enhanced protective features. Its primary weapon is a roof-mounted 12.7 mm machine gun. The Talha, designed as an APC, can transport 11 fully equipped infantrymen. It incorporates two firing ports on each side, a notable enhancement over the M113, which did not possess this feature. Troops can access and exit the vehicle via a rear ramp. According to Army Recognition, a foreign website that focuses on global military news, the MAAZ, the anti-tank variant of the Talha, is equipped with the indigenous Baktar-Shikan anti-tank missile firing unit. This unit is based on the Chinese HJ-8 anti-tank missile and has been manufactured under license by Pakistan since the late 1990s. The Baktar-Shikan system had its initial successful test in July 1997. The missile of the Baktar-Shikan anti-tank weapon system can be outfitted with two types of warheads: the standard and the tandem. The tandem warhead, specifically designed to counteract explosive reactive and spaced armors commonly employed, is highl y effective. By incorporating a smaller warhead, it disables the protective Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), thereby enabling the main warhead to penetrate the tank's armor effectively. The missile has a short, cylindrical body with a hemispherical nose and foldable stabilizing fins located at the tail. It has a maximum range of 3,000 meters. The standard warhead demonstrates the capability to penetrate armor up to 500 mm thick, while the tandem warheads excel in penetrating armor exceeding 600 mm. Source: Pro Pakistani