Difference between revisions of "ZTZ96A (P)"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
−
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]].
+
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was the failed prototype of what would have been known as the WZ122R where certain tank designers opted for an irregular, needle-nosed turret applique armour for what would later become the ZTZ96A. Due to undisclosed reasons, this design was ditched by PLAGF and the known design of what is now known as ZTZ96A won the competition; this prototype was then lost in history and only very few images could prove its existence.
 +
 
 +
Introduced in [[Update "Wind of Change"]], the ZTZ96A (P) is a prototype of the [[ZTZ96A]]. It has a different turret armour arrangement from the serial production version: instead of the arrowhead-shaped ERA mount, it has high-hardness spaced armour in an interesting "needle-nose" shape reminiscent of the [[Chieftain Mk 3|Chieftain]]'s profile. But the main selling point is the soft-kill APS system consisting of two JD-3 jammers mounted on the turret sides, which function similarly to the [[T-90A]]'s "Shtora" and are a first for Chinese ground vehicles. This prototype trades some turret protection in exchange for the ability to disrupt the guidance of enemy ATGMs. In all other respects the ZTZ96A (P) is practically identical to the production version, with thermal sights and a powerful gun, and makes a good partner for a lineup.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
−
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
This tank, the failed bid for the ZTZ96A, shares the same chassis of its tech tree counterpart, having the same LFP with little to no protection while the UFP is among one of the strongest at its tier thanks to the FY-4 ERA blocks. The turret is another story - this prototype has an oddly shaped wedge mounted on the front of turret, so players can tell this tank apart from the main tree one right away. The pair of wedges does provide sufficient protection against kinetic or chemical shells at similar tier, though this only applies to the part in front of the turret but not the area in front of the mantlet - this part has only 340 mm RHA equivalent protection so it will be penetrated with ease. Another note is that the wedges don't provide full protection, and they should not be angled as this will decrease the protection severely.
 +
 
 +
The internal design of this prototype is identical to the ZTZ96A so the crew of 3 and its ammo carousel sit at the very same place on both tanks, a penetrated shot up front will either knock down either of the crews or set off the carousel and sent the turret sky high.
 +
 
 +
In fact, both ZTZ96A prototypes installed a JD-3 IR jammer during testing; while the production run canceled this design, this prototype still retained the pair of jammers, giving it some chance of jamming missiles that use laser guidance.
 +
 
 +
'''Armour type:'''
  
−
'''Armour type:''' <!-- The types of armour present on the vehicle and their general locations -->
+
* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
−
<!-- Example: * Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Hull roof)
+
* Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, commander cupola)
−
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area) -->
+
* Rubber-fabric screens (side skirts)
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
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! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' <br> ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
+
| Hull || 20 mm (69°) ''Outer UFP''<br>100 mm (67°) ''Inner UFP''<br> 60 mm (51°) ''Lower glacis ''|| 50 mm || 45 mm (52°) ''Top''<br> 52 mm (15°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm (2-21°) <br> 30 mm ''Centre and rear'' <br> 10 mm ''Engine vents''
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' <br> ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
+
| Turret || 15 mm ''Turret outer layer''<br>220 mm ''Turret front''<br>310 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 50-80 mm || 20 mm || 30 mm
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
+
|Cupola || colspan="3" |30 mm ''(Cylindrical)'' || 30 mm
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
'''Notes:''' <!-- Any additional notes which the user needs to be aware of -->
+
{| class="wikitable"
−
<!-- Example: * Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, tracks are 30 mm thick, and torsion bars are 60 mm thick. -->
+
! Composite armour !! Frontal effective protection
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || '''Upper glacis (ERA counted):'''<br>540 mm ''Kinetic'' / 1,050 mm ''Chemical''
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || '''Turret front:'''<br>400 mm ''Kinetic'' / 520 mm ''Chemical''
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
! Explosive Reactive Armour !! Frontal effective protection !! Sides effective protection
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || '''FY-4:''' 180 mm ''Kinetic'' / 550 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || N/A || '''FY-4:''' 50 mm ''Kinetic'' / 350 mm ''Chemical''
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* Suspension wheels, tracks, and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
 +
* Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
 +
* Side skirts are 8 mm thick.
 +
* Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
 
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
 
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.''
+
Since one of the major upgrades of the ZTZ96A is the engine, it was upgraded to a NORINCO 12150ZLD 800 hp engine; the ZTZ96A (P) is no exception. Although it might not have the overall mobility of NATO tanks, the power/weight ratio (at 18.6 hp/t) is higher than most Soviet tanks, giving a better handling.
  
