Type 96 The Type 96 ( ) is a Chinese Third Generation main battle tank ( MBT ) . Based on the Type 85 - III design , the Type 96 entered service with the People ' s Liberation Army ( PLA ) in 1997 . An estimated 2 , 500 + Type 96 tanks are in service with the PLA . Generally speaking , PLA ' s tank development can be divided into three generations . The first generation is a version of the Soviet T - 54A and its derivatives , produced in China as the Type 59 and Type 69 / 79 . The second - generation main battle tank started with the Type 80 , which further branched into the Type 88 and Type 96 , developed in parallel by different institutes but all funded by China North Industries Corporation ( NORINCO ) . The Third - generation started with the developmental Type 98 , to be heavily modified to yield the latest Type 99 tank . History . After the Sino - Soviet split in the 1960s , relations between China and the Soviet Union gradually worsened , leading to border clashes in 1969 . By the 1970s , over 1 . 5 million troops from both sides were stationed along the Sino - Soviet border . At the time the best Chinese tanks were copies of Soviet T - 54A tanks , which were hopelessly outmatched by new Soviet designs like the T - 62 and T - 72 . The People ' s Liberation Army requested new tanks that could match the Soviets ' , which led to the development of the Type 69 by 617 Factory ( now Inner - Mongolia First Machinery Group Company Ltd ) , incorporating some technologies from a captured Soviet T - 62 tank . However , the Type 69 failed to satisfy PLA requirements and was more of a success in exports ( over 2 , 000 sold ) than in domestic use . As a result , new tank development was commenced and a new family of tanks that included many sub - families was developed . Versions . The Type 85 was further developed into the Type 90 , but besides a few test vehicles for evaluation , this tank was not adopted by the People ' s Liberation Army , instead , the tank became the export model for Pakistan which developed the MBT - 2000 ( " Al - Khalid " ) tank based on the Type 90 . This tank was jointly developed by Beijing 201 Institute ( China North Vehicle Research Institute ) and Inner Mongolia 617 Factory ( Inner Mongolia First Machine Group Corporation ) . Type 90 . This is the first Chinese tank to incorporate the modular design concept for its armor . The frontal arc of the turret is a modular design so that when more advanced composite armor is developed , it can be readily replace older composite armor . Type 90 - I . This was the export model for the next generation main battle tank for Pakistan . The power plant is the British Perkins Shrewsbury CV12 - 1200 TCA diesel engine ( used in the Challenger 2 tank ) , and the transmission is the French SESM ESM 500 automatic transmission ( used in the Leclerc ) . However , the project was abandoned due to the arms embargo following the 1998 Pakistani nuclear tests . Type 90 - II . In order to avoid the problem of embargo and reliance on foreign industry , the power plant of the Type 90 - I was replaced by the domestic Chinese equivalent . However , the result was disappointing because China had yet to master the technology : although the power plant was somewhat adequate in the humid climate of southern China , its reliability did not meet the standard in northern China ' s arid conditions and Pakistan ' s harsh desert climate . Type 90 - IIM . To overcome the shortcomings of the powerplant in earlier Type 90 versions , Ukrainian 6TD diesel was chosen . The selection was impressive enough that Pakistan decided to adopt this version as its Al - Khalid main battle tank , and 600 tanks were scheduled to be produced in Pakistan by 2007 based on the MBT - 2000 which is the upgraded variant of the Type 90 - IIM . Type 96G / Type 96A . In 1995 , Norinco developed the Type 85 - III prototype with a 1 , 000 - hp diesel engine and explosive reactive armor ( ERA ) , after finally solving the engine problem . After further improvements , including incorporating expertise gained from the Type 90 such as the modular armor design , this version was accepted by the PLA in 1996 , and entered service in 1997 as the Type 96 . Production of the Type 88 stopped when the Type 96 became available , and the Type 96 was mass - produced in larger numbers than the Type 88 , though sometimes mistakenly referred to as the Type 88C . In comparison to the Type 85 and Type 88 , the Type 96 features a new integrated thermal imaging / day sight , a Chinese infra - red / laser jamming system , a more powerful engine , improved electronics and a western - style turret . Recent photos suggest the Type 96 was heavily modified with add - on armor modules and explosive reactive armor , similar to the Type 99 ' s . Its internal electronics may also have been upgraded to Type 99 standard . It features thermal sights aiding the commander and gunner . The three crewmembers have night vision . The commander is also able to target for the gunner . A laser defense system similar to the Shtora has been installed as well . Electro - optical jammers are found on the tank , which are able to jam enemy guided missiles , rangefinders , and designators . Currently an estimated 2 , 000 to 2 , 500 are in service with the People ' s Liberation Army , and production is likely to continue . Norinco ' s official designation for the Type 96G ' A is ZTZ - 96G / A . Similarly to the Soviet Union ' s two - tank strategy with the basic T - 72 and higher - technology T - 64 and T - 80 , the Type 96 is likely to become the standardized main battle tank in service with the PLA throughout the decade , while the more advanced and expensive Type 99 is reserved for its elite units .