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China’s military
ChinaMilitary

China’s latest main battle tank could soon be ready for service, analyst says

  • Tank was highlighted on state television, though it was mostly covered and no details were given
  • Military analyst says it suggests development of the fourth-generation vehicle ‘is almost complete’

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Footage of the new tank, mostly covered, was aired on state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday. Photo: Weibo
Amber Wangin Beijing

China’s latest main battle tank has been highlighted on state television, suggesting the fourth-generation vehicle could soon be ready for service, according to a military analyst.

Footage of the new tank – though mostly covered – aired on Sunday as part of a CCTV series on the modernisation of the People’s Liberation Army. The episode on advanced military weapons showed the tank with a caption reading: “The strongest on the surface in the future?”

Song Zhongping, an analyst and former military instructor, said while no details were given, the partial reveal suggested that “development of China’s most advanced main battle tank is almost complete”.

At present, the PLA’s most advanced main battle tanks are the Type 99 and its upgraded version, the Type 99A. The Type 99 entered service in 2001 and more than 1,200 of the tanks have been built in the past two decades.

The military deployed the Type 99A to its high-altitude border region in the Karakoram mountain range in western China last year in a bid to boost combat ability there, according to state media reports.

No details have been released on progress of the fourth-generation battle tank since its development was revealed in 2016.

Song said the new tank was believed to have high mobility, stealth and strong strike capabilities.

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