−
{{tankMobility}}
+
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1240|rbMinHp=708}}
  
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{main|Type 88C (125 mm)}}
 
{{main|Type 88C (125 mm)}}
  
−
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
+
The ZTZ96A (P) inherited the same 125 mm ZPT88C cannon from ZTZ96, which is one of the best tank cannons at its tier; both the prototype and production tanks share the same traits - high velocity shells, sufficient turret traverse speed and the same autoloader with fixed 7.1 second reload between shots.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
|-
 
|-
−
! colspan="5" | [[Type 88C (125 mm)|125 mm Type 88C]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
+
! colspan="5" | [[Type 88C (125 mm)|125 mm Type 88C]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
−
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
+
! Autoloader
 
|-
 
|-
 
! ''Arcade''
 
! ''Arcade''
−
| rowspan="2" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+12° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | _.__
+
| rowspan="2" | 40 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+12° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 7.10
 
|-
 
|-
 
! ''Realistic''
 
! ''Realistic''
−
| __._ || __._ || __._ || __._ || __._
+
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==== Ammunition ====
 
==== Ammunition ====
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+
{{:Type 88C (125 mm)/Ammunition|DTP-125, DTB-125, 125-I}}
−
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
+
 
−
|-
+
All three ZTZ96s in-game share the same shells so players from the main tech tree ones will soon find themselves home; since this is a premium tank, all the ammunition comes unlocked with the tank.
−
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
+
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
+
The first ammunition is DTP-125 HEATFS, sharing the same penetration of NATO 120 mm HEATFS while having the mass of Warsaw Pact 125 mm HEATFS. Since ERA is commonplace at this tier, this round is best used against enemies showing their sides or light targets - its explosive mass is sufficient to knock them out right away.
−
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
+
 
−
|-
+
The second ammunition, DTB-125 HEFS, is infamous for its explosive mass at nearly 5.5 kg, which is still the highest among any explosive rounds of all MBTs; as a research paper from NORINCO suggested that DTB-125 is suited for knocking enemies down with its explosive mass, this also applies to any enemies you might face at similar tiers - a precise hit to weakspots that trigger overpressure damage can send even the toughest enemies straight back to the hangar with ease, let alone light vehicles. In case of sniping hiding enemies or needing a quick knock-out on light vehicles, bringing some HEFS is viable.
−
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
+
 
−
|-
+
The third ammunition is the 125-I dart. Thanks to its high velocity, it can penetrate 466 mm at point-blank range; the sheer penetration is more than enough to finish most NATO or Warsaw Pact tanks with very few exceptions. This would be the go to shell for the ZTZ96A (P).
−
| DTP-125 || HEATFS || __ || __ || __ || __ || __ || __
 
−
|-
 
−
| DTB-125 || HE || __ || __ || __ || __ || __ || __
 
−
|-
 
−
| 125-I || APFSDS || __ || __ || __ || __ || __ || __
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
−
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 
−
|-
 
−
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 
−
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
 
−
|-
 
−
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 
−
|-
 
−
| DTP-125 || HEATFS || ___ || _.__ || __ || _._ || ___ || __° || __° || __°
 
−
|-
 
−
| DTB-125 || HE || ___ || _.__ || __ || _._ || ___ || __° || __° || __°
 
−
|-
 
−
| 125-I || APFSDS || ___ || _.__ || __ || _._ || ___ || __° || __° || __°
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
  
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
Line 119: Line 119:
 
|-
 
|-
 
! Full<br>ammo
 
! Full<br>ammo
 +
! Ammo<br>part
 
! 1st<br>rack empty
 
! 1st<br>rack empty
 
! 2nd<br>rack empty
 
! 2nd<br>rack empty
Line 125: Line 126:
 
