Joshua Arostegui
China’s military parades are often viewed as a form of deterrence by giving Xi Jinping an opportunity to showcase the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) advanced weapons systems to the world and bring like-minded authoritarian leaders from partner states together in a show of unity against the Western-led international liberal order.1 The extravagant events, however, also open a window into understanding Beijing’s expectation of how and where it will fight in the future. Despite the unveiling of several new weapons driven through Tiananmen Square during the 70-minute parade, most of them, like the YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile and LY-1 shipborne laser air defense system, were designed to deter and defeat the United States and its allies in the air and maritime domains of the Indo-Pacific region.2 Yet, the first formations of vehicles to cross in front of Xi and his guests, those belonging to the PLA Army (PLAA), PLA Air Force Airborne Corps (PLAAFAC), and PLA Navy Marine Corps (PLANMC), represented something different: an acknowledgement that future wars will be global and force projection needs to be accompanied by land-based firepower and protection.
Tanks: Prioritizing Protection and Mobility
As it did in the 2019 the People’s Republic of China (PRC) anniversary parade, the PLAA led the vehicle portion with its most capable main battle tanks (MBT). While the Type-99A MBT spearheaded the army’s columns in 2019, newly unveiled Type-99B main battle tanks from the 112th Combined Arms Brigade, 82nd Group Army, led the formation. Official Chinese media described the Type-99B as an upgrade from the Type-99A, with improved all-weather communications, firepower, and maneuver capabilities.3 Despite such noteworthy advances in heavy MBT technology, the new Type-100 fourth-generation medium tanks and accompanying Type-100 support vehicles that followed the Type-99B stole the show as they represented China’s next development in advanced deployable armored platforms.
Designed for long-range rapid deployment, campaign target seizure, tactical deep assault, urban attack and defense operations, and joint fire guidance, the lighter Type-100 vehicles represent the army’s ability to push more powerful, yet sustainable, forces abroad.4 According to military affairs expert Fu Qianshao, while the Type-99B represents the latest in heavy armor firepower, the Type-100 vehicles were developed to work together through “informationized” and “intelligentized” interconnectivity. The tanks can use their 105mm main guns to strike targets while the support vehicles detect and destroy smaller mobile unarmored threats with a suite of sensors, mounted UAS, and 30mm main guns that appear capable of firing at a 90-degree angle.5 Additionally, both vehicles were designed to be more survivable by equipping the GL-6 active protection system (APS) with 360-degree quad-faced phased array radar and remote weapon stations to target drones and other airborne threats.6
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