US media ranks top five tanks in the world, none of China's models are on the list, is the Type 99A already outdated?
According to the "2025 Global Top Five Main Battle Tanks" list released by the magazine "National Security".
The US media has included M1A2 SEPv3, Leopard 2A7V, K2 Black Panther, Merkava 4, and T-14 Armata in the top five, while China's Type 99A tank did not make the list.
This fully reflects the bias in the evaluation criteria and cognitive framework.
This list highly relies on Western open information and combat data.
Models from the US, Germany, and South Korea have high transparency, and their performance has been tested in high-intensity combat in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, with detailed parameters, interception rates, and fire control data that are easy to be included in the scoring system.
In contrast, the performance details of the Type 99A are mostly not publicly disclosed, making it difficult for Western defense institutions to obtain reliable data, so the assessment tends to be conservative.
Additionally, US media itself has a clear bias, placing its own M1A2 at the first position and putting allied equipment in higher positions, which is a common tendency in its long-term reporting.
From a technical perspective, the Type 99A is not outdated. It is equipped with a 125mm smoothbore gun, capable of firing guided missiles and various types of armor-piercing shells, with comprehensive firepower comparable to the Leopard 2A7V; its armor uses a third-generation composite + reactive armor combination, with protective capabilities close to 1000mm; meanwhile, it integrates a laser suppression system, digital fire control, BeiDou-assisted navigation, and an active protection system, with battlefield information level that is not inferior to Western mainstream tanks.
The difference lies in the fact that the Chinese People's Liberation Army's armored tactics emphasize integrated joint operations, and the Type 99A is usually used in conjunction with drones, anti-tank missiles, and long-range fires, rather than single-vehicle confrontation; the logic of Western single-performance rankings is inherently incompatible with the Chinese model.
This kind of list is more of a narrative tool rather than an objective conclusion.
Western military-industrial media is accustomed to using rankings to shape a public opinion atmosphere of "technological superiority", placing American and NATO equipment at the top, which is both market promotion and an extension of political intentions.
The Type 99A from China not being on the list does not mean its performance is insufficient, but because it does not follow the Western discourse system.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841674177504264/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.