! 5th<br>rack empty
 
! 5th<br>rack empty
 
! 6th<br>rack empty
 
! 6th<br>rack empty
 +
! 7th<br>rack empty
 +
! 8th<br>rack empty
 +
! 9th<br>rack empty
 
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
|-
 
|-
−
| '''40''' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __&nbsp;''(+__)'' || __
+
| '''40''' || ''Projectiles'' <br> ''Propellants'' || 40 ''(+0)'' <br> 39 ''(+1)'' || 38 ''(+2)'' <br> 38 ''(+2)'' || 37 ''(+3)'' <br> 37 ''(+3)'' || 35 ''(+5)'' <br> 31 ''(+9)'' || 32 ''(+8)'' <br> 27 ''(+13)'' || 29 ''(+11)'' <br> 23 ''(+17)'' || 24 ''(+16)'' <br> 39 ''(+1)'' || 23 ''(+17)'' <br> N/A || 39 ''(+1)'' <br> N/A || No
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
 
{{main|QJC88A (12.7 mm)|Type 86 (7.62 mm)}}
 
{{main|QJC88A (12.7 mm)|Type 86 (7.62 mm)}}
−
 
−
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 
|-
 
|-
−
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
+
| Pintle || 600 (150) || 600 || -6°/+85° || ±180°
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 
|-
 
|-
−
| || ___ (___) || ___ || __° || __°
+
| Coaxial || 2,500 (250) || 700 || - || -
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
Since the ZTZ96A prototype shares the same chassis of the mass-production version, the protection all-round is identical to the ZTZ96A. The LFP will be the greatest concern players might have during gameplay; the relatively large LFP doesn't have enough protection against common shell types at its tier, and a penetration will certainly lead to a crew knock-out or detonation of ammunition, so keep it hidden as much as possible. Meanwhile, the UFP has blocks of FY-4 ERA that provide up to 500 mm protection at certain angles, making it one of the toughest MBTs at its tier in this regard; the blocks are one-off protection however so beware of subsequent shots on unprotected areas. As for the turret, the design of applique armour provides similar protection to the ZTZ96A against shells at this tier, but the overall design is flawed where the lower part of the wedge block and areas in front of the mantlet provide lesser protection. Aside from that, any angling of turret will result in easy penetration of the applique armour since the angling cancels out the frontal arc protection, so do keep your turret aiming at enemies.
 +
 
 +
The overall playstyle is very similar to that of a ZTZ96A, it might not have the best mobility at this tier, but it can still keep up with the main forces with its 800 hp engine; your UFP and turret is your best friend, misplaced shots from the enemies are very likely do nothing on the ZTZ96A (P) while your gun can do lethal damage to enemies thanks to its penetration and autoloader. Rushing with the ZTZ96A (P) could be fatal due to its lesser flexibility to retreat back to cover with a slow reverse at barely 5 km/h, planning ahead before assaulting enemies is the key. Thanks to the JD-3 jammer on the sides of the turret, some missiles that are in the way of your turret frontal arc will find it impossible to do any harm to you; do keep in mind that this only applies to SACLOS missiles, wire-guided or beam-riding missiles can still do lethal damage since those are not affected by the jammer.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
−
''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''
 
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* Infrared jammer is effective against SACLOS ATGMs
 +
* Sturdy UFP and turret front against common foes such as the [[XM-1 (GM)|XM-1]]
 +
* Adequate mobility allows it to follow the team's advance
 +
* 2nd generation thermal sight for the gunner is useful for spotting targets, especially at night
 +
* 125-I APFSDS has great penetration and damage against common tanks like the [[T-72 (Family)|T-72]], [[XM-1 (GM)|XM-1]], [[Leopard 1 (Family)|Leopard 1]], etc
 +
* Roof-mounted 12.7 mm HMG is effective against light armour and helicopters
 +
* 4 salvos of smoke grenades can cover the tank's retreat
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
 
