Timothy Yan

According to an interview of the ZTZ-96B engine designer, the intake extension is really only specifically designed for the water obstacle in the tank biathlon, where it will reduce water gets into the intake. It's a useless feature for normal use. They later redesigned the filter element to archived the same effect but didn't bothered to remove the intake extensions. 

According to an interview of the ZTZ-96B engine designer, the intake extension is really only specifically designed for the water obstacle in the tank biathlon, where it will reduce water gets into the intake. It's a useless feature for normal use. They later redesigned the filter element to archived the same effect but didn't bothered to remove the intake extensions. 

The "D" version of the 150HB V12 engine of the ZTZ-99A. No, it's not a copy of MTU engine. It has a 60 deg V, 150mm cylinder and DOHC value train.
 
 

 

 

The Type 99's 2.6 million USD quote was from 2005. Factor in the inflation from 2005 to 2019, that would be 3.4 millions. Consider that the VT-4 export mode to Thailand is 4.8 millions with downgraded armor and no laser soft-kill system, although the VT-4 does have RWS, automatic transmission, newer FCS and LWS. The ZTZ-99's price is mostly an internal price with no profit margin, so if you use the VT-4's price as the factor (assuming it has the 2nd gen TI, not 3rd gen as in the 99A), the actual price for the ZTZ-99 (the late model with 2nd gen TI and digital battlefield management) should be around 4.6 millions in today's price.  
 
Now factor in the cost of living and purchasing power index, which China is 1/4 of that of the USA, so x4 of 4.6 millions, the true cost of ZTZ-99 is about equivalent 18.4 million to their economy. What I mean by internal price is that it's the material cost to build the tank, but the salary and pension of the workers, the energy bill, the facility cost, the R&D costs are all subsidized by the government in one form or another. Also consider that some material like ballistic steel and germanium lens are priced about the same doesn't matter where you at. So that $1500 germanium lens for your gunner's sight is now costing a equivalent to $6000 for the Chinese to acquire, although they may have a small discount by locally produce it.  

The Type 99's 2.6 million USD quote was from 2005. Factor in the inflation from 2005 to 2019, that would be 3.4 millions. Consider that the VT-4 export mode to Thailand is 4.8 millions with downgraded armor and no laser soft-kill system, although the VT-4 does have RWS, automatic transmission, newer FCS and LWS. The ZTZ-99's price is mostly an internal price with no profit margin, so if you use the VT-4's price as the factor (assuming it has the 2nd gen TI, not 3rd gen as in the 99A), the actual price for the ZTZ-99 (the late model with 2nd gen TI and digital battlefield management) should be around 4.6 millions in today's price.  
 
Now factor in the cost of living and purchasing power index, which China is 1/4 of that of the USA, so x4 of 4.6 millions, the true cost of ZTZ-99 is about equivalent 18.4 million to their economy. What I mean by internal price is that it's the material cost to build the tank, but the salary and pension of the workers, the energy bill, the facility cost, the R&D costs are all subsidized by the government in one form or another. Also consider that some material like ballistic steel and germanium lens are priced about the same doesn't matter where you at. So that $1500 germanium lens for your gunner's sight is now costing a equivalent to $6000 for the Chinese to acquire, although they may have a small discount by locally produce it.  

from interviews of all four designers from various media sources, the Type 98 MBT book published in 2002, and other open source info.

My contribution to this thread:
 
Glacis armor of the ZTZ-99 generations
 
Prototype/Project 9910/ZTZ-98:
- 220mm thickness + 45mm spall liner
- 30mm RHA + 35mm glass textolite + 40mm HHS + 35mm glass textolite + 80mm RHA
- it offers 500mm RHA protection
- lower glacis: 50mm ballistic polymer panel or steel entrench blade  + 80mm RHA 
 
Phase 1 production:
- increase to 260mm thickness + 45mm spall liner
- a 2nd 40mm HHS plate was added
- plus the 22 add-on armor tiles in 3 different sizes on the glacis
- it offers 600mm RHA protection + the add-on armor tiles
 
Phase 2 production:
- probably replaced the glass textolite layers with ceramic
 
Phase 3 production (ZTZ-99A):
- completely new armor
- it looks like the base armor had increased to 300mm + 45mm spall liner
- 17 add-on armor tiles in 2 different size

My contribution to this thread:
 
Glacis armor of the ZTZ-99 generations
 
Prototype/Project 9910/ZTZ-98:
- 220mm thickness + 45mm spall liner
- 30mm RHA + 35mm glass textolite + 40mm HHS + 35mm glass textolite + 80mm RHA
- it offers 500mm RHA protection
- lower glacis: 50mm ballistic polymer panel or steel entrench blade  + 80mm RHA 
 
Phase 1 production:
- increase to 260mm thickness + 45mm spall liner
- a 2nd 40mm HHS plate was added
- plus the 22 add-on armor tiles in 3 different sizes on the glacis
- it offers 600mm RHA protection + the add-on armor tiles
 
Phase 2 production:
- probably replaced the glass textolite layers with ceramic
 
Phase 3 production (ZTZ-99A):
- completely new armor
- it looks like the base armor had increased to 300mm + 45mm spall liner
- 17 add-on armor tiles in 2 different size

from interviews of all four designers from various media sources, the Type 98 MBT book published in 2002, and other open source info.