News Politics PLA's Type 99 tank can be equipped with laser weapons: Russian media

The Type 99 main battle tank of the People's Liberation Army can be equipped with advanced weapon systems such as high-speed armour piercing shell and laser sensor damage weapons, according to the Independent Military Review, a Russian military magazine.

The Type 99's 125mm smoothbore tank guns are similar to those used by the Russian-built T-72M main battle tank, but the Chinese tank encompasses more technology from Israel, the report said. Based on the M711 shell, a 125mm armor piercing, fin stabilized, discarding sabot-tracer imported from Israel, China has developed its own armour piercing shell which can travel even faster in speed.

The Israeli M711 shell can travel 1,700 meters per second with 600mm of armor penetration, while China's new high-speed armour piercing shell is capable of traveling 1,780mm per second, increasing its armor penetration to 850mm. The country's new armour piercing shell makes the 25mm smoothbore tank gun of Type 99 main battle tank 30% more powerful than the German Rheinmetall 120mm tank gun designed for the M1A1 main battle tank of the United States.

Meanwhile, China's latest laser sensor damage weapon can be considered a significant threat to potential adversaries, according to the Independent Military Review. It can be used to destroy the optical instrument of an enemy tank and it is also capable of blinding the crew of enemy tank as well. Type 99 is currently the only main battle tank in the world that can be equipped with such a weapon system, the report added.