Type 100 tank

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Type 100
TypeMain battle tank
Place of originChina
Service history
In service2025-Present
Used byPeople's Liberation Army Ground Force
Production history
DesignerChina North Vehicle Research Institute
ManufacturerInner Mongolia First Machinery Group Corporation
Produced2025-Present
Specifications
Massapproximately 40 tonnes[1]
Crew2-3[2]
ArmorClassified, 2 GL-6 APS; 4 launch tubes per APS[2]
Main
armament
105 mm main gun[3]
Secondary
armament
1 machine gun atop remote weapons station,

1 coaxial machine gun,

1 rotor-wing drone
EngineHybrid power system[2]
1,500 hp[3]
SuspensionTorsion bar suspension
Maximum speed Road:~80km/h Off-Road:~50km/h[3]

The Type 100 tank (or ZTZ-100 tank) is a Chinese 4th-generation main battle tank.[4] The tank was first seen in public in mid-August 2025 during rehearsals for the then upcoming Victory Day Parade to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War,[3] and officially debuted during the actual military parade in Tiananmen Square on September 3, 2025.

Design

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Armament

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The Type 100 is armed with an autoloaded 105 mm (4.1 in) main gun within an unmanned turret.[5][2] Due to advancements in propellant and kinetic delivery technologies, which allow APFSDS ordinances to achieve a reported muzzle velocity of roughly 1,706 m/s (5,600 ft/s), the 105 mm gun is reported to be comparable to the larger 120 mm and 125 mm smoothbore guns in terms of ballistic performance.[3] The Type 100 also features a coaxial 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, and a remote weapons station (RWS) on top of the turret with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, which has optical and thermal imaging systems for air defense against drones.[5][1]

Battlefield perception and defense

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The Type 100 is equipped with several optical instruments that multiple directions to transmit battlefield images to the screen in the crew compartment in real time. These instruments can detect different bands of visible and invisible light to ensure combat capabilities remain effective in low-visibility or dark environments.

The Type 100 sports four diagonal phased array radars, which while serving as the targeting system of the two GL-6 active protection system (APS) systems mounted atop the turret, also seems to be integrated into the crew's observation systems, and may also serve as a emergency electronic warfare system. Each of the two GL-6 APS system is equipped with four airburst grenade launchers, and the charges in these launchers are designed to release flak-like fragments that shoot down incoming suicide drones and anti-tank missiles. The GL-6 also has a high angle of elevation, allowing it be able to shoot down top-attack munitions. The Type 100 is equipped with laser warning receivers and has received enhanced thermal vision sights.

The Type 100 has a two-men crew, who are situated within an armored cabin and in the event of a catastrophic build up of gas, vents - which cannot be opened from the outside - will open and release the gas.[2][1][5] The crew of a Type 100 makes use of wearable augmented reality devices that enhance their 360-degree field awareness. The Type 100 is also equipped with photoelectrical sensors and has numerous "intelligence driven systems" giving the Type 100 an "enhanced digital intelligence".[6]

Mobility

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The Type 100 tank is reported to be equipped with a hybrid diesel-electric powertrain that is capable of generating 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) of engine power and allowing an on-road top speed of ~80 km/h (50 mph) and an off-road top speed of ~50 km/h (31 mph), as well as being significantly lighter than previous generations of tank drivetrains.[2][3]

Variants

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "北京二度閱兵綵排大批新型武器曝光". Sing Tao Daily. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "九三閱兵第二次預演　新輕坦和新步戰登場？". 香港輕新聞. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "More details emerge on China's next-gen tank". Defence Blog. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  4. ^ Zhao, Lei (3 September 2025). "First model of fourth-generation main battle tank debuts at V-Day parade". China Daily.
  5. ^ a b c "神秘中型新款坦克曝光　疑裝備反導彈及反無人機黑科技". HK01. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  6. ^ a b "PLA's Type 99, Type 100 New-Gen Tanks Make Debut". Defence_Mirror. Retrieved 2025-09-03.