The Type 96 (Chinese: 96式; pinyin: Jiǔliù shì) is a Chinese Second/Third Generation main battle tank (MBT). Based on the Type 85-III design, the Type 96 entered service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1997. An estimated 2,500+ Type 96 tanks are in service with the PLA.Generally speaking, PLA's tank development can be divided into three generations. The first generation is a version of the Soviet T-54A and its derivatives, produced in China as the Type 59 and Type 69/79.