The Type 100 new-generation tanks participate in China's V-Day military parade in Beijing on September 3, 2025. Photo: VCG

The ground force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army is transitioning from the traditional close-quarters combat to beyond-visual-range combat, enabled by its new-generation main battle tank, according to a PLA Daily report on Monday. An expert said that this will grant the PLA Army advantages in combat, with China being a leading country in the world to achieve this capability. 

In a frontpage story titled Ground force fast tracks battlefield transformation, reshapes combat dimensions with technologies, the PLA Daily quoted Sun Yongming, a tank commander from an undisclosed PLA Army brigade, as saying that with the commissioning of the new-generation main battle tanks, armored operations have evolved from close-quarters brawls to beyond-visual-range engagements, and operational coordinates have shifted from a two-dimensional plane to a higher-dimensional domain that integrates air, land, and cyberspace and electromagnetic space.

Sun made the remarks after a combined arms battalion-level tactical exercise. "I never would have imagined that we, the armored forces, would one day be able to utilize optical, infrared and radar sensors to perceive the battlefield from long range and with full-circle awareness," he said.

The Type 100 tank made its debut at China's V-Day military parade on September 3, 2025 along with the Type 100 support vehicle. According to official description provided at the event, they boast a high degree of intelligence and strong collaborative ability, have strong combat capabilities in capturing positions with high mobility and breaking through challenging defenses.

The PLA Daily report also mentioned the involvement of helicopters of the army aviation force, the new-type rocket launcher system that was also reviewed at the parade, electronic warfare assets and drones.

Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that the combat capability of China's new-generation tanks has undergone an era-defining change, as it now serves as a node in a combat network, sharing information and coordinating with other combat forces. 

Instead of the tank fighting alone at short range, it can now call in long-range fire strikes, enabling beyond-visual-range combat, Wang said. He noted that the Type 100 tank, equipped with radar, electronic reconnaissance and communications systems, can link up with other assets such as long-range rocket launchers and drones to secure a significant advantage on the battlefield.

In another recent combat exercise, a commander of a combined arms battalion was not only able to command his own forces, but also summon support from other military services and branches, according to the PLA Daily.

The contemporary operational paradigm has surpassed the confines of traditional land warfare, and it epitomizes the PLA's integrated joint operational capabilities, the battalion commander, surnamed Yuan, said in the report.

Beyond-visual-range operations were previously mostly carried out by air forces and navies which operate large platforms such as warplanes and warships, while armies around the world had mostly not achieved this capability due to technical constraints in integrating advanced and power-consuming radars, communications, electronic warfare and command systems on small ground-based platforms, Wang said, noting that China has become a leading country in the world with technology breakthroughs.