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Main battle tank

China

NORINCO

ZTZ-99A

The most advanced production main battle tank of China's People's Liberation Army, featuring a welded turret, composite and explosive reactive armor, and a laser warning receiver linked to a soft-kill countermeasure suite. It represents the culmination of China's Type 99 tank family.

In service since 2011 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01

km/h

600

km range

25.7

hp/t

125

mm gun

58,000

Several performance figures for China-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Chinese state channel

State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.

Channel: State export agency

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2011. Status: active · ~600 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the ZTZ-99A can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

DTW125 APFSDS 125 mm HEAT-FRAG GP125 gun-launched ATGM

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 80 km/h

Top 6% of main battle tanks
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 600 km

Top 7% of main battle tanks
Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.: 25.7 hp/t

Stronger than 84% of main battle tanks
Muzzle velocity Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.: 1,760 m/s

Top 4% of main battle tanks

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 125 mm smoothbore (autoloaded)
Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.: 12.7 mm + 7.62 mm machine guns
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters.: 125 mm
Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.: 42

Stronger than 70% of main battle tanks

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.: Composite armor with explosive reactive armor
Active protection Hard-kill APS (Trophy, Arena, Afganit) intercepts incoming projectiles before impact.: GL5 soft/hard-kill system (reported)
Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.: Yes
Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.: laser warning receiver, smoke grenade launchers, ERA
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.: Yes

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 11 m
Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.: 3.4 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 2.35 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 58,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 3

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 150HB diesel
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 1,500 hp

Stronger than 84% of main battle tanks
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Diesel

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: hunter-killer fire control, panoramic commander sight
Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.: Yes

Munition

Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.

Caliber Bore diameter the round is fired from.: 125 mm

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 600

Stronger than 58% of main battle tanks
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 24% of main battle tanks

Specifications compiled from public NORINCO and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.

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