NORINCO PLZ-89 (Type 89)

History

According to Soviet-era armor theory, the Chinese military has always attached great importance to amphibious assault vehicles, as evidenced by the PLZ-89 self-propelled artillery (SPA) series of vehicles. This 20-ton development debuted in 1999, carrying a 122mm main gun in a fully enclosed turret and carrying a crew of five.

It was adopted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) as a direct successor to the aging line of Type 70 and 85 122mm armed systems. The PLZ-89, also known as the "Type 89", is in service with hundreds of Chinese Army and Navy vehicles.

The 122mm gun fires various types of shells with a standard charge and has a range of up to 18 km. The projectile launched by the rocket has a range of up to 21 kilometers. The cannon fires up to 8 rounds per minute infrequently and is digitally controlled through a modern interface.

In addition to this weapon, there is a 12.7mm heavy machine gun (HMG) mounted on the roof to fill the airspace blockade role.

Power comes from a single 450 hp 12-cylinder liquid-cooled 12-cylinder diesel engine. Road speeds of up to 60 km/h and a range of up to 500 km. The torsion bar suspension system provides better off-road capability.

The fully amphibious nature of the PLZ-89 (requiring some preparation) makes it a unique component of any Chinese amphibious assault operation. This quality enables the vehicle to launch off the coast and head to the beach to begin attacking key enemy defensive positions inland in support of advancing, fast-moving naval forces.

The turret offers full 360-degree rotation and limited height, but adds tactical flexibility. Crew will receive NBC protective equipment (nuclear, biological, chemical) as well as an automatic fire suppression system should a fire on board threaten the crew and ammunition reserves.

Smoke grenade launchers help protect the vehicle from enemy sight.

Armor protection for crew and systems only applies to small arms fire and artillery jets. Therefore, the vehicle is not intended for direct front-line combat, but functions behind the front lines.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

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Armor

8 x Smoke Grenade.

Changes