Key Points and Summary – While much attention is paid to China’s naval and air forces, its massive and often-underappreciated tank corps could be the decisive factor in an invasion of Taiwan.
-China fields the world’s largest tank fleet, with over 6,800 units, including the advanced Type 99A, which rivals Western designs, and the newer, lighter Type 15, optimized for amphibious landings.
-Although untested in combat, this formidable armored force has been developed with a Taiwan scenario in mind and trains extensively for combined arms operations, posing a significant threat to the island’s defenses.
Is China’s Tank Corps One of the Best in the World?
The future fight in East Asia will be one of missiles, drones, ships, airplanes, and aircraft carriers.
The fight will see air-sea combat at its worst and likely result in numerous downed aircraft and sunk ships if the United States and its allies and China get into a protracted war.
However, one aspect of combat not often discussed is land warfare. To be sure, we look at the militarization of various islands, reefs, and shoals by China. There could be a showdown of armored vehicles if the United States were to ever make an amphibious assault against these lonely terrain features in the middle of the East and South China Seas. But what about China’s own tank force?
China’s tank corps does not receive much credit. However, if Xi Jinping were to order an amphibious invasion of Taiwan, Chinese tanks would likely play a significant role in the invasion.
China has a massive fleet of 6,800 tanks, making it the largest in the world.
A New Tank Has Emerged Lately
Take, for example, China’s most advanced main battle tank that emerged recently.
It is an armored beast called the “Next Generation Tank” that could do extensive damage to Taiwan’s coastal defenses.
The “NGT” is powered by a hybrid engine and is faster and more rugged than most tanks in the fleet. It features layered armor and enhanced survivability compared to earlier models.
Type 99 Has the Most Muscle
The workhorse Type 99 Chinese tank would also play a significant role against Taiwan. The Type 99 is a third-generation main battle tank.
It replaced the much older Type 88 introduced in the late 1980s. It has explosive reactive armor and a 125mm smoothbore gun. The vehicle also features digital controls, optics, and a reliable fire control system.
Type 99A Is China’s Best Tank
The Type 99A features improved armor and a sleek exterior with a lower silhouette. It can be compared to the M1 Abrams, and given the Chinese habit of copying American designs, Chinese engineers and designers likely had the Abrams in mind when assembling this tank.
The Type 99A is China’s best model, replacing the earlier-generation Type 88 armored vehicles.
There are about 1,300 Type 99As, making it a substantial force.
The Type 99A weighs about 55 tons—about four more tons than the base model Type 99. It features modular protective armor and advanced, reactive explosive armor for enhanced survivability. There is a 1,500-horsepower diesel engine.
The engine churns out an impressive speed of 50 miles per hour on roads and 37 miles per hour off-road. The Type 99A is meant to be China’s main hunter-killer and would be difficult for the Taiwanese to defend against.
Type 96 Is a Generation Earlier Than the Type 99 and Type 99A
The Type 96 is a second-generation tank. It entered service in 1997. By the early 2000s, this tank had become the most prevalent in the fleet. The Type 96 features older modular armor, with four explosive reactive armor plates located on the front, below the 125mm smoothbore gun.
The gun can also fire anti-tank guided missiles and depleted uranium rounds.
New Light Tank Is Made for Attacking Taiwan
The Type 15 is a lighter tank and was unveiled at an exhibition festival in 2018. The Type 15 is more attuned to Taiwan’s terrain. It can maneuver through beachheads and rocky areas and proceed up woodland hills quickly. The Type 15 would also be easier to transport in numbers on amphibious landing barges. It has a smaller 105mm rifled gun and a less powerful 1,000 horsepower engine.
China has developed combined arms concepts over the years, and the army is more effective at integrating tanks with armored personnel carriers and dismounted infantry. Since the Chinese have no combat experience, it is not known how battle-effective the fleet would be against anti-tank missiles and drones.
China is likely to place “cope cages” over the tops of their turrets in all tanks to keep loitering kamikaze drones from attacking from above.
China is closely monitoring the war in Ukraine. Chinese battle planners believe that Taiwan could use anti-tank weaponry to significant effect. However, the People’s Liberation Army has a huge numerical advantage. This would come down to how well the Chinese can deploy on landing zones. Chinese armor would work closely with conventional artillery to prep the areas of operation for landing in Taiwan. The tank force would also need ample close air support from airplanes during a Taiwan attack.
The tank corps is untested, but the Chinese train extensively in combined arms warfare. They are sure to be flexible in their doctrine and prepare for battle against drones and anti-tank missiles. Taiwan must be ready for a massive influx of Chinese tanks during an invasion.
The Chinese tank force is underappreciated, and its generals have likely assured Xi Jinping that an armored attack on Taiwan could serve as a lightning-strike vanguard to penetrate deep into Taiwan during an invasion. The enviable speed of the Type 99 class of tanks will be in high demand during any combat operation.
Increasingly, young Chinese officers and soldiers are drawn to serving in the tank corps. This is a considerable force and will likely bear the brunt of the battle should a Taiwan invasion be executed. The tankers have high morale as they look at the numerical advantage and the various technological advancements in tank warfare – especially with the Type 99A and the newer Type 15 light tank.
You may not hear much about Chinese tanks, but the PLA has invested considerable money, time, and effort in creating an armored force that is one of the world’s best.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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bobb
August 28, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Using tanks, APCs, lorries, trucks, humvees and other vehicles in the land of taiwan would be the greatest height of S-T-U-P-I-D-I-T-Y.
I hope the PLA would knock some sense into xi jinping’s head. Or better just shoot him in the stomach.
Taiwan is actually less of a problem today now without the evilly evil pelosi, biden and blinken around.
But supposing after 2018, or starting from 2029, pelosi and her gang are back in the groove and begin whipping up all sorts of headaches, What to do.
First, is the use of NFZ.
NFZ is the best thing to appear since the introduction of sliced bread straight from the bakery.
NFZ requires possession of lots of long-range missiles launchable from aircraft and drones.
No problem there.
NFZ also requires possession of advanced SAMs like the HQ-9, HQ-12, HQ-16, HQ-22, HQ-29 (chinese S-500), and again here, no problem.
Once the NFZ starts to bite, the economy won’t last very long, and the island will collapse, no need for tanks, thanks a lot but no, thank you very much.
doyle
August 28, 2025 at 3:39 pm
In the pacific, also known as taiheiyo, tanks are passe.
Except for a few areas.
Like the western region of china.
In the pacific or taiheiyo, the vast distances in this region mean that long long-range weapons rule Supreme.
Long long-range weapons like the typhon system that packs tomahawks, SM-6, LRHW and the feared PrSM altogether in one neat package.
With enough range to hit xi’s private washroom in beijing.
So, the US today has wisely invested in long long-ranged weapons.
The USMC has ditched tanks.
So, the next step up the arm’s ladder is long long long-ranged weapons like spacebombers !
Long live long range weapons.