Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

NORINCO Type 62 (WZ131)

1963 COLD WAR MODERN VIETNAM WAR

History

The Chinese Type 62 light tank (industrial designation "WZ131") was produced between 1963 and 2013, in quantities of about 2,500, based on the earlier Type 59 main battle tank (MBT) design. The Type 59 itself was a locally produced version of the very successful Soviet-era Type 54 (specifically the T-54A), which entered service in China in 1959.

MBT was used in countless wars of the 20th century, including the Vietnam War (1955-1975), the Indo-Pakistani War (1971), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), and the Gulf War (1991). Production time span from 1958 to 1985.

Within this framework, the Type 62 was designed as a light, simplified chained chariot. This resulted in reduced armor protection, smaller main gun calibers, and fewer airborne systems. In many ways, the Type 62 was essentially a smaller version of the full-size Type 59, retaining a crew of four (vehicle commander, driver, gunner, and loader).

The revised design is lightweight and should better handle the rough terrain in southern China.

While the Type 62 light tank is no longer the frontline solution for the PLA ground forces, it is still included in the inventory of other global operators including Bangladesh, Cambodia, DRC, DRC, Sudan, Tanzania, Vietnam and Thailand. Former operators include Albania, China, Mali, North Korea and Zaire.

Due to its origins from the Type 59, the Type 62 shares the same four-person crew arrangement internally. The driver is seated in the front left of the hull, while the remaining three crew members are seated in the turret. The engine is located in the rear of the fuselage. The vehicle is suspended on a torsion bar suspension system that facilitates off-road driving.

Power comes from a 430hp 12150L-3 V-12 liquid-cooled diesel engine driving a conventional track and wheel arrangement. There are five road wheels on one side of the car body, the drive sprocket is at the rear, and the chain idler is at the front.

Track deflection rollers are not included in the arrangement.

The Type 62 can reach a road speed of 60 km/h and a range of 500 km.

The turret is round for basic ballistic protection, and for the same reason the sloping plate is well slanted. The overall profile is low, which helps the system's survivability in the range. The primary weapon is a 62085TC rifled 85mm main gun that fires a range of typical projectile types including High Explosive (HE), Armor Piercing (AP), High Explosive, Anti-Tank (HEAT) and Smoke Grenade.

The gun can be raised from +20 degrees to -4 degrees in its hull, while the turret provides 360 degrees of swivel from the centerline. Like the other tanks, a coaxial machine gun (7.62mm Type 59T) was mounted on the front of the turret. Additionally, a rather anachronistic bow-mounted 7.62mm 59T machine gun serves as an additional anti-infantry measure, and an optional 12.7mm Type 54 Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) can be mounted on a trainable bracket on top of the turret for anti-infantry - to be installed Infantry - Aircraft (AA) work.

The vehicle can also generate its own screening effect by injecting raw fuel into a running engine.

Armor thickness varies from 50mm on the turret to 12.5mm on the hull.

The total weight of the vehicle is 21 tons. The barrel is 7.9 meters long, 2.9 meters wide, and 2.3 meters high to the top of the tower.

The Type 62 was eventually upgraded to the Type 62-I, which provided a solution to the problems encountered during active service in the Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979. An improved rangefinder and main gun were introduced into the design, as well as a partial shield for the location of the roof-mounted 12.7mm machine gun.

Another revision added external storage bins to the turret and side skirt armor to better protect the upper hull area and track rails.

Type 62G was a later improved variant that provided better overall armor protection. A new welded flat turret follows the original cast design and adds smoke grenade launchers for improved shielding. Night vision aids in low-light operations and situational awareness.

Dropped the 85mm gun in favor of a more powerful 105mm gun to better defend against modern threats. The vertical stabilization system improves range and accuracy when firing on the move.

The Type 70 successor tank is a modification of the Type 62 with a laser rangefinder and 85mm Type 62-85TC main gun. These do not have the shield mounted in place of the 12.7mm machine gun, but incorporate better weapon stabilization and aiming for improved accuracy.

Other forms of the series became experimental versions of the Type 79 Armoured Rescue Vehicle (ARV), the GJT 211 Armoured Bulldozer and the GSL 131 (Type 82) minesweeper.

Bangladesh uses both Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and Self-Propelled Gun (SPG) types based on the Type 62 light tank.

The Type 62 light tank played an important role in many conflicts of the 20th century, including the Vietnam War (1955-1975), the Sino-Vietnamese War (1979) and the Congo War (1997, 1998).