 +
* Frontal weak spots are obvious and fatal: large and weak LFP and gun mantlet can be easily penetrated
 +
* Slow reverse speed of only -5 km/h cannot pull it out of danger in time, and heavily limits tactical agility
 +
* IR jammer has narrow vertical range, cannot defend missiles from above
 +
* Side protection is weak, can be easily penetrated by tanks like the [[BMP-2]] and aircraft like the [[A-10A|A-10]]
 +
* Turret add-on armour gives much less protection than the ERA on the regular ZTZ96A
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''
+
The overall information on this failed design on upgrading the later ZTZ96s with new appliqué armour was minimal; both ZTZ96A (WZ122R) were designed in the early 2000s in view of an upgrade scheme for later ZTZ96s in production line. While both tanks retained the same firepower and mobility, as well as a pair of Shtora-1-like IR jammers known as JD-3 developed domestically on the side of the turret (some suggest that JD-3 was based on the Ukrainian's Shtora-1 equivalent model of IR jammer), they have a very different turret designs, where this design has a pair of wedge blocks of appliqué armour in the front of the turret.
 +
 
 +
''(Note: the trio of ZTZ96/96A/96B couldn't be upgraded from one another due to design differences and costs)''
 +
 
 +
Due to unknown reasons, this design failed the bid for PLAGF and the later ZTZ96A/WZ122R became what is today's standard, with an arrow-shaped turret like those on ZTZ99-II and the IR jammer removed, likely for cost reductions.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
−
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
+
 
 +
;Skins
 +
 
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_ztz_96a_prot Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
Line 185: Line 207:
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 +
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
Line 195: Line 218:
 
* [[wt:en/news/7594-development-pre-order-ztz96a-prototype-china-en|[Devblog] Pre-order: ZTZ96A Prototype (China)]]
 
* [[wt:en/news/7594-development-pre-order-ztz96a-prototype-china-en|[Devblog] Pre-order: ZTZ96A Prototype (China)]]
  
 +
{{TankManufacturer Norinco}}
 
{{China medium tanks}}
 
{{China medium tanks}}
 
{{China premium ground vehicles}}
 
{{China premium ground vehicles}}
 +
[[Category:Ground vehicles with active protection system]]

Latest revision as of 11:26, 26 December 2023

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
This page is about the Chinese medium tank ZTZ96A (P). For other versions, see ZTZ96 (Family).
ZTZ96A (P)
cn_ztz_96a_prot.png
GarageImage ZTZ96A (P).jpg
StoreImage ZTZ96A (P) 001.jpg
ZTZ96A (P)
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Battle rating:
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10.3 10.3 10.3
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Description

The ZhuangJia Tanke ZhuZhan 96A, Prototype was the failed prototype of what would have been known as the WZ122R where certain tank designers opted for an irregular, needle-nosed turret applique armour for what would later become the ZTZ96A. Due to undisclosed reasons, this design was ditched by PLAGF and the known design of what is now known as ZTZ96A won the competition; this prototype was then lost in history and only very few images could prove its existence.

Introduced in Update "Wind of Change", the ZTZ96A (P) is a prototype of the ZTZ96A. It has a different turret armour arrangement from the serial production version: instead of the arrowhead-shaped ERA mount, it has high-hardness spaced armour in an interesting "needle-nose" shape reminiscent of the Chieftain's profile. But the main selling point is the soft-kill APS system consisting of two JD-3 jammers mounted on the turret sides, which function similarly to the T-90A's "Shtora" and are a first for Chinese ground vehicles. This prototype trades some turret protection in exchange for the ability to disrupt the guidance of enemy ATGMs. In all other respects the ZTZ96A (P) is practically identical to the production version, with thermal sights and a powerful gun, and makes a good partner for a lineup.

General info

Survivability and armour

ERA
Effective action against the cumulative ammunition
Composite armour
Balanced protection against all types of ammunition
Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
ESS
Creation of a smoke screen in the direction of movement of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull100 / 50 / 45
Turret220 / 50 / 20
Crew3 people
Visibility75 %

This tank, the failed bid for the ZTZ96A, shares the same chassis of its tech tree counterpart, having the same LFP with little to no protection while the UFP is among one of the strongest at its tier thanks to the FY-4 ERA blocks. The turret is another story - this prototype has an oddly shaped wedge mounted on the front of turret, so players can tell this tank apart from the main tree one right away. The pair of wedges does provide sufficient protection against kinetic or chemical shells at similar tier, though this only applies to the part in front of the turret but not the area in front of the mantlet - this part has only 340 mm RHA equivalent protection so it will be penetrated with ease. Another note is that the wedges don't provide full protection, and they should not be angled as this will decrease the protection severely.

