China’s Type 99A2 (the most modern version of the Type 99 accepted into service in 2001), is one of two tanks in this series of articles which cannot be genuinely called an independent design. The tank’s design is based on T-72 tank which has proven itself all around the world, with the addition of a new welded turret and improved armored protection, both passive and reactive, and an improved set of electronics. Type 99A2 uses an automatic loader, which reduces its crew to three and increases its rate fo fire to seven shots per minute. Moreover, this tank has a unique feature in the form of an active laser suppression system, capable of literally blinding enemy soldiers and damaging observation systems.
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