Type 96B
The Type 96B is the latest evolution of China’s most numerous main battle tank — a heavily upgraded 2.5-generation design that melds a third-generation turret with a second-generation chassis, first seen at the 2016 Tank Biathlon.
China’s latest iteration of its most numerous main battle tank — a heavily upgraded “2.5-generation” design that mates a third-generation turret to a second-generation chassis, first revealed to the world at the 2016 Tank Biathlon.
Overview
The Type 96B (PLA designation ZTZ-96B) represents the most modern standard of the People’s Liberation Army’s mass-warfare tank fleet. It is a deep modernization of the Type 96/96A family, which itself evolved from the late-Cold War Type 85-IIM/88C line. The 96B retains the carousel-autoloader, 3-crew layout and 125 mm smoothbore of its predecessors but adds a substantially uprated engine, improved protection and digital fire-control enhancements. Precise fleet numbers are not publicly established, but the broader Type 96/96A family numbers around 2,000–2,500 vehicles, according to a mid-2016 inventory breakdown, making it the backbone of Chinese heavy armor.
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- Development
- Design & capabilities
- Variants
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- Comparable systems — analyst view
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