ZTZ99-II
Contents
Description
The ZhuangJia Tanke ZhuZhan 99 Stage II is a rank VII Chinese medium tank
with a battle rating of 11.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Hot Tracks".
Also known as the Type 99, the ZTZ99 is perhaps the most famous Chinese main battle tank. It looks similar to the ZTZ96A at a quick glance, with similar "arrowhead" ERA arrays on the front turret, but the dimensions are larger and the hull layout is more similar to the Soviet T-72. The ZTZ99 boasts great firepower, good protection, excellent thermal sights, and improved engine power in addition to nifty features like a laser warning system and thermal sights for the commander. Notable weaknesses include substandard mobility, slow reload, numerous weak spots, and the lack of a supporting lineup, but these are not new to Chinese tankers in War Thunder. The ZTZ99 presents an iconic and long-awaited tank to cap off the PLA ground forces line.
General info
Survivability and armour
Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.
Armour type:
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | ___ mm | ___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom |
___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Turret | ___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet |
___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Cupola | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm |
Notes:
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 73 | 6 | 51 | 1860 | 2,290 | 36.47 | 44.9 |
| Realistic | 65 | 5 | 1061 | 1,200 | 20.8 | 23.53 | |
Armaments
Main armament
The ZPT98 cannon is a 125 mm cannon with an autoloader, much like the 2A46 cannon used by the T-72 or the Type 88C cannon used by the Type 96, but it is 50 calibers long instead of 48. The reload speed of 7.5 seconds is the slowest of any top-rank vehicle, destroying or crippling enemies in one shot is important. The gun handling is the same as the ZTZ96 series, being slightly better than most Soviet MBTs barring the T-72B3 but still lower than most Western MBTs.
| 125 mm ZPT98 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 39 | -5°/+13° | ±180° | Two-plane | 28.6 | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | 7.50 | 7.50 | 7.50 | 7.50 |
| Realistic | 17.9 | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ||||||||
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| DTP-125 | HEATFS | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 | 480 |
| DTB-125 | HE | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| 125-I | APFSDS | 466 | 464 | 458 | 450 | 442 | 434 |
| DTW-125 | APFSDS | 568 | 566 | 558 | 549 | 538 | 529 |
| Shell details | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile Mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | |||||||
| DTP-125 | HEATFS | 905 | 18 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 2,190 | 65° | 72° | 77° |
| DTB-125 | HE | 850 | 23 | 0.00 | 0.1 | 5,460 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
| 125-I | APFSDS | 1730 | 4.02 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 78° | 80° | 81° |
| DTW-125 | APFSDS | 1730 | 4.83 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 78° | 80° | 81° |
Reload time aside, the ZTZ99's firepower is good. Most of its ammunition selections are identical to the ZTZ96 series.
The stock DTP-125 HEAT-FS round has the typical penetration of 480 mm shared by Western MBTs with 120 mm guns, but this is not enough to deal with tanks with composite armor, which are the norm at the ZTZ99's battle rating. The post-penetration damage is also disappointing. Only use it as an interim shell before APFSDS is unlocked. It is capable of hull-breaking light targets like SPAAs and light tanks, so keep an eye out for those.
The stock DTB-125 HE shell is once again the strongest of any top-tier MBT. It can actually cause more damage than the HEAT-FS round if fired at turret rings, hull roofs, and turret cupolas. The first two may detonate ammo racks stored in the hull (commonplace for the Leopard 2 series, for example) or at least cripple the target through damage to the turret drive, driver, and gun barrel. Hitting the commander's cupola or optics is difficult but has the potential to one-shot even the toughest MBTs like the Leopard 2A6. It helps to keep a few HE rounds around even once APFSDS is unlocked, as they excel at hull-breaking light targets.
The 125-I APFSDS round is a Tier 1 modification. Though it first appeared on the 9.3 ZTZ96, it is still a decent option for the ZTZ99 and eases the stock grind considerably. It has very similar flat penetration and superior angled penetration to the top 3BM42 "Mango" round used by the T-80U and can penetrate most tanks through at least the lower front plate and gun breech.
Waiting at Tier 4 is the DTW-125 APFSDS round. It is highly lethal and very similar in performance to the Leclerc's OFL 120 F1, having high flat and angled penetration. The performance is not sufficient to break through the turret cheeks of heavily armored MBTs like the M1A2 Abrams, Leopard 2A5/2A6, and Challenger 2, but other MBTs may be vulnerable. It will comfortably penetrate any tank's hull armor and the higher mass compared to the 125-I round produces somewhat more spalling.
