tank in service armed with a 125mm caliber gun. By mid-2016, the Chinese military had over 7,000 tanks in active service of which, there were about 2,077 Type 96/Type 96As and about 814 Type 99/Type 99As. Compared to the Type 99 with its high capability and similarly high cost, the cheaper Type 96B is seen by domestic experts as the main tank in the modernization of the PLA. Deployment In the early 2000s, the Type 96 was the PLA's main armored firepower for maneuver warfare units. 31 tanks are deployed in an armored battalion and 10 tanks are deployed in a company. After the PLA's reforms in 2017, the Type 96 is deployed in the combined arms battalion of the new heavy combined arms brigade. Each battalion features two tank companies and two mechanized infantry companies, with each company having 14 vehicles. International Tank Biathlon In 2014, China participated with the Type 96A in the Russian-hosted tank biathlon where it competed against the Russian T-72B3, clinching third place. China participated again in 2015, coming in second place. In 2016, it won one gold medal (out of a total of 23 awarded gold medals). China once again reached the finals of the Tank Biathlon in 2021. Design Armaments The main armament is a 2-plane stabilized ZPT-98 125 mm smoothbore gun with a carousel-style autoloader. The main gun features a fume extractor at its midway point. Secondary armaments include QJC-88 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, and 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. The Type 96 is fitted with ISFCS-212 computerized fire control system with ballistic computer, laser range finder, and automatic target tracking capability. The fire control system is capable of hitting enemy moving target while the Type 96 is on the move. When Type 96 was incorporated into service, its fire control system was reportedly superior than that of the T-72 tanks fielded by other nations . Type 96 is capable of day/night all-weather operation as driver, gunner and commander has access to night vision device and image intensifier. Type 96A is fitted with ISFCS-212B fire control system, which replaced the gunner night vision sight with thermal imaging system sporting 3x and 8x optical magnifications. The new GUMS-2 digital ballistic computer provides more detailed calibration in sophisticated environments. The gunner thermal sight is connected to the commander terminal, which allows the commander to take over in an emergency. Type 96B's fire control