This is why the Type 96/96A now comprises the bulk of PLA armor since it’s easier to build, maintain, and transport. It makes no sense for the Type 99/99A’s meant for the northeastern theater to be deployed in the southern provinces where hills and valleys will just diminish their mobility. The reason why is China’s geography requires combat vehicles in different classes. It may seem wasteful for a very large ground force such as the PLA to maintain varied battle tank models. While both tanks have the same main armament–125mm main guns fed by autoloaders, reducing the crew to three–their characteristics are only a partial match. The Type 99 and Type 96 were two separate efforts that entered service only a few years apart during the 1990s the decade when PLA modernization wasn’t as fast-paced as today. But what the PLA have in service is a mixed fleet at best with a fair proportion of obsolescent models. The PLA maintain several thousand operational tanks, giving it the largest armored fleet in the world, although the Russian army keeps almost twice this number in storage. The two most likely to be used in a full-blown conflict are the Type 99/99A and the Type 96/96A. When it comes to battle tanks not one but three models are suited for combat operations in high altitudes. For example, just as the PLA sent additional mechanized units to the Tibetan plateau the accompanying propaganda reveals the contrasts in the ground forces’ inventory. But the dazzling variety of Chinese military equipment can still leave readers confused. With China and India almost going to war two weeks ago after a deadly border skirmish there has been an uptick of media depicting the former’s military strength.
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