China made public on Wednesday its first model of a fourth-generation main battle tank, which features an unmanned turret, advanced radar, an active protection system and augmented reality technology.

Looking at its exterior, the biggest difference between the new Type 100 tank and its predecessors is the futuristic, unmanned turret that houses the main weapon, which appears to be a 105-millimeter-caliber gun, a coaxial machine gun and a remote-controlled weapon station.

Previously, all Chinese tanks were built with manned turrets, with a commander and gunner inside.

An unmanned turret has several advantages. It can store more ammunition and mission payloads, and more armor can be used to protect the tank's hull, which houses the crew.

Also mounted on top of the turret is an active protection system that works with a quad-faced phased array radar.

The radar is responsible for conducting 360-degree threat detection. As soon as it spots an incoming shell, rocket or missile, it will track the threat and guide the protection system to fire a mini rocket to destroy the target at short range.

There are also multiple cameras and sensors distributed around the battle machine to detect potential threats.

Yu Shuo, a defense industry observer, said the Type 100 features good strategic and tactical mobility, meaning it can be rapidly deployed by air and road.

He said the new type is likely to be propelled by a hybrid power pack, making it much quieter than previous Chinese tanks. This enables the tank to move silently and launch surprise attacks. The hybrid power pack also gives the tank the ability to use high-power weaponry such as anti-drone lasers.

Though the new tank is a lot lighter than its predecessors, it is still able to eliminate heavy-duty tanks covered with thick armor and can fend off incoming armor-piercing ammunition.

Besides its own weapons, the new type is capable of controlling and organizing other unmanned planes and ground vehicles in combat, Yu said.

"These uncrewed platforms will become a 'force multiplier' to the tank units. They will provide longer reconnaissance and hit ranges, and better situational awareness to the crew. Their presence will also reduce the possibility of direct encounters between our tanks and the enemy's, thus improving the crew's survivability," he explained.

"We can call the Type 100 a revolutionary model and the best in all operating tanks on Earth," he stated.

Yu added that the combat support vehicle that appeared after the Type 100 in the parade will be a close partner to the new tank.

The vehicle also has mighty automatic weapons, an advanced radar and sensors, and an active protection system. Moreover, it is equipped with a vertical launching system capable of firing missiles and loitering munitions — small strike drones that can maintain a holding pattern in the air while scanning for targets, according to him.

"The use of loitering munitions enables our armor units to detect and take out enemy targets from afar, before the enemies know where we are," the observer said.

Besides large equipment, Yu said there is a small but notable device used by crew members on the Type 100 — the augmented reality-enabled headset.

An AR headset is connected to external cameras and sensors mounted on the tank, providing its crew with a real-time, 360-degree view of the battlefield. This literally allows operators to "see through" the armor of their vehicle. Furthermore, it can display information about the vehicle's systems.

In addition to improving visibility, the device is likely to allow for direct control of the tank's weapons, which means the gunner can identify targets simply by turning his head or focusing his gaze, and the turret and weapons move automatically.

Xiao Ning, chief editor of Weapon magazine, speculated that the new-generation tank will have a good "intranet system" that connects its inner instruments and helps crew members communicate better.

He also echoed Yu's remarks about drones, stating that in future warfare, unmanned platforms will play an indispensable role in armor combat that has long been dominated by tanks.

A land armament researcher who wished to be identified as Song said that despite many people claiming tanks have become "obsolete" after seeing "tragic stories of tanks in recent conflicts", it has been proven that the big machines are still irreplaceable in armored warfare and counter-insurgency operations.

"Therefore, we need to continue to upgrade our tanks to make them fit in evolving war patterns," he said.

According to Song, after studying the essential elements of next-generation tanks for many years, designers and engineers in military powers have reached a general consensus: new-generation hardware should include at least a partially electric propulsion system, an active protection system, an unmanned turret, battlefield information processors and network-centric warfare operation capability.

"Considering technological and technical advancements over these past years, we no longer classify tanks based on the caliber of their main guns and the thickness of their armor plates as researchers did to the previous three generations of tanks. Instead, we now categorize them in accordance with how many new technologies and apparatuses they possess. Therefore, it is fair to call the Type 100 a fourth-generation model," he said.

The researcher also explained the reasons why the Type 100 is smaller and lighter than the Type 99A.

"The new tank will be deployed not only in conventional combat scenarios like those on flatland or a plateau, but also in urban battles and counter-insurgency operations, so its overall design must fit in all of those environments. Moreover, factors such as road conditions, air transport capacity and manufacturing and operational costs have decided that new tanks should not be bigger and heavier than the previous ones," he said.

The current cornerstone of China's armored forces, the Type 99A, was introduced in the early 2000s. Its contents include a diesel engine, reactive armor, a 120-mm smooth-bore gun and a modern fire-control system.

In addition to the new tank, the Chinese military displayed during the parade several new airborne fighting vehicles that are expected to tremendously enhance the operational capability of its paratroopers.

Multiple combat support robots in service with the People's Liberation Army Ground Force were also carried by trucks to take part in the event.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn