December 19, 2025:
Recently a prototype/test version of a new 55-ton hybrid-powered Chinese tank was revealed. It appeared to be a variant on the current Type 99A tank. The new tank is reported to have significantly reduced acoustic signature, accelerated torque, night vision goggles for the crew, an unmanned turret using an autoloader and an APS/Active Protection System that can defeat missiles and drones. The tank turret has arrow-shaped applique armor, composite panels, spaced modular armor and a JD-3 infra-red jammer to handle incoming anti-tank missiles.
The hybrid-electric engine provides much greater support for future energy-intensive systems like electronic warfare systems and directed energy weapons. The new 1500hp hybrid-electric propulsion system could provide much longer range, increasing the time between refueling and requiring fewer fuel resupply trucks. China has an advantage here because they are the world’s largest developer and producer of electric and hybrid electric automobiles and trucks. Currently China produces nearly 60 percent of the world's electric automobiles.
Fourteen years ago a new model Type 99 Chinese tank entered service. This was the Type 99G, which replaced their current M-1 killer, the Type 99A2. This was not the long promised next generation tank to be smaller and lighter than the 60 ton Type 99. The new tank design is to have a crew of two and rely on missiles as its main weapon. The new tank will have many more sensors and an active defense system to take out incoming anti-tank missiles. The sensors will enable the two-man crew to see what all around them is, and be connected electronically with other tanks, and units, in the area. This enables a Battle Management System to provide the tank with good awareness of what's going on around it, and makes it possible to find and destroy targets quickly.
Instead, the Type 99G had better armor and electronics. There was a new turret which allowed for easily replacing composite armor panels. There was a new fire control system and a new engine. But it was still a Type 99 vehicle. Meaning it was equipped with a 125mm main gun, an autoloader and a three man crew. The Type 99G had a 2100 horsepower diesel engine, instead of the 1500 horsepower one in other Type 99s. All models are 11 meters long, 3.4 meters wide and 2.2 meters high.
Three years earlier China completed development of the Type 99A2. This model had improved reactive armor, as well as fixes to the engine, electronics and mechanical components. This was China's most powerful tank, and was based on the Russian T-80, which was itself based on the T-72.
A lot of Chinese believed that, on paper, the latest Type 99 models were a match for the American M-1. For protection, the Type 99A2 had 500-600mm of armor, plus two layers of reactive armor, giving it the equivalent of 1,000-1,200mm of armor. The Type 99G armor was supposed to be even better. China believes the maximum penetration of the M-1 120mm gun is 810mm. China believes that the protection on the M-1 is 600-700mm, and states that the Type 99 main gun can penetrate 850mm or 950mm with a new shell design.
However, China only produced about 800 Type 99s of all models, versus over 9,000 M-1s. There are several reasons for this. First, the cost was about $2.5 million per tank. This was more than twice as much as other Chinese-built tanks. There were some practical considerations, as well. The Type 99 was too heavy for many Chinese bridges, not to mention railroad equipment. Most Chinese tanks were closer to 40 tons, while the Type 99 was closer to 60 tons. In the previous three years, the Type 99 was seen to get a few improvements like an active defense system seen on a few vehicles, before the greatly improved 99G arrived.
The performance data on the latest models of the Type 99, also called the ZTZ-99, was not official. There was very little in the way of official weapons performance data coming out of the Chinese government. At the same time, the Chinese military leaked real, and inflated, data for PR purposes. While China is not a democracy, in this age of the Internet, public opinion can have an influence when the military budget is being put together each year.
Developing the Type 99A2 indicated that more would be produced, and existing ones probably upgraded. The Type 99G is a further development of the same design. But China seems to believe that developing the new two-man tank is the ultimate option. This would leapfrog other nations, like the United States, which has made little progress developing a next generation tank.