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Machine guns
| 12.7 mm QJC88A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Pintle | 500 (150) | 700 | -5°/+60° | ±180° |
| 7.62 mm Type 86 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 2500 (250) | 700 | N/A | N/A |
Usage in battles
Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).
Modules
| Tier | Mobility | Protection | Firepower | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Tracks | Parts | Horizontal Drive | 125-I | ||
| II | Suspension | Brake System | FPE | Adjustment of Fire | LWS/LR | |
| III | Filters | Crew Replenishment | NVD | Elevation Mechanism | ||
| IV | Transmission | Engine | ESS | Smoke Grenade | Artillery Support | DTW-125 |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Powerful firepower: has access to high-penetrating APFSDS with great velocity and damage
- DTW-125 APFSDS is more powerful than any Soviet offering
- Nice frontal protection: sturdy turret cheeks and upper front plate, can resist common shells such as DM53
- HE shell is currently the most powerful available to any high-rank MBT, can cripple or outright destroy enemies with a good shot
- Low profile
- ERA is immune to tandem-charged warheads
- Roof-mounted heavy machine gun is useful against aircraft and light targets
- Thermal sights for both commander and gunner give it some advantages in poor visibility conditions
- Autoloader reloads the cannon even when putting out fires or replacing crew members
- Has a laser warning receiver
- Improved mobility over predecessor ZTZ96
Cons:
- Has a huge driver's weakspot that can be penetrated by pretty much any gun
- Right side of the gun mantlet (when facing the ZTZ99) only has a thin armour sheet rather than ERA protection, lowering its thickness significantly
- Lower plate is very weak, with penetrating shells killing crew or exploding ammo
- Ineffectual reverse speed of only -4 km/h, which can usually get the player killed
- Below average gun depression of -5° limits its capacity in hilly environments
- Only 3 crew members
- No ATGM capability, unlike the T-64B and T-72B
- Relatively slow reload of 7.5 seconds compared to other MBT
- Turret ERA give very low KE protection
History
Devblog
Development of the ZTZ99 began in the mid 1980s, with Chinese engineers starting work on a new advanced main battle tank to replace the existing vehicles in service at the time. After examining possible design proposals, the engineers decided to proceed with a design similar to that of the Soviet T-72 tank.
By 1991, the first prototype of the vehicle was constructed and demonstrated to high-ranking officials, followed by the construction of additional prototypes in the following year. In the early to mid 1990s, the prototypes underwent testing and were continuously improved over time. In the late 1990’s, further pre-production prototypes were built and transferred to the army for final testing.
The ZTZ99 was first shown off to the public as part of the military parade commemorating the 50th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in October 1999. Soon after, the ZTZ99 was officially adopted for service with the PLA in late 2000.
Several years after its first introduction to service, the ZTZ99 received an upgrade package, allowing the vehicle to be fitted with additional FY-4 ERA, thus bolstering its protection significantly. Although initially intended to become China’s primary MBT, the high cost hindered large-scale production, resulting in only about 500 vehicles being manufactured. However, due to the tank’s advanced design and relatively small numbers, ZTZ99s are exclusively employed by China’s elite armoured units.
The ZTZ99 remained in production until the early 2010s, before production capacities were allocated to the more advanced ZTZ99A - a highly modernized variant of the ZTZ99.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the vehicles;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
| China medium tanks | |
|---|---|
| ZTZ59 | Type 59 · ZTZ59A · ZTZ59D1 |
| ZTZ69 | Type 69 · Type 69-IIa |
| ZTZ88/96 | ZTZ88A · ZTZ88B |
| ZTZ96 · ZTZ96A · ZTZ96A (P) | |
| ZTZ99 | ZTZ99-II · ZTZ99-III |
| ZTZ99A | ZTZ99A · WZ1001(E) LCT |
| Export series | MBT-2000 · VT4A1 |
| ROC | CM11 |
| Other | Т-34-85 Gai · Object 122MT "MC" |
| Bangladesh | T-69 II G |
| Japan | ␗Chi-Ha · ␗Chi-Ha Kai |
| Pakistan | Al-Khalid-I |
| USA | ␗M4A4 · ␗M4A4 (1st PTG) · ␗M4A1 (75) W · ␗M48A1 · ␗M60A3 TTS |
| USSR | ␗T-34 (1943) · ␗Т-34-85 (S-53) · T-34-85 No.215 · Т-62 №545 |
