Main battle tanks (MBTs) attached to a brigade under the PLA 76th Group Army rumble though dirt roads in formation during a long-distance maneuver on June 18, 2020.Photo:China Military

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed its most powerful tank, the Type 99A, in the high-altitude border frontier at Karakoram Mountain, with supplies to celebrate the Spring Festival arriving in the hands of PLA border defense troops, recent media reports said.

To let Chinese troops stationed in the border defense frontier in the Karakoram Mountain enjoy a festive and warm Spring Festival, the PLA Xinjiang Military Command recently dispatched a transport regiment to deliver festive foods to the frontline troops, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday.

In the CCTV footage showing the defense frontier base camp at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters, a Type 99A main battle tank and a Type 04A infantry fighting vehicle could be seen, Passion News, a media outlet under k618.cn, a news portal run by the Communist Youth League of China Central Committee, reported on Thursday.

Reports said that the PLA Xinjiang Military Command recently received and commissioned its first batch of China's newly developed Type 15 light tanks, which analysts said would complement the heavy Type 99A and become good partners in combat.

The Type 99A is China’s most powerful main battle tank with excellent firepower and armor, while the Type 15 is China’s latest light tank with high mobility, a military expert told the Global Times on the condition of anonymity.

In high-altitude mountainous regions, the operation of the heavy Type 99A main battle tank could be limited due to the lack of oxygen and complicated terrains, but their sheer power remains decisive, the expert said, noting that the Type 15 light tank could outgun and outrun almost all enemies, and in case it were to encounter a hostile heavy tank, the Type 99A will have its back.

Plateau troops attached to PLA Xinjiang Military Command recently also received delivery of the first batch of newly developed identification tags for military personnel, according to a separate CCTV report on Wednesday.

The tag is not only carved with basic information including name, gender and blood type of each person, but also has a chip inside that carries digital information like a finger print, and allergy and injury history, and the troops can use them when seeking medical support and accommodation, the report said.

The troops will also get watches equipped with the Beidou Navigation Satellite System that can be used in search and rescue missions and to monitor vital signs, Liu Weicheng, head of logistics support section of the troops, said on CCTV.