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PLA's Type 100 new-generation tank makes debut with high-level informatization

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun, Fan Wei and Liang Rui Published: Sep 03, 2025 10:16 AM

Three types of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) new armored vehicles made their debut at the V-Day military parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Spearheading the equipment formations at the military parade, the Type 99B tank, the Type 100 tank and the Type 100 support vehicle formed a ground assault formation.

A military affairs expert told the Global Times that the Type 100 tank and Type 100 support vehicle have stronger firepower, stronger protection, and higher levels of informatization and intelligence, and their design concepts are similar to those of the Type 055 destroyer at sea and the J-20 fighter jet in the air.

Empowered by information technology, the Type 99B tank can deliver strikes with heavy firepower, while the Type 100 tank and the Type 100 support vehicle boast a high degree of intelligence and strong collaborative ability. As a new generation of armored equipment, they have strong combat capabilities in capturing positions with high mobility and breaking through challenging defenses.

The Global Times noted at the parade that the newly debuted Type 100 tank and support vehicle have futuristic looks, with multiple types of photoelectric sensors installed on the turret and vehicle body, and equipped with a remote weapon station and active protection systems.

"In addition to photoelectric sensors, the Type 100 tank and support vehicle are also equipped with sensing systems to comprehensively grasp the battlefield situation. Through active protection interceptors and the remote weapon station to defend against incoming anti-tank ammunition and drones, these technologies enable China's new generation of tank and armored vehicle to have strong combat and survival capabilities in the high threat environment of modern ground warfare," said Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert.

Fu told the Global Times that the Type 100 tank is China's fourth-generation tank. It could be classified as a medium tank in terms of weight. Its design concept is different from third-generation tanks. In the past, tanks relied more on increasing armor thickness and using composite or reactive armor to enhance passive defense capabilities, but this concept has been proven to be outdated in modern battlefield environments.

He said that modern anti-tank ammunition and drones often focus on attacking weak areas of tanks and armored vehicles, such as the top where it is difficult to stack armor. But the Type 100 tank and support vehicle added active protection systems in addition to passive defense elements.

This greatly enhances the survival capability of tanks and armored vehicles in the era of drones, the expert said.

The Global Times also noted that the Type 100 support vehicle can carry a rotor-wing drone at its rear. Fu said that this kind of drone can conduct forward reconnaissance and detection, further enhancing the situational awareness of tanks and armored vehicles, and cracking enemy ambushes. It cannot be ruled out that this type of vehicle mounted drone can also perform simple armed reconnaissance missions, and even undertake suicide attack tasks.

In addition to the vehicle-borne equipment, another highlight is the wearable devices by the operators of the new tank and support vehicle. The Global Times noted that the operators wore a type of new device similar to augmented reality (AR) goggles.

After reviewing details shown in the parade, Fu said that the operators could use screens or AR headsets to observe 360 degrees around the tank and quickly respond.

"From the clash between munitions and armors, the new tank and support vehicle have stepped further to embrace the integration of informatization and firepower. Thanks to advantages granted by high-level informatization, their firepower will also see significant increase," Fu said.

The Type 100 tank does not pursue a large gun caliber, but it can choose from a wide variety of munitions and achieve a higher strike precision under the support of sensors and data links that accurately attack the enemy's weaknesses, Fu said.

The Type 100 support vehicle, on the other hand, can collaborate with the Type 100 tank. While the tank has strong firepower through its main gun, but faces challenges in engaging multiple targets simultaneously. This is when the fire support vehicle comes in, using its higher rate of fire to suppress and eliminate unarmored targets such as foot soldiers operating anti-tank missiles or lightly armored vehicles, according to the expert.

"The Type 100 tank and the Type 100 support vehicle share the same vehicle body design. This can lower the design and maintenance cost, boost interconnectivity and interoperability, and enhance combat efficiency," Fu said.