The internal design of this prototype is identical to the ZTZ96A so the crew of 3 and its ammo carousel sit at the very same place on both tanks, a penetrated shot up front will either knock down either of the crews or set off the carousel and sent the turret sky high.

In fact, both ZTZ96A prototypes installed a JD-3 IR jammer during testing; while the production run canceled this design, this prototype still retained the pair of jammers, giving it some chance of jamming missiles that use laser guidance.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, commander cupola)
  • Rubber-fabric screens (side skirts)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 20 mm (69°) Outer UFP
100 mm (67°) Inner UFP
60 mm (51°) Lower glacis 		50 mm 45 mm (52°) Top
52 mm (15°) Bottom 		20 mm (2-21°)
30 mm Centre and rear
10 mm Engine vents
Turret 15 mm Turret outer layer
220 mm Turret front
310 mm Gun mantlet 		50-80 mm 20 mm 30 mm
Cupola 30 mm (Cylindrical) 30 mm
Composite armour Frontal effective protection
Hull Upper glacis (ERA counted):
540 mm Kinetic / 1,050 mm Chemical
Turret Turret front:
400 mm Kinetic / 520 mm Chemical
Explosive Reactive Armour Frontal effective protection Sides effective protection
Hull FY-4: 180 mm Kinetic / 550 mm Chemical N/A
Turret N/A FY-4: 50 mm Kinetic / 350 mm Chemical

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels, tracks, and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
  • Side skirts are 8 mm thick.
  • Mudguards and storage boxes are 4 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB66 / 7 km/h
RB and SB60 / 6 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight43.0 t
Engine power
AB1 526 hp
RB and SB800 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB35.5 hp/t
RB and SB18.6 hp/t

Since one of the major upgrades of the ZTZ96A is the engine, it was upgraded to a NORINCO 12150ZLD 800 hp engine; the ZTZ96A (P) is no exception. Although it might not have the overall mobility of NATO tanks, the power/weight ratio (at 18.6 hp/t) is higher than most Soviet tanks, giving a better handling.

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 66 7 43 1240 1,526 28.84 35.49
Realistic 60 6 708 800 16.47 18.6

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB3 363 Sl icon.png
RB3 260 Sl icon.png
SB3 794 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts1 160 000 Sl icon.png
Aces2 100 Ge icon.png
Research Aces2 150 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 150 / 200 / 250 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 232 / 232 / 232 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods thermal sight.png
NVD
Mods tank reinforcement cn.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
ESS
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods tank ammo.png
125mm_china_APDS_FS_ammo_pack
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Mods tank laser rangefinder.png
Laser rangefinder
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support

Armaments

Laser rangefinder
Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder
Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.
Thermal imager
Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

125 mm Type 88C cannon
Two-plane stabilizer
Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving
Autoloader
Automatically feeds projectiles into the breech. The speed does not depend on the skills of the loader
Ammunition40 rounds
First-order22 rounds
Reload7.1 s
Vertical guidance-5° / 12°
Main article: Type 88C (125 mm)

The ZTZ96A (P) inherited the same 125 mm ZPT88C cannon from ZTZ96, which is one of the best tank cannons at its tier; both the prototype and production tanks share the same traits - high velocity shells, sufficient turret traverse speed and the same autoloader with fixed 7.1 second reload between shots.

125 mm Type 88C Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Autoloader
Arcade 40 -5°/+12° ±180° Two-plane 28.6 39.5 48.0 53.1 56.5 7.10
Realistic 17.9 21.0 25.5 28.2 30.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
DTP-125 HEATFS 480 480 480 480 480 480
DTB-125 HE 45 45 45 45 45 45
125-I APFSDS 466 464 458 450 442 434
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
DTP-125 HEATFS 905 18 0.05 0.1 2.62 65° 72° 77°
DTB-125 HE 850 23 0.3 0.1 5.46 79° 80° 81°
125-I APFSDS 1,730 4.02 - - - 78° 80° 81°

All three ZTZ96s in-game share the same shells so players from the main tech tree ones will soon find themselves home; since this is a premium tank, all the ammunition comes unlocked with the tank.

