Newer FCS should make it considerably easier to shoot accurately compared to the 59.
The lack of familiarity argument also doesn't stack with how well they are handling other aspects of the tank and course, which will arguably be much harder to master after conversion compared to putting the crosshairs on target and letting the FCS do the rest.
It is a well establish fact that the PLA operates to the principle of preferring to have people waiting on equipment rather than vice versa.
That means the PLA does all it can to make sure it has fully trained up crews waiting for new kit to be built, which they could then take and work up to full combat effectiveness in the minimum amount of time possible rather than waiting for new kit to be delivered before starting conversion training.
Just because the unit got new tanks 6 months ago is by no means any indication that the crews only started conversion training 6 months ago.
It is almost certain that they would have started conversion training much earlier, and have been deemed operational on the type to even be considered for selection to attend the biathlon.
Well, a dedicated thread for the event has been created but people just don't go there. Tank biathlon is not just about Type-96B, there are many more things you will need to discuss about. ZBD-05 is another star for Chinese team.Pretty sad that people only visit the Type-96 thread during the Tank Biathlon .
I don't know anything about tank guns. However, just from how badly the 96B failed in the shooting contest, it doesn't sound like something related to the design or fundamental quality of the gun.
If the 96B consistently shoots about 10-20, even 30% worse than other types of tanks, then it is possible that the 96B's main gun has an inferior design and quality. PLA might have, for some reason, allowed their main gun to underperform to some extent.
Yet, the particular 96B in question missed the targets so badly. I don't see how the PLA would allow something so inferior to be installed onto their backbone tanks. And I also don't see how the PLA would send tanks with such inferior design abroad to a major tank competition, where everyone is watching. Such face-losing would be unthinkable...
In other words, the main gun of 96B should have performed to the PLA's satisfaction in all their tests. And it would be impossible that PLA's goal for their backbone tank's main gun is "to only miss the target by X meters"...
So what happened at the competition? No clue. The most likely explanation to me would be an unexpected equipment failure / malfunction...
Well, a dedicated thread for the event has been created but people just don't go there. Tank biathlon is not just about Type-96B, there are many more things you will need to discuss about. ZBD-05 is another star for Chinese team.
How the Chinese tank lost its wheel.
Any videos of the ZBD-05's performance you can post?