With the introduction of the ZTZ-99A remote-controlled tank, Henglong Tank has now unveiled the third-generation version of China’s Type 99 main battle tank. In this episode, Henglong’s editor takes you on a journey through the development history of the Henglong Type 99 and shares some lesser-known facts about China’s Type 99 tank.

 

First-generation Type 99 tank – Type 99A

 

 

 

The photograph above shows the Type 99 main battle tank, which made its debut during the 1999 military parade marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. According to publicly available information, what was then referred to as the Type 99 main battle tank was in fact merely a prototype designated Project 9910. Although only a small number of these Project 9910 prototypes were produced and none were ever formally adopted by the armed forces, they nonetheless heralded the beginning of China’s independent development of main battle tanks, bringing a legendary platform onto the stage of history. The Project 9910 prototype was powered by a 1,200-horsepower diesel engine and mounted a 125-mm smoothbore gun. Most notably, however, this prototype was already equipped with thermal imaging sights as early as 1999—a feature that came as a considerable surprise at the time.

 

 

The 9910 engineering prototype also marked the debut of Henglong’s 99 tank series. From that moment on, Chinese remote-control tank enthusiasts finally had access to a scale model of a PLA-style remote-control tank.

 

Second-Generation Type 99 Tank – Type 99 Phase I Upgrade

 

 

 

The Type 99 Phase I upgrade was introduced in 2001. This phase represents a major enhancement to the Type 99-10 project, featuring a turret with wedge-shaped armor. The grille armor on both sides of the turret’s rear has been replaced with rectangular add-on armor plates, while the protrusion on the turret roof from the Type 99-10 prototype has been retained.
Meanwhile, the vehicle hull has also undergone significant modifications. The tank hull no longer features the original V-shaped bow wave deflector mounted at the front.

Instead, domestically produced third-generation explosive reactive armor (ERA) has been adopted.
Because the Type 99 tank has never been assigned a Chinese military equipment designation, the domestic nomenclature for the Type 99 has been somewhat inconsistent since the introduction of the Type 99 Phase I upgrade. Western media, meanwhile, refer to the Type 99 Phase I as either the Type 99G or the Type 99A1. Henglong Models’ upgraded version of the Type 99—the Henglong 99A main battle tank—adopts the same naming convention used by Western media.

 

 

 

The Henglong 99A main battle tank adopts the design of the 99 Phase I modification. The turret features wedge-shaped armor and retains the protrusion on the turret top. In addition, the additional armor blocks at the rear of the turret are rectangular.

 

Around 2011, the Type 99 tank underwent a second upgrade. Following this upgrade, the protrusion on the turret roof was eliminated, and the additional armor plates at the rear of the turret were redesigned into a trapezoidal shape.

 

 

Since the appearance changes of the Type 99 Phase II upgrade are not very obvious, Henglong Model has not released a product for the Type 99 Phase II upgrade.

 

Third-Generation Type 99 Tank – Type 99A

 

 

 

Development of the Type 99 Phase III upgrade—commonly referred to today as the Type 99A main battle tank—began in 2003. The higher command’s requirement for this upgrade was to create a domestically produced, information-enabled tank; accordingly, considerable effort was devoted to advancing its informationization capabilities.

According to the available information, the Type 99A3 upgrade features an upgraded electronic fire-control system and enables the main gun to launch gun-launched anti-tank missiles. To counter the growing array of threats on the battlefield, the Type 99A3 is also equipped with an active protection system.

In addition, the turret’s roof armor, the forward wedge-shaped armor, and the additional armor on the rear of the turret were further reinforced.

Consequently, the turret of the Type 99 Phase III upgrade is also larger than that of the Type 99 Phase II upgrade. This may be due to the addition of numerous信息化 components in the driver’s compartment, which has resulted in a slight leftward offset of the driver’s hatch from its original position directly beneath the turret.

 

 

99 third-phase upgraded 12-cylinder 1,500-horsepower diesel engine

 

In addition, in order to keep pace with the world’s leading tanks, the Type 99A3 upgrade features a powertrain upgrade to a 1,500-horsepower diesel engine. Because the 1,500-horsepower engine is larger in size, the engine compartment of the Type 99A3 has been raised significantly, giving the vehicle as a whole a silhouette that bears a closer resemblance to the U.S. M1 Abrams tank.

Although the Type 99 third-generation upgrade has yet to be assigned a military equipment designation, Chief Designer Mao Ming explicitly stated in a media interview that the Type 99 third-generation upgrade is, in fact, the Type 99A. He noted that the design team had initially considered naming this信息化-capable main battle tank the “Type 10 Main Battle Tank,” but ultimately decided against it to avoid any potential name conflicts with tanks from other countries, settling instead on the designation “Type 99A.”

 

 

 

The 99A main battle tank is a brand-new addition to the Henglong 99 tank series. The entire lineup is equipped with a retractable main gun that simulates the recoil of a real tank when firing. All models feature a torsion-bar suspension system that faithfully replicates the tank’s chassis structure. Two all-new digital camouflage schemes recreate the glorious moments of the two victorious military parades over the past decade.