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.

Max speed

80 km/h

Range

600 km

Combat weight

58,000 kg

💲 Unit cost not publicly disclosed

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

82th pct in class
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 600 km

91th pct in class
Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.: 25.7 hp/t

64th pct in class
Muzzle velocity Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.: 1,760 m/s

71th pct in class

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

55th pct in class

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

27th pct in class
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

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

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

64th pct in class
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

0th pct in class

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