Can Type 96 tank fill PLA ranks?
The Type 96 (ZTZ-96) tank is already an important platform in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and its latest version could form the future backbone of China’s MBT fleet.
On 10 July the China Daily published an article to this effect, praising the capabilities of the latest ZTZ-96B variant.
The piece quoted Gao Zhuo, a Shanghai-based military observer, who said, ‘The Type 96B is the strongest variant of the Type 96 family, and is truly an advanced, third-generation main battle tank. The PLA will use it to replace old tanks such as Type 59 and Type 69 models.’
With more
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Land Warfare
-
![Can Iranian air defence systems compete for exports?]()
Can Iranian air defence systems compete for exports?
Iran’s defence industry is now producing a range of surface-to-air missile systems and has begun to market them internationally. Using what appears to be a mixture of original and reverse-engineered elements, how do they stack up compared to other countries’ offerings?
-
![Supply of new self-propelled guns is rising to meet looming demand]()
Supply of new self-propelled guns is rising to meet looming demand
As the need for self-propelled artillery continues to climb across Europe and NATO-allied nations, orders for existing capabilities continue to roll in while new and improved weapons are on the way.
-
![US Army seeks industry support to prepare acquisitions of Group 4+ UAVs]()
US Army seeks industry support to prepare acquisitions of Group 4+ UAVs
The US Army is keen to hear about vendor designs, strategies and potential hardware and software solutions to inform requirements for procurement efforts.
-
![Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential]()
Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
-
![Elbit bets on local content for US howitzer bid as it faces off against popular systems]()
Elbit bets on local content for US howitzer bid as it faces off against popular systems
The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.
