Type 96 tank

Type 96
ZTZ-96 （Also called Type 88C） MBTs on a dirt road.
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	China
Service history
In service	1997–present
Used by	See Operators
Production history
Manufacturer	First Inner Mongolia Machinery Factory
Specifications
Weight	42.8 tonnes
Length	6.33m
Width	3.45 m
Height	2.30 m
Crew	3
Armor	Type 96: Composite armor (classified) Type 96A: Modular applique armor and ERA plates on hull front
Main armament	125 mm smoothbore gun, capable of firing ATGMs and depleted uranium rounds
Secondary armament	7.62 mm coaxial machine gun 12.7 mm air-defence machine gun
Engine	diesel 780 hp (582 kW)
Power/weight	18 hp/tonne
Suspension	torsion bar
Operational range	400 km
Speed	65 km/h

Type 96: Composite armor (classified)

The Type 96 (Chinese: 96式; pinyin: Jiǔliù shì) or ZTZ-96 is a Chinese Second Generation main battle tank (MBT). Based on the Type 88 design, the Type 96 entered service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1997.

China's tank development can be divided into three generations. The first generation the Type 59, a locally manufactured copy of the Soviet T-54A and its derivatives. The second generation of MBTs started with the Type 80 and ended with the Type 88/Type 96. The third generation begun with the Type 98 tank.

With the failure of first-generation tanks to meet the PLA's demands and the appearance of the T-72 tank in Russia, China continued development of a new indigenous MBT. This led to the WZ-122, Type 80 and Type 88 projects. However, only the Type 88C managed to see service in PLA units. The Type 88C was the domestic variant of the export Type 85-II/AP variant. The PLA soon realized that the Type 88C was insufficient to reach parity with contemporary designs after the Gulf War. In 1997, the Type 88-III prototypes were accepted into the PLA as the Type 96. The most visible difference with the Type 88C was the additional spaced armor on the turret, giving it a rectangular front profile instead of the round turret of the Type 88C.