The ZTZ99 is a Chinese third generation main battle tank, developed during the late 1980s as a replacement for older MBTs in service at the time. The highly advanced ZTZ99 has arrived in War Thunder reinforcing the top rank of the Chinese ground forces tree in the “Hot Tracks” major update!

ZTZ99, main battle tank, China, VII rank.

Pros

• Excellent firepower
• Advanced protection
• Low silhouette

Cons

• Poor reverse speed
• Limited gun elevation angles

In War Thunder, the ZTZ99 is the new top performing main battle tank at rank VII of the Chinese ground forces tree. Compared to the current top tier Chinese MBT - the ZTZ96A - the ZTZ99 brings with it a whole host of improvements, strengthening the tank’s combat efficiency overall while not introducing any radical changes to its core design.

Following on from its predecessors, the ZTZ99 comes equipped with a 125 mm smoothbore cannon, featuring comparable ballistic properties as well as rate of fire as the guns found on the familiar ZTZ96s. Additionally, the ZTZ99 also comes equipped with some of the standard advanced MBT equipment, such as thermal vision, smoke launchers and laser rangefinders.

Although firepower only sees a marginal improvement over preceding vehicles, one aspect in which tankers will almost certainly feel a major upgrade is protection. On its own, the ZTZ99 already comes equipped with a thicker composite armour solution than previous vehicles, meaning tankers will see a notable increase in protection against both chemical and kinetic ammunition. However, the ZTZ99 is fitted with additional ERA protection, which further improves its resilience to enemy fire.

While the protection offered by the ZTZ99 increases significantly, so unfortunately does its weight when compared to the ZTZ96s. Despite this, the ZTZ99’s mobility, instead of decreasing, actually improved! This comes as a direct result of the vehicle being outfitted with a more powerful 1,200 horsepower diesel engine, allowing it to reach a respectable top speed of 65 km/h on roads, while also maintaining good mobility even on less hospitable terrain. On the other hand, the ZTZ99 did inherit the rather poor reverse speed of its predecessors, being able to duck back into cover only at a pedestrian 4.5 km/h. As a result, tankers are well advised to thoroughly think through every action before committing to it, especially those which have them break solid cover and potentially expose them to enemy fire.

War Thunder’s “Hot Tracks” major update introduced the powerful new predator to top rank ground battles, with the ZTZ99 becoming the new crowning jewel of the Chinese ground forces tree in the game. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to the news so as not to miss out on any of the latest developments in the game. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

The War Thunder Team