China’s new Type 100 Main Battle Tank (ZTZ-100) has finally been unveiled—and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. With its lighter 105mm cannon, unmanned turret, hybrid diesel-electric engine, and swarm of unmanned support vehicles, the Type 100 signals a radical departure from both Russian and Western tank traditions. Chinese state media even calls it a “mini Aegis destroyer on land” thanks to its GL-6 active protection system that launches mini-missiles to intercept ATGMs, drones, and even top-attack weapons like the Javelin.
But the Type 100 isn’t just a new tank—it’s the product of five decades of Chinese tank evolution. From the Soviet-licensed Type 59 in the 1950s to the reverse-engineered Type 69, the export-heavy Type 80s/85s, and the more modern Type 96 and Type 99, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has moved from copying foreign designs to finally fielding something uniquely Chinese. Much of this history traces back to Factory 617 in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, where more than 18,000 tanks have been built since 1958—right next to the Bayan Obo rare-earth mines.
This video breaks down the design, history, and strategy behind the Type 100. Why did China downsize its main gun? How do hybrid engines change battlefield tactics? What does the introduction of unmanned support vehicles mean for the future of armored warfare? And how does the Type 100 stack up against U.S. and Russian next-generation tanks like the M1 Abrams SEPv4 and the T-14 Armata?
Credit to : Cappy Army