The Type 96 () or ZTZ96 is a Chinese second generation

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank or simply tank,Ogorkiewicz 2018 p222 is a tank that fills the role of armour-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more po ...

(MBT). The final evolution of the Type 88 design, the Type 96 entered service with the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

(PLA) in 1997. The later variants of the Type 96 are currently in PLA service together with China's third generation MBT, the Type 99.

History

China's tank development can be divided into three generations. The first generation was the Type 59, a locally manufactured copy of the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

T-54 The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet medium tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks 1944–2 ...

and its derivative tanks. The second generation of MBTs started with the Type 80 and reached its end state as the Type 96. The third generation began with the Type 99 tank. China's first generation tank development program failed to meet the PLA's performance requirements. These technical shortcomings coincided with the appearance of the

T-72 The T-72 is a family of Soviet Union, Soviet main battle tanks that entered production in 1973. The T-72 was a development based on the T-64 using thought and design of the previous Object 167M. About 25,000 T-72 tanks have been built, and refu ...

and

T-80 The T-80 is a main battle tank (MBT) that was designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union and manufactured in Russia. The T-80 is based on the T-64, while incorporating features from the later T-72 and changing the engine to a gas turbi ...

tanks in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, which influenced Chinese defense officials and contributed to their decision to begin development of a new generation indigenous MBT in the early 1980s. This new program was to lead to the development of the Type 80/85 family by 1988. Chinese Type 85-IIM Tank

The Type 80 prototypes were accepted into PLA service as the Type 88A/B. Most distinctively, the Type 88 family had six road wheels instead of the five that the previous Chinese MBTs possessed. However, after the 1991

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

the PLA soon realized that the Type 88 design was insufficient, due to Iraqi Type 59/69 tanks' poor performance against contemporary

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

tanks (as the Type 88 itself is a further development of the Type 59). A better domestic MBT was required. However, continued delays in China's third gen MBT development meant the PLA had no choice but to continue development of the Type 85 family. In 1995, Norinco produced the Type 85-III prototype with an upgraded engine and explosive reactive armor. In 1997, the upgraded Type 85-IIM prototypes were accepted into PLA service as the Type 88C/Type 96. The most visible difference between the Type 96 and earlier Type 88 series tanks was the additional

spaced armor Armour with two or more plates spaced a distance apart falls under the category of spaced armour. Spaced armour can be sloped or unsloped. When sloped, it reduces the penetrating power of bullets and solid shot, as after penetrating each plate ...

on the turret front. This spaced armor gave the Type 96 a rectangular front profile, visually distinguishing it from the round turret of the Type 88. Other visible differences included their armament: the Type 96 possessed a locally designed 125mm smoothbore gun while the earlier Type 88 variants used a 105mm rifled gun instead. This made the Type 96 the first PLA tank in service armed with a 125mm caliber gun. By mid-2016, the Chinese military had over 7,000 tanks in active service, including about 2,077 Type 96/Type 96As and about 814 Type 99/Type 99As. Compared to the Type 99—with its high capability and similarly high cost—the cheaper Type 96B is seen by domestic experts as the main tank in the modernization of the PLA.

Deployment

In the early 2000s, the Type 96 was the PLA's main armored firepower for

maneuver warfare Maneuver warfare, or manoeuvre warfare, is a military strategy which emphasizes movement, initiative and surprise to achieve a position of advantage. Maneuver seeks to inflict losses indirectly by envelopment, encirclement and disruption, while ...

units. 31 tanks are deployed in an armored battalion and 10 tanks are deployed in a company. After the PLA's reforms in 2017, the Type 96 is deployed in the

combined arms Combined arms is an approach to warfare that seeks to integrate different combat arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects—for example, using infantry and armoured warfare, armour in an Urban warfare, urban environment in ...

battalion of the new heavy combined arms brigade. Each battalion features two tank companies and two mechanized infantry companies, with each company having 14 vehicles.

International Tank Biathlon

In 2014, China participated with the Type 96A in the Russian-hosted tank biathlon, where it competed against the Russian T-72B3, clinching third place. China participated again in 2015, coming in second place. In 2016, it won one gold medal (out of a total of 23 awarded gold medals). China once again reached the finals of the Tank Biathlon in 2021.

