New Type98/99 MBT thread

[pugachev_diver]

Does the square shapes of Type 99 and other similarly designed third generation tanks more vulnerable to attacks compared to Merkava? Merkava's turret is insanely sloped, making it almost like a turtle. I really think that many anti tank rounds hitting it would simply slide against the turret instead of detonating. I might be wrong, but the turret really gives me that impression.
I also just read a post talking about M1A2 costing around 6 million and Merkava is only around 3, with Type 99 around 2.5. I'm wondering why Merkava is so "cheap" compared to equally advanced M1A2. I personally believe that the Merkava is much better built than the Abram. On the other hand, why is Type 99 so "expensive" compared to western counterparts, as labour cost and material costs are relatively lower in China. Especially that almost all of the designs and technologies belong to crown corporations, which means these patents and technologies are transferred between departments at cost price, instead of super marked up price we see in the West.

 

[no_name]

I thought M1s are expensive partly because of the depleted uranium used in it's armour. It also makes it hard to shape which is why the slope of the M1 is moderate and flat rather than curved.

type 99 have to work with constraints with the fact that it basically has a type 98 turret with improved armour blocks (and maybe internal improvements), I think. It's not a completely new tank

type 98:

typr 99 front illustration:

 

[pugachev_diver]

I thought M1s are expensive partly because of the depleted uranium used in it's armour. It also makes it hard to shape which is why the slope of the M1 is moderate and flat rather than curved.

type 99 have to work with constraints with the fact that it basically has a type 98 turret with improved armour blocks (and maybe internal improvements), I think. It's not a completely new tank

But depleted uranium is almost free, they're simply waste products of nuclear powerplants.

 

[no_name]

both the purple(sloped armour) and white(ceramic composit) section can be removed and replaced. The airgap in the middle serves as extra protection against shaped-charge and tandem warheads.

The new type 99 variant seems to be just a beefed up version.

Don't think the tank is that new if it's already on tv:

=====
They also improved the type 96s in a simiar way:

old type 96:

new type 96:

 

[pugachev_diver]

don't know why but type 99 constantly reminds me of t72

 

[no_name]

But depleted uranium is almost free, they're simply waste products of nuclear powerplants.

Hmm maybe I got it mixed up with chobham armor, which was adopted by M1 and british challenger tank. But I did heard that M1 (maybe upgraded A2s) did use depleted uranium to strengthen it's armour.

 

[no_name]

don't know why but type 99 constantly reminds me of t72

Because of the longer-thinner looking gun barrel compared to western tank?

Are western tank guns superior? If you want the same muzzle speed, you can either design a gun that can withstand a higher acceleration(and force) or have a longer barrel length and therefore longer acceleration time for the projectile(?)

 

[KingLouis]

I wonder if PLA will export Type 99 to other country so we can see M1A1 vs Type 99 or Challenger vs Type 99.

 

[Red___Sword]

Because of the longer-thinner looking gun barrel compared to western tank?

Are western tank guns superior? If you want the same muzzle speed, you can either design a gun that can withstand a higher acceleration(and force) or have a longer barrel length and therefore longer acceleration time for the projectile(?)

The 125mm main gun is something (believe or not), one among very few, top of the world class. Some claim the gun of russian relative, I just laugh. I am not saying american is doing a bad job because of incompitence, but american M1A2 (actually, since M1A1...), is using German 120mm gun - which the (I'm suck at English technical terms) "lacuna-less barrel", the "one single piece of ultra-high presure barrel"... kind of engineering trait, is unmatchable even among G8 countries. - and type 99's main gun, is few that "matchable", in engineering traits. (That is one thing EXPENSIVE)

... Merkava's turret is insanely sloped, making it almost like a turtle. I really think that many anti tank rounds hitting it would simply slide against the turret instead of detonating. I might be wrong, but the turret really gives me that impression.
.

I am not expert to say how wrong you are, but some pretty professional people (who works in relative industry) back to Chinese forums I know, knows (or, at least "Considering") Merkava's "overall protection scheme", is a joke. Merkava got its own battlefield, which the main threats comes from outdated RPG coming from all direction - of which, I give them credits. But in tank-to-tank battle (REAL 3rd gen vs Merkava), Israel's overall national scientific capability, let's say, is much MORE limited, than those BIG PLAYERS who devoted into tank development.

Interested? Check out the Israelian's casualty, at 2006's operation, against a little bit more "competent" unified country, of Syria. Check non-Israel, non-American source.

I wonder if PLA will export Type 99 to other country so we can see M1A1 vs Type 99 or Challenger vs Type 99.

Unlikely. USA denpending much on air power, so F-22 is unlikely to export; They forbidden nuclear attack sub to export (although not a very good example in here, for you-know-that reason), for the same ocean-dominant requirement.

Ground battle is vital to the very existense of China (despite all the other fancy claims of "air-to-ground" shining capability), Armour Group shall not be shaked, so newest toy like Type 99 A2, is unlikely to export, despite any possible profit of this.

 

[Red___Sword]

One more comment to add to my previous post:

The time of anti-tank round (from tank gun) "slip" the tank armour - that time has long gone. If a modern SABOT round "slips" any kind of armor nowadays, we can really safely laugh at the one who developed that SABOT round. (Correct my spelling of SABOT, if any)

HEAT rounds don't "slip" either, especially modern complex armour are almost dedicated to "let it explode" as early as possible.

My personal though, only outdated-dud-RPG round, maybe "slip" some armour.