Southeast Asia’s military forces continue to operate Cold War-era main battle tanks and armored vehicles during active border conflicts and civil wars, defying global trends where drones and anti-tank missiles have diminished the effectiveness of armor.
Legacy Platforms Defy Modern Combat Trends
While the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and global battlefields have highlighted the vulnerability of armored columns to cheap munitions and loitering missiles, regional militaries maintain that legacy vehicles provide vital mobility, fire support, and protected transport. In December 2025, Royal Thai Army M48A5 Patton tanks engaged Royal Cambodian Army T-55s during border fighting near the Preah Vihear temple complex. Both vehicles are Cold War designs, illustrating a broader pattern of piecemeal regional modernization and the stubborn persistence of legacy armor across Southeast Asia.
Diverse Armored Fleets Across Regional Powers
Across Southeast Asia, military modernization is accelerating as nations strengthen defense capabilities amid evolving regional security dynamics. Armored fleets feature a remarkably diverse range of platforms sourced from Europe, China, and Russia. Indonesia fields the Leopard 2RI, a modernized variant of the German-designed Leopard 2 upgraded specifically for the country’s archipelagic defense requirements. Singapore operates the Leopard 2SG, emphasizing technological superiority with advanced targeting systems and a 120mm smoothbore cannon. Meanwhile, Malaysia operates the PT-91 Pendekar, a Polish modernization of the Soviet-designed T-72 platform.
Chinese and Russian Hardware Expansion
Chinese-made defense equipment has also expanded across the region. Thailand operates the VT-4 main battle tank, featuring composite armor and advanced fire-control systems. Myanmar fields the Chinese-built VT-1A platform alongside legacy Ukrainian and Brazilian hardware. In Vietnam, military forces operate the Russian T-90, continuing a defense relationship with Moscow that dates back to the Cold War, while Laos continues to operate the older Soviet-designed T-55.
Thai Armored Vehicles Secure Thai-Cambodian Border Lines
The recent combat deployments in Southeast Asia demonstrate that armor serves as a tool for escalation management rather than just a dominant battlefield arm. The July and December 2025 clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border originated from a decades-long dispute surrounding the Preah Vihear temple complex. Thailand deployed BTR-3E1s and newly acquired M1126 Stryker infantry carrier vehicles assigned to the Royal Thai Army’s 112th Mechanized Infantry Regiment. Despite artillery barrages and minefields, Thai armored vehicles secured lines of communication, maintained perimeters, and provided a visible show of force against Cambodian forces equipped with ageing T-55s and BMP-1s.
Adaptation to Irregular Conflict in Myanmar
Armored vehicles have also adapted to irregular warfare within Myanmar’s ongoing civil war. During the 2015 fighting in Laukkai, the Myanmar military utilized Brazilian EE-9 Cascavels and Ukrainian BTR-3Us to counter insurgent advances. During Operation 1027 in October 2023, the Myanmar military deployed armored units across northeastern Shan State. Ethnic armed groups, including the Arakan Army, have since captured and deployed these same armored platforms in their own offensives, demonstrating that heavy vehicles are no longer the exclusive domain of state militaries.