The first ammunition is DTP-125 HEATFS, sharing the same penetration of NATO 120 mm HEATFS while having the mass of Warsaw Pact 125 mm HEATFS. Since ERA is commonplace at this tier, this round is best used against enemies showing their sides or light targets - its explosive mass is sufficient to knock them out right away.

The second ammunition, DTB-125 HEFS, is infamous for its explosive mass at nearly 5.5 kg, which is still the highest among any explosive rounds of all MBTs; as a research paper from NORINCO suggested that DTB-125 is suited for knocking enemies down with its explosive mass, this also applies to any enemies you might face at similar tiers - a precise hit to weakspots that trigger overpressure damage can send even the toughest enemies straight back to the hangar with ease, let alone light vehicles. In case of sniping hiding enemies or needing a quick knock-out on light vehicles, bringing some HEFS is viable.

The third ammunition is the 125-I dart. Thanks to its high velocity, it can penetrate 466 mm at point-blank range; the sheer penetration is more than enough to finish most NATO or Warsaw Pact tanks with very few exceptions. This would be the go to shell for the ZTZ96A (P).

Ammo racks

Full
ammo 		Ammo
part 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		7th
rack empty 		8th
rack empty 		9th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
40 Projectiles
Propellants 		40 (+0)
39 (+1) 		38 (+2)
38 (+2) 		37 (+3)
37 (+3) 		35 (+5)
31 (+9) 		32 (+8)
27 (+13) 		29 (+11)
23 (+17) 		24 (+16)
39 (+1) 		23 (+17)
N/A 		39 (+1)
N/A 		No

Machine guns

12.7 mm QJC88A machine gun
Ammunition600 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Reload5.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Vertical guidance-6° / 85°
7.62 mm Type 86 machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition2 500 rounds
Belt capacity250 rounds
Reload8.0 s
Fire rate700 shots/min
Main articles: QJC88A (12.7 mm), Type 86 (7.62 mm)
12.7 mm QJC88A
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Pintle 600 (150) 600 -6°/+85° ±180°
7.62 mm Type 86
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 2,500 (250) 700 - -

Usage in battles

Since the ZTZ96A prototype shares the same chassis of the mass-production version, the protection all-round is identical to the ZTZ96A. The LFP will be the greatest concern players might have during gameplay; the relatively large LFP doesn't have enough protection against common shell types at its tier, and a penetration will certainly lead to a crew knock-out or detonation of ammunition, so keep it hidden as much as possible. Meanwhile, the UFP has blocks of FY-4 ERA that provide up to 500 mm protection at certain angles, making it one of the toughest MBTs at its tier in this regard; the blocks are one-off protection however so beware of subsequent shots on unprotected areas. As for the turret, the design of applique armour provides similar protection to the ZTZ96A against shells at this tier, but the overall design is flawed where the lower part of the wedge block and areas in front of the mantlet provide lesser protection. Aside from that, any angling of turret will result in easy penetration of the applique armour since the angling cancels out the frontal arc protection, so do keep your turret aiming at enemies.

The overall playstyle is very similar to that of a ZTZ96A, it might not have the best mobility at this tier, but it can still keep up with the main forces with its 800 hp engine; your UFP and turret is your best friend, misplaced shots from the enemies are very likely do nothing on the ZTZ96A (P) while your gun can do lethal damage to enemies thanks to its penetration and autoloader. Rushing with the ZTZ96A (P) could be fatal due to its lesser flexibility to retreat back to cover with a slow reverse at barely 5 km/h, planning ahead before assaulting enemies is the key. Thanks to the JD-3 jammer on the sides of the turret, some missiles that are in the way of your turret frontal arc will find it impossible to do any harm to you; do keep in mind that this only applies to SACLOS missiles, wire-guided or beam-riding missiles can still do lethal damage since those are not affected by the jammer.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Infrared jammer is effective against SACLOS ATGMs
  • Sturdy UFP and turret front against common foes such as the XM-1
  • Adequate mobility allows it to follow the team's advance
  • 2nd generation thermal sight for the gunner is useful for spotting targets, especially at night
  • 125-I APFSDS has great penetration and damage against common tanks like the T-72, XM-1, Leopard 1, etc
  • Roof-mounted 12.7 mm HMG is effective against light armour and helicopters
  • 4 salvos of smoke grenades can cover the tank's retreat