Design

Armaments

The main armament is a 2-plane stabilized 125 mm ZPT-98 smoothbore gun with an

autoloader An autoloader or auto-loader is a mechanical aid or replacement for the personnel that load ammunition into crew-served weapons without being an integrated part of the gun itself. The term is generally only applied to larger weapons, such as na ...

using a carousel-style magazine. The main gun has a

fume extractor A bore evacuator or fume extractor is a device which removes lingering gases and airborne residues from the barrel of an armored fighting vehicle's gun after firing, particularly in tanks and self-propelled guns. By creating a pressure differ ...

located midway along its length. Secondary armaments include a QJC-88 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. The Type 96 is equipped with the ISFCS-212 computerized

fire-control system A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs the same task as a hum ...

with a ballistic computer, laser rangefinder, and automatic target tracking capability. When the Type 96 entered service, its fire-control system was reportedly superior to that of the T-72 tanks fielded by other nations at the time. The Type 96 is capable of day/night all-weather operations as the driver, gunner and commander have access to

night vision devices A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The ...

and

image intensifier An image intensifier or image intensifier tube is a vacuum tube device for increasing the intensity of available light in an optical system to allow use under low-light conditions, such as at night, to facilitate visual imaging of low-light proce ...

s. Type 96A is fitted with ISFCS-212B fire-control system, which replaced the gunner night vision sight with

thermal imaging Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal video or thermal imaging, is a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process, which are examples of infrared im ...

system sporting 3x and 8x optical magnifications. The new GUMS-2 digital ballistic computer provides more detailed calibration in sophisticated environments. The gunner thermal sight is connected to the commander terminal, which allows the commander to take over in an emergency. Type 96B's fire-control system is further upgraded from Type 96A, which includes new computer, communication, command and control systems. Despite the lack of commander-independent thermal sight, the fire-control computer of Type 96A and Type 96B allows the commander to acquire and engage enemy targets through the optical periscope mounted on the commander’s hatch.

Protection

The vehicle features six double-tired road wheels with tracks. The upper portions of the tracks are protected by armor skirts in saw-toothed shape. The glacis plate is sloped to the point of being near-horizontal for better protection. The turret has a low-profile design, which makes the vehicle less likely to be seen on the battlefield. Six smoke grenade dischargers are fitted to the side of the turret, providing total of 12 smokes. Due to the usage of autoloader, the tank only has a crew of three, which consists of the driver, tank commander, and gunner. The tank series is also fitted with

NBC protection Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense (CBRN defense) or Nuclear, biological, and chemical protection (NBC protection) is a class of protective measures taken in situations where chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclea ...

and automatic fire suppression system. Type 96 features steel and composite armor on the front hull and turret. On Type 96A, the tank turret is fully welded with improved steel armor layer and composite mix. The arrow-shaped FY-4 explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks are mounted on the turret, hull, and storage bucket for increased protection. Type 96B's armor layout is similar to that of Type 96A. An electro-optical activated defense system, TCS-2, developed by 303 Institute of

Norinco China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, doing business internationally as Norinco Group (an abbreviation of "North Industries Corporation"), and known within China as China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation Limited (), is a Chinese ...

, is installed on the Type 96A prototype. TCS-2 was not installed on the mass-produced version due to limited protection against modern

anti-tank missile An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a missile guidance, guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy armoured fighting vehicle, heavily armored military v ...

Mobility

The tank driver sits at the front-left of the hull. The tank commander and gunner sit in the turret. The engine compartment is located in the rear. The Type 96 tank was powered by a 730 hp (582 kW) engine which was subsequently upgraded to a 800 hp engine on the Type 96A. On the Type 96B, the engine was upgraded again to 1200 hp (895 kW). It also features a new hydropneumatic suspension system and automatic transmission system, providing greater mobility and responsiveness. The increase in horsepower also allows the Type 96B to have a very high

power-to-weight ratio Power-to-weight ratio (PWR, also called specific power, or power-to-mass ratio) is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement ...

