Main battle tanks of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command are receiving the GL6 active protection system (APS), a noteworthy development given that the tanks receiving this upgrade are second-generation Type 96A models.
Introduced in 1996, the Type 96 is considered a legacy combat capability, as it was fielded as an interim capability until the third-generation Type 99 MBT became available.
The ZTZ96 also has a lower combat weight that is more compatible with transport aboard amphibious shipping and for use in landing operations. Conduct of an assault on Taiwan is one possible mission of the 71st Group Army units that have been observed receiving this APS upgrade.
Integration of the GL6 on the Type 96 was seen in videos posted by the official new agency China Youth Daily. Two GL6 launchers are located on both sides of the turret roof, and the APS is supposed to be able to detect and counter direct-fired antitank rockets and missiles, as well as attack drones.
The Type 96 was fielded with a welded steel and composite armour mix, complemented by FY4 explosive reactive armour blocks on the turret, hull and bustle. The GL6 enhances this protection without significantly increasing the tank’s weight.
The GL6 was first viewed mounted on MBTs and other first-line combat vehicles in 2024. Its application to the older Type 96 suggests the GL6 may be becoming standardised across the PLA fleet, and therefore also reflects lessons gleaned from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The GL6 uses 360° omnidirectional radars, infrared and electro-optic sensors to detect incoming threats. It detects and responds to horizontally approaching missiles and rockets, as well as drones approaching at high angles. Once identified, the system automatically deploys hard-kill interceptor munitions fired from a trainable turret-mounted launcher, in order to neutralise them.
Each launcher has two effector munitions that intercept the threat before it impacts the vehicle. Videos of live firing show that, though the threat is destroyed, residual debris does still reach the vehicle. Thus, the system is better suited to MBTs and more heavily armoured vehicles.
Fielding of the GL6 APS onto the Type 96, a largely second-line MBT, also suggests the PLA has moved aggressively to outfit its units en masse with a counter-drone capability.
by Stephen W. Miller