Cons:

  • Frontal weak spots are obvious and fatal: large and weak LFP and gun mantlet can be easily penetrated
  • Slow reverse speed of only -5 km/h cannot pull it out of danger in time, and heavily limits tactical agility
  • IR jammer has narrow vertical range, cannot defend missiles from above
  • Side protection is weak, can be easily penetrated by tanks like the BMP-2 and aircraft like the A-10
  • Turret add-on armour gives much less protection than the ERA on the regular ZTZ96A

History

The overall information on this failed design on upgrading the later ZTZ96s with new appliqué armour was minimal; both ZTZ96A (WZ122R) were designed in the early 2000s in view of an upgrade scheme for later ZTZ96s in production line. While both tanks retained the same firepower and mobility, as well as a pair of Shtora-1-like IR jammers known as JD-3 developed domestically on the side of the turret (some suggest that JD-3 was based on the Ukrainian's Shtora-1 equivalent model of IR jammer), they have a very different turret designs, where this design has a pair of wedge blocks of appliqué armour in the front of the turret.

(Note: the trio of ZTZ96/96A/96B couldn't be upgraded from one another due to design differences and costs)

Due to unknown reasons, this design failed the bid for PLAGF and the later ZTZ96A/WZ122R became what is today's standard, with an arrow-shaped turret like those on ZTZ99-II and the IR jammer removed, likely for cost reductions.

Media

Skins

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


Norinco (China North Industries Corporation)
Light AFV/IFV 
WZ501  ZBD86¹
WZ131  ▂Type 62 · Type 62
WZ211  Type 63 · ZTS63
WZ502  ZBD04A
MBT 
WZ120  Type 59¹ · ZTZ59A · ZTZ59D1
WZ121  Type 69
WZ122  ZTZ88B · ZTZ88A · ZTZ96 · ZTZ96A · ZTZ96A (P)
WZ123  ZTZ99-II · ZTZ99-III
WZ1001  WZ1001(E) LCT · ZTZ99A
Tank Destroyers  AFT09 · PTL02 · PTZ89 · ZLT11
SPH  PLZ83
SPAA  ZSD63/PG87² · PGZ09 · PGZ04A
Export 
WZ121  Type 69-IIa · T-69 II G
MBT2000  MBT-2000 · Al-Khalid-I
MBT3000  VT4A1
Other  WMA301 · WZ305
  ¹ License production / Reverse engineered · ² Field modifications

China medium tanks
ZTZ59  Type 59 · ZTZ59A · ZTZ59D1
ZTZ69  Type 69 · Type 69-IIa
ZTZ88/96  ZTZ88A · ZTZ88B
  ZTZ96 · ZTZ96A · ZTZ96A (P)
ZTZ99  ZTZ99-II · ZTZ99-III
ZTZ99A  ZTZ99A · WZ1001(E) LCT
Export series  MBT-2000 · VT4A1
ROC  CM11
Other  Т-34-85 Gai · Object 122MT "MC"
Bangladesh  T-69 II G
Japan  ␗Chi-Ha · ␗Chi-Ha Kai
Pakistan  Al-Khalid-I
USA  ␗M4A4 · ␗M4A4 (1st PTG) · ␗M4A1 (75) W · ␗M48A1 · ␗M60A3 TTS
USSR  ␗T-34 (1943) · ␗Т-34-85 (S-53) · T-34-85 No.215 · Т-62 №545

China premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  T-26 No.531 · ␗M3A3 (1st PTG) · ␗M41A3 · M64 · WMA301
Medium tanks  ␗M4A4 (1st PTG) · T-34-85 No.215 · Т-62 №545 · ZTZ59A · Type 69-IIa · T-69 II G · ZTZ96A (P) · Al-Khalid-I
Heavy tanks  IS-2 No.402

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