The battle tank was already declared dead. Now, of all things, his little brother is experiencing a revival – despite kamikaze drones, combat robots and defense missiles.
June 8, 2026, 9:40 p.mJune 8, 2026, 9:40 p.m
At a parade in Beijing last September, China presented a large number of the ZTZ-100 tanks for the first time.Image: Imago
The images are burned in: columns of hole-filled tank wrecks on the one hand; On the other hand, monsters grotesquely pimped out with cages and spikes. Some military experts are convinced that the Ukraine War will irrevocably banish the classic battle tank to the scrapheap of military history.
But now a subgenus is making a surprising comeback. One that shouldn’t actually exist anymore: the medium battle tank. And the development is currently gaining momentum.
Just a few days ago, China released new photos of its hyper-modern Type-100 in ongoing training operations. The videos show the tank performing high-speed maneuvers in the terrain and, for the first time, also provide insights into the crew cabin.
Almost at the same time, the new CFL-120 Karpat medium battle tank was presented at an arms trade fair in Bratislava, Slovakia – a joint project between the Czech arms manufacturer CSG, the Turkish FNSS and the Italian company Leonardo. The message is clear: The defense industry is looking for alternative answers to the drone revolution of the Ukraine war.
At IDEB Defense & Security 2026 in Bratislava, CSG unveiled the new CFL-120 Karpat combat platform in cooperation with FNSS and Leonardo.https://t.co/w5OvHBvUr5
— Defense Magazine (@DefenseMag) May 26, 2026
Because this brutally exposed the weaknesses of classic battle tanks. Leopard 2, Abrams and Challenger prove to be too vulnerable against kamikaze drones, but also modern anti-tank weapons and precise artillery strikes.
At the same time, the war also shows that heavily armored direct-fire platforms cannot be dispensed with. Mobile firepower remains central for breakthroughs, counterattacks or holding front sections.
The problem: Modern Western battle tanks have now become gigantic. The common types today weigh more than 65 tons and sometimes cost more than $20 million per vehicle. This makes transport, maintenance and use extremely difficult. Many bridges or railway lines are unsuitable for such giants. In addition, there are enormous fuel and maintenance costs.
Grotesque monsters: A shot down Russian T-80 tank that even the welded grids couldn’t save.Image: AP
This is exactly where the new medium battle tanks come in. Instead of maximum composite armor, they rely on lower weight, high mobility and active protection systems against missiles and drones.
The cannon turret is remote controlled
China’s ZTZ (Type)-100 appears particularly ambitious. The new fourth-generation tank is said to weigh just around 35 to 45 tonnes and combines an unmanned turret with a crew fully protected in the hull – no doubt inspired by the (failed) Russian T-14 Armata design.
According to the German specialist portal ES&T The tank has 360-degree radar sensors, active defense systems against kamikaze drones and augmented reality helmets for the crew. The ZTZ-100 sees itself less as a classic steel colossus than as a digitally networked combat node.
The return of smaller calibers is also noticeable. While Western battle tanks mostly use 120-millimeter cannons, China relies on a lighter 105-millimeter gun. Modern ammunition should still achieve comparable penetrating power. The advantage: less weight and more mobility.
Added to this is the price. According to estimates, a ZTZ-100 in series production could cost around six million dollars – significantly less than modern Western battle tanks, let alone future high-tech models such as Abrams-X or Leopard 3 derivatives.
Although the Chinese seem to be ahead at the moment, Europe has also been experimenting with similar concepts for a long time. Rheinmetall showed this four years ago the Lynx 120 for the first time based on the infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) KF41. Also the light tank CV90120 from BAE Systems Hägglunds is based on a proven armored personnel carrier design that, among many others, is used by the Swiss Army.
The new Karpat, in turn, combines a weight of around 35 to 40 tons with a fully-fledged 120-millimeter cannon and modern protection systems against drones and anti-tank weapons.
The advantages of such vehicles are obvious: They are easier to transport, require less logistics and can also operate where heavy battle tanks reach infrastructure limits. They appear particularly attractive for smaller states or armies with limited budgets.
USA stopped its own Booker program
However, the designers buy these advantages with high risks. Less weight inevitably means less passive armor, which unbalances the holy tank triad of firepower, durability and mobility. Medium battle tanks therefore rely heavily on active protection systems, sensors and digital networking.
The US Army confirmed on Monday after last week’s announcement under the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI), that they will be officially canceling the M10 “Booker” Light-Tank Program, with this following years of debate over the M10’s design flaws and confusing role in the… pic.twitter.com/kFm59sU2Qu
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 6, 2025
If these fail or are overwhelmed, vulnerability increases rapidly. It also remains unclear whether lighter vehicles can survive in direct combat against heavy battle tanks – which generally raises questions regarding a suitable operational doctrine.
The American M10 Booker program recently showed how difficult this balancing act is. The vehicle was originally intended to be a light and mobile fire support tank. In the end, the Booker also weighed almost 40 tons, without achieving the protection or firepower of a real battle tank. The That’s why the US Army stopped a year ago the project. (aargauerzeitung.ch)