NORINCO Type 99 (ZTZ-99)

History

The Type 99 is a relatively new addition to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Armoured Corps. The Type 99 was first introduced in 1999 as a display at the National Day military parade in October 1999.

To date (2020), NORINCO's total production has reached over 1,000 vehicles, replacing many of the older, phased-out Cold War-era designs in China. The Type 99 marks a major breakthrough for China from its previous heavy reliance on Soviet and Russian tank designs, putting China on a par with its global counterparts.

The Type 99 entered service with the Chinese front-line armed forces in 2001 and represents the third generation of the MBT design.

The Type 99 was born out of the work of Chinese engineers to design, develop and produce tanks throughout China. So far, "Type 80" has evolved into "Type 85" for export and "Type 88" for domestic production. The Type 88 was further developed into the "Type 96" which entered service in 1997. At the same time, the Type 90 (Type 90-II) was used to form the Al-Khalid series of the Pakistan Army, while the Chinese Army called it "Type 98" domestically, and its improved version became "Type 98G".

The Type 98G officially became the "Type 99" after its launch in 2001.

Nonetheless, due to the cost of operating, maintaining and servicing the 99 series, the Type 96 remains the main main battle tank of the PLA forces.

The Type 99 pilot vehicle was designated Project 9910 with the industrial designation WZ-123. The prototype was powered by a 1,200-horsepower diesel engine.

Simply labelled Type 99, Type 99A1 or Type 99G, the first production form featured applied armour on the wedge-shaped turret, added modern thermal sights, mated the engine to a semi-automatic transmission, and supported third-generation reactive armour (ERA). ) explosives. - Blocks that improve survivability.

The improved Type 99A was unveiled to the public at the 2015 Victory Day parade. The variant was introduced in 2003, tested in 2007, and entered service in 2011.

The brand features a repositioned driver's hatch (in the center of the hull forward left), improved anti-tank missile (ATGM) support for the main gun, active protection system/laser warning receiver to improve crew and system survivability , supports 3rd Gen ERA Blocked Generation and a rebuilt, enlarged turret with applied armor and sharper angles. Power comes from a 1,500-horsepower turbodiesel.

The main weapon of the series is the powerful 125mm ZPT-98 smoothbore gun, which is connected to an automatic loading system to draw projectiles from the waiting inventory (removing the traditional fourth crew from the equation). The main gun can also fire laser-guided anti-tank missiles, similar to the Soviet-Russian tank design. The main gun is carried by a 7.62mm Type 59 anti-infantry machine gun mounted on a coaxial bracket on the front of the front turret. 12.7mm Type 85 (HMG) heavy machine gun for anti-aircraft (AA)/anti-tank (light) missions. A state-of-the-art Fire Control System (FCS) helps tank crews fire on the move, improving first hit accuracy.

The Type 99 also features an integrated active laser defense system that helps the crew spot any attacking enemy tanks from a distance and attempts to weaken the target's optics by blinding the enemy crew.

In addition to the enhanced firing capabilities, the Type 99 has crew survivability comparable to Russian and Western products. The turret is welded and constructed using composite and spaced modular armor. Serrated "skirt" armor plates help protect the upper areas of the sides of the fuselage and wakes.

The vehicle's low profile, typical of Soviet-Russian tank design, also made the tank a difficult target to hit the horizon from a distance.

In service, the Type 99 has a top speed of 80 km/h and a range of up to 600 km on internal fuel (which can be increased by installing a large tank in the rear of the fuselage). The chassis is suspended on a torsion bar suspension system that provides the necessary comfort in rough terrain/terrain.

The Type 99 MBT influenced the design and development of the export-oriented VT-4 MBT described elsewhere on this page. The Type 99 itself was not previously available for export to Chinese allies/customers.

At present, China's modern army has more than 500 Type 99A main battle tanks as well as about 500 original Type 99 tanks. In addition, 2,500 Type 96/96A/96B tanks and Type 15 light tanks constitute the Chinese armored vanguard.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Estimate:

42 x 125mm projectile.

2,000 x 7.62mm ammo.

500x12.7mm ammo.

10 x Smoke Grenade.

Changes