The ZTQ-15 (nicknamed 'Black Panther') is a modern light tank developed for the PLA that replaces the 1960s-era ZTQ-62 (Type 62). It is primarily intended for use in difficult terrain such as the Himalayas. The ZTQ-15 shares many visual similarities to the larger ZTZ-99 main battle battle tank and represents a further shift away from Soviet tank design philosophy towards Western practices. The design is conventional with the driver seated at the front left, the turret in the center, and the engine which is a two-stage supercharged diesel optimized for high-altitude operations. Main armament consists of a new 105-mm gun (reportedly still based on the British L7 as with other Chinese guns of this caliber) that is compatible with NATO ammunition and can fire APFSDS, HEAT, and HE rounds. The gun's smaller caliber makes it unlikely to be able to defeat the frontal armor of most modern tanks although this is made up by the addition of gun-launched ATGMs, the exact model of which is unknown. The ZTQ-15 also discards the traditional Soviet carousel autoloaders in favor of a tail autoloader, with blowout panels added to the turret as is standard on Western tanks. Defensive armament consists of a remote-operated weapons station equipped with a QLZ-04 35-mm grenade launcher and QJC-88 12.7-mm machine gun. Armor consists of a steel layer to which is added composite armor panels as well as ERA blocks which can cover nearly the entire hull and turret including the skirt. Other features include a laser rangefinder, advanced ballistic computer, thermal imaging, as well as a laser warning sensor and (optionally) an active protection system. NBC protection is also provided. Given the relatively small size of the ZTQ-15, two can be airlifted by a Y-20 transport and it can also be paradropped. The ZTQ-15 is currently in service with the PLA, with the only export customer being Bangladesh.

Development of a successor to the ZTQ-62 began in 2007 resulting in the ZTQ-15 for domestic use by the PLA which reportedly entered service in 2018. The VT-5 for export was developed concurrently and features a number of differences, such as the inclusion of a GL5 active protection system. No other variants are known to exist.