NORINCO PGZ-95 (Type 95)

History

In 1999, the Chinese displayed their "Type 95" Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun System (SPAAAA) at a military parade in Beijing. The vehicle was designed and developed by the Northwest Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, and mass-produced under the leadership of the defense enterprise North Industries Group Corporation (China's "North Industries Corporation"). The vehicle was initially named "Type 90" (as "Type 90-II" and "Type 90-III") and then completed as Type 95.

It also bears the official name of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). "PGZ95" is the current fixture in modern PLA inventory.

For the development of this new AAA system, a standard tracked chassis was chosen, and the project developed along the lines of the formation of a modern, domestic equivalent of the popular and effective Soviet air defense system ZSU-23-4 "Hope" Erka". Thus, the qualities of the Chinese design matched the Soviet creation, including mobility and range. The final product is a 22.5-ton vehicle measuring 6.7 meters long, 3.2 meters wide and 3.4 meters high. A foldable radar assembly was installed along the top of the tower, increasing the overall height to 4.8 meters.

While this radar system is fairly simple, it enhances the Type 95's tactical capabilities. It has an operational range of up to 11 kilometers, and target engagement can be automatic or manual.

In addition to the radar setup, another key attribute of the Type 95 is its 4 x 25mm automatic cannon armament as part of a fully movable turret with height. Two cannons were mounted on either side of the turret, each firing at a rate of 3,200 rounds per minute to saturate the airspace.

Optionally, the vehicle can also be equipped with a pair of QW-2 surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, making the Type 95 a more lethal air defense system - capable of attacking low-to-medium-altitude targets up to 3,500 meters. The hull itself is a basic tracked utility vehicle, with the driver at the front left, the powerplant at the front right, and the combatant area and turret at the rear. The standard crew is three people. The landing gear includes six twin-tire wheels on one side of the fuselage, front drive sprockets and rear chain idlers, and three in-game chain idlers.

This common tracked landing gear also forms the basis for several other special operations vehicles, including the Type 89 MLRS described elsewhere on this site. The suspension system is a torsion bar variant that provides the required off-road capability. Propulsion comes from a single diesel engine capable of reaching speeds of up to 33 mph on a road of up to 280 miles.

8 smoke grenade launchers provide local defense.

In the PLA structure, the Type 95 is a key component of air defense operations, and typically up to six Type 95 vehicles can be assigned to a single AAA detachment. These vehicles are usually deployed with several other support vehicles to provide necessary on-site maintenance/repair, ammunition resupply and general power.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

300 x 25mm bullet.

4 x QW-2 missiles (if equipped).

8 x Smoke Grenade.

Changes