A Chinese-made VT-4 main battle tank of the Royal Thai Army suffered a catastrophic 125mm gun barrel rupture on December 12, 2025, during intense border clashes with Cambodia near a contested frontline, injuring three crew members with burns, concussions, and lacerations while rendering the vehicle inoperable. The explosion also damaged the tank’s digital fire control system and laser warning receivers, marking the first confirmed armoured loss in the escalating skirmishes, as Thai forces conducted direct fire missions against Cambodian positions. Thai officials attribute the failure to sustained heavy firing and possible barrel wear or ammunition issues, with joint investigations underway alongside NORINCO, amid scrutiny of Chinese export reliability that favours cost-comparable proven platforms like Russia’s T-90S and western tanks for nations prioritising combat endurance. This incident underscores vulnerabilities in Chinese defence hardware.