The ZTZ-96 (sometimes also referred to as Type88C) is the final development variant ofChina's second generation main battle tank,
It has an indigenous smoothbore125 mmgun. By introducing the autoloader to reduce the crew to three men, more rounds are available for the higher rate of fire. Auxiliary weapons include one7.62 mmcoaxial machine gun, with a fire rate of 250 rounds/min. A 12.7-mm/50-calibre anti-aircraft machine gun is mounted on the command cupola.
The ZTZ-96 has a combat weight of 41 ton. It is powered by a liquid cooled 730 hp diesel engine, and gives the tank a maximum road speed of57 km/h.