A second batch of 15 "Al-Khalid" battle tanks, jointly developed by state-owned Pakistani and Chinese companies, has been handed over to the Pakistan Army, officials said.

Vice chief of army staff General Muhammad Yousuf Khan handed over the tanks at a ceremony at Heavy Industries Taxila, some 40 km northwest of Islamabad, on Thursday.

The first batch of 15 Al-Khalid tanks was handed over in July 2001.

Around $20 million were spent over eight years on the development of the tank.

Al-Khalid is the result of a project between HIT and NORINCO (North Industries Corporation) of China.

It has a combat weight of 46 tonnes, carries a crew of three and has a combat range is 400 km.

Its thermal night vision devices enable the crew to fight at night.

Fitted with a 1200 HP water-cooled diesel engine, which gives it a maximum speed of 65 to 70 km/hr, it carries a 125 mm smooth bore gun, the officials said.