, improving its acceleration and hill climbing abilities.

Variants

Type 96

Domestic version of Type 85-IIM. Sometimes mistakenly referred to as the Type 88C. Renamed Type 96 when put into PLA service. In comparison to the Type 85 and Type 88, the Type 96 features a more powerful engine, improved electronics and a welded turret. Type 96 was accepted by the PLA in 1997.

Type 96A

Additional "arrow-shaped" modular armor similar to the Type 99 is installed on the turret front. The back of the hull is now completely flat compared to the baseline Type 96. The Type 96A was first revealed in 2006, but in-service tanks were first seen in a military parade in 2009. The Type 96A is a third-generation upgrade of the Type 96. Its internal electronics may have been upgraded to Type 99 standards. The visual profile of the Type 96A is similar to the Type 99. However, the Type 96A can be distinguished from the Type 99 by the driver's position of the left side of the hull. FY-4

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

was added on front upper glacis. The vehicle is equipped with a thermal imager. Features an upgraded engine. TCS-2 electro-optical active defense system, similar to the

Shtora Shtora-1 (, "curtain") is an electro-optical active protection system or suite for tanks, designed to disrupt the laser designator and laser rangefinders of incoming anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). The system is mounted on the Russian T-80 and ...

, has been installed. Electro-optical jammers which are able to jam enemy guided missiles, rangefinders, and designators are found on the tank.

Type 96B

Variant first seen in July 2016 loaded on a Russia-bound train to participate in the 2016 tank biathlon. It is equipped with an improved engine, improved high-performance gun with an upgraded fire-control system, new transmission, chassis, ventilation, communications and computer systems, exhaust and suspension. However it still doesn't feature a commander-independent sight. Compared to the previous variants, the two exhausts that were originally located on the right side of the hull are now located on the rear hull with air vents. The Type 96B has a stated maximum speed of 74 km/h.

VT-2

Export variant of Type-96A. Debuted at the 2012 Defence Services Asia Exhibition. Can be equipped with

Remote Weapons Station A remote controlled weapon station (RCWS), remotely operated weapon system (ROWS), or remote weapon system (RWS), is a remotely operated light or medium-caliber weapon system, often equipped with a fire-control system, that can be installed on Co ...

and has a maximum speed of 70 km/h (on road). Capable of turning on its own axis. On December 9, 2021, the

Tanzania People's Defence Force The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) () is the military force of the United Republic of Tanzania. It was established in September 1964, following a mutiny by the former colonial military force, the Tanganyika Rifles. From its inception, ...

displayed a single unit of the VT-2 main battle tank during a parade in

Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...

to mark the 60th anniversary of Tanzanian independence.

Operators

; *

– 36+ battalions of Type-96A (around 1,500 units), 31+ battalions of Type 96 (around 1,000 units) as of December 2015. ; *

– 5+ VT-2 delivered to Tanzania in 2021, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. One VT-2 was displayed at a military parade in October 2021. ; *

Sudanese Armed Forces The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF; ) are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. The force strength has been estimated at personnel in 2011 (by IISS), 200,000 personnel before the current war in Sudan broke out in 2023 (by the CIA), and ...

- Since 2008.

Gallery

File:Type 96A - Tankbiathlon15finalp1-14.jpg, Type 96A tank without hull ERA mounted. File:Type 96A - Tankbiathlon15finalp1-12.jpg, Rear side of the Type 96A. File:TankBiathlon2016Final-11.jpg, Rear side of the Type 96B. File:TankBiathlonFinal2017-30.jpg, Type 96B in Tank Biathlon themed camouflage paint

References

;Bibliography *

External links

Ruptly news footage of the Type 96A in the 2014 tank biathlonRuptly news footage of the Type 96A in the 2015 tank biathlonCNTV news footage of the 2015 tank biathlon (Chinese audio)
{{Post-Cold War tanks, style=wide Main battle tanks of China Post–Cold War main battle tanks Tanks of the People's Republic of China Tanks with autoloaders Military vehicles introduced in the 1990s