Starting off with firepower - the ZTZ96 is armed with a Type 88C 125mm smoothbore cannon which offers similar ballistic properties to the familiar Soviet 2A46 cannon. Furthermore, the cannon is assisted by an autoloading mechanism, giving it a consistent rate of fire of 7.5 rounds per minute. In terms of ammunition types, commanders can expect the usual assortment of subcaliber and chemical rounds. An exception to this however, is the DTB-125 HE round, which unlike the Soviet 3OF26, has slightly more explosive filler and is thus more destructive as a result.

The armor protection on the ZTZ96 is made up of a special composite solution which offers adequate protection against most threats, but won’t be enough to stop some of the more potent ammunition types found at top tier battles. That being said, the ZTZ96’s armor can absorb roughly 350-380mm of penetration against kinetic and 580-600mm of penetration against chemical rounds at the front turret and hull sections, respectively. However, it’s also worth noting that the ZTZ96 is being operated by only 3 crew members, meaning that its survivability after a penetrating shot to the fighting compartment is rather low compared to western MBT designs.