ZTZ99-II

ZTZ99-II

ZTZ96A

ZTZ99-III

ZTZ99-II

ZTZ96A

ZTZ99-III

China

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
11.0	11.0	11.0

Class:

Medium tank

Research:300 000

Purchase:830 000

Show in game

Description

The ZhuangJia Tanke ZhuZhan 99 Stage II is a rank VII Chinese medium tank with a battle rating of 11.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Hot Tracks".

Also known as the Type 99, the ZTZ99 is perhaps the most famous Chinese main battle tank. It looks similar to the ZTZ96A at a quick glance, with similar "arrowhead" ERA arrays on the front turret, but the dimensions are larger and the hull layout is more similar to the Soviet T-72. The ZTZ99 boasts great firepower, good protection, excellent thermal sights, and improved engine power in addition to nifty features like a laser warning system and thermal sights for the commander. Notable weaknesses include substandard mobility, slow reload, numerous weak spots, and the lack of a supporting lineup, but these are not new to Chinese tankers in War Thunder. The ZTZ99 presents an iconic and long-awaited tank to cap off the PLA ground forces line.

General info

Survivability and 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.

Armour type:

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	___ mm	___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom	___ mm	___ - ___ mm
Turret	___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm
Cupola	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm

Notes:

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	73	6	51	1860	2,290	36.47	44.9
Realistic	65	5		1061	1,200	20.8	23.53

Armaments

Main armament

The ZPT98 cannon is a 125 mm cannon with an autoloader, much like the 2A46 cannon used by the T-72 or the Type 88C cannon used by the Type 96, but it is 50 calibers long instead of 48. The reload speed of 7.5 seconds is the slowest of any top-rank vehicle, destroying or crippling enemies in one shot is important. The gun handling is the same as the ZTZ96 series, being slightly better than most Soviet MBTs barring the T-72B3 but still lower than most Western MBTs.

125 mm ZPT98					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	39	-5°/+13°	±180°	Two-plane	28.6	__._	__._	__._	__._	7.50	7.50	7.50	7.50
Realistic					17.9	__._	__._	__._	__._

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
DTW-125	APFSDS	568	566	558	549	538	529

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
DTP-125	HEATFS	905	18	0.05	0.1	2,190	65°	72°	77°
DTB-125	HE	850	23	0.00	0.1	5,460	79°	80°	81°
125-I	APFSDS	1730	4.02	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°
DTW-125	APFSDS	1730	4.83	N/A	N/A	N/A	78°	80°	81°

Reload time aside, the ZTZ99's firepower is good. Most of its ammunition selections are identical to the ZTZ96 series.

The stock DTP-125 HEAT-FS round has the typical penetration of 480 mm shared by Western MBTs with 120 mm guns, but this is not enough to deal with tanks with composite armor, which are the norm at the ZTZ99's battle rating. The post-penetration damage is also disappointing. Only use it as an interim shell before APFSDS is unlocked. It is capable of hull-breaking light targets like SPAAs and light tanks, so keep an eye out for those.

The stock DTB-125 HE shell is once again the strongest of any top-tier MBT. It can actually cause more damage than the HEAT-FS round if fired at turret rings, hull roofs, and turret cupolas. The first two may detonate ammo racks stored in the hull (commonplace for the Leopard 2 series, for example) or at least cripple the target through damage to the turret drive, driver, and gun barrel. Hitting the commander's cupola or optics is difficult but has the potential to one-shot even the toughest MBTs like the Leopard 2A6. It helps to keep a few HE rounds around even once APFSDS is unlocked, as they excel at hull-breaking light targets.

The 125-I APFSDS round is a Tier 1 modification. Though it first appeared on the 9.3 ZTZ96, it is still a decent option for the ZTZ99 and eases the stock grind considerably. It has very similar flat penetration and superior angled penetration to the top 3BM42 "Mango" round used by the T-80U and can penetrate most tanks through at least the lower front plate and gun breech.

Waiting at Tier 4 is the DTW-125 APFSDS round. It is highly lethal and very similar in performance to the Leclerc's OFL 120 F1, having high flat and angled penetration. The performance is not sufficient to break through the turret cheeks of heavily armored MBTs like the M1A2 Abrams, Leopard 2A5/2A6, and Challenger 2, but other MBTs may be vulnerable. It will comfortably penetrate any tank's hull armor and the higher mass compared to the 125-I round produces somewhat more spalling.

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
39	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__ (+__)	__

Machine guns

12.7 mm QJC88A
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	500 (150)	700	-5°/+60°	±180°

7.62 mm Type 86
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	2500 (250)	700	N/A	N/A

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).

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection		Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts		Horizontal Drive	125-I
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE		Adjustment of Fire	LWS/LR
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	NVD	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine	ESS	Smoke Grenade	Artillery Support	DTW-125

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful firepower: has access to high-penetrating APFSDS with great velocity and damage
• DTW-125 APFSDS is more powerful than any Soviet offering
• Nice frontal protection: sturdy turret cheeks and upper front plate, can resist common shells such as DM53
• HE shell is currently the most powerful available to any high-rank MBT, can cripple or outright destroy enemies with a good shot
• Low profile
• ERA is immune to tandem-charged warheads
• Roof-mounted heavy machine gun is useful against aircraft and light targets
• Thermal sights for both commander and gunner give it some advantages in poor visibility conditions
• Autoloader reloads the cannon even when putting out fires or replacing crew members
• Has a laser warning receiver
• Improved mobility over predecessor ZTZ96

Cons:

• Has a huge driver's weakspot that can be penetrated by pretty much any gun
• Right side of the gun mantlet (when facing the ZTZ99) only has a thin armour sheet rather than ERA protection, lowering its thickness significantly
• Lower plate is very weak, with penetrating shells killing crew or exploding ammo
• Ineffectual reverse speed of only -4 km/h, which can usually get the player killed
• Below average gun depression of -5° limits its capacity in hilly environments
• Only 3 crew members
• No ATGM capability, unlike the T-64B and T-72B
• Relatively slow reload of 7.5 seconds compared to other MBT
• Turret ERA give very low KE protection

History

Devblog

Development of the ZTZ99 began in the mid 1980s, with Chinese engineers starting work on a new advanced main battle tank to replace the existing vehicles in service at the time. After examining possible design proposals, the engineers decided to proceed with a design similar to that of the Soviet T-72 tank.

By 1991, the first prototype of the vehicle was constructed and demonstrated to high-ranking officials, followed by the construction of additional prototypes in the following year. In the early to mid 1990s, the prototypes underwent testing and were continuously improved over time. In the late 1990’s, further pre-production prototypes were built and transferred to the army for final testing.

The ZTZ99 was first shown off to the public as part of the military parade commemorating the 50th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in October 1999. Soon after, the ZTZ99 was officially adopted for service with the PLA in late 2000.

Several years after its first introduction to service, the ZTZ99 received an upgrade package, allowing the vehicle to be fitted with additional FY-4 ERA, thus bolstering its protection significantly. Although initially intended to become China’s primary MBT, the high cost hindered large-scale production, resulting in only about 500 vehicles being manufactured. However, due to the tank’s advanced design and relatively small numbers, ZTZ99s are exclusively employed by China’s elite armoured units.

The ZTZ99 remained in production until the early 2010s, before production capacities were allocated to the more advanced ZTZ99A - a highly modernized variant of the ZTZ99.

Media

• ZTZ99 Devblog Images
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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

• [Devblog] ZTZ99: Pouncing Tiger

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