NORINCO Type 63 (YW531)

1964 ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER COLD WAR MODERN VIETNAM WAR

• 1 NORINCO Type 63 (YW531) History
• 2 NORINCO Type 63 (YW531) Specification
  • 2.1 Basic
  • 2.2 Roles
  • 2.3 Dimensions
  • 2.4 Performance
  • 2.5 Performance
  • 2.6 Armor
  • 2.7 Changes

NORINCO Type 63 (YW531) History

In the late 1950s, the Chinese government asked local industry to design and develop a low-cost armored personnel carrier (APC) for mass production. With Soviet support, the Type 63 was born, and a pilot vehicle was ready as early as 1960.

It was followed by Yongding Machinery Factory, which eventually produced under the big brand of North Industries ((China) North Industries Corporation). More than 10,000 units of this type were mass-produced and found homes outside of China - with users ranging from Albania and Bangladesh to Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Iraq managed a force of 650 in the 1980s, but many were destroyed in the war with Iran and subsequent war with the West.

During service, the Type 63 was recognized under several other designations, including the "YW531" industrial product designation. Other brands are "K-63", "M1967" and "M1970".

The design of the Type 63 was done as a 14 ton (short) tracked vehicle with a well-sloping front apron and a low overall profile. It is 5.5 meters long, 3 meters wide and 2.6 meters high. A standard operator is two people, consisting of the driver (front left of the fuselage) and the vehicle commander. The powerplant consists of a KHD BF8L 413F 8-cylinder turbo diesel with 320 hp, the engine is mounted on the right side of the fuselage, and the large intake manifold on the top right side of the fuselage is clearly visible.

The vehicle's undercarriage consists of four wheels located on one side of the fuselage in a conventional track wheel arrangement. This arrangement uses a front drive sprocket and a rear idler. The chassis sits on torsion bar suspension to aid off-road driving.

Overall, the vehicle reaches a top speed of 65 km/h and has a range of up to 500 km on the road.

Armor protection reaches 14mm of welded steel along the main hull panels. The weapon is primarily used for self-defensea heavy 12.7mm Type 54 machine gun is mounted on an exposed, trainable mount in the top center of the fuselage.

Hatches are visible at the front, center and rear of the top of the fuselage, while hinged doors on the rear fuselage surface are the primary means of entry and exit. Like many Cold War tracked vehicle designs that originated in the Soviet Union, the Type 63 was fully amphibious and propelled through a water source through the movement of its own tracks, albeit slowly.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) eventually adopted the Type 63 in various battlefield forms, and its name was not necessarily as easy to label as it is customary in the West. The "Type 531" was the original limited production model in 1964, which was equipped with only one 7.62mm machine gun. The "Type A531", the 1968 Type 63, supported the 12.7mm machine gun and had a much improved powertrain. North Korea uses this model as "VTT-323" (described in detail elsewhere on this site). The "Type 63-I" (Type B531) subsequently had improved suspension, more roof hatches and ignition openings. "Type WZ701" marked command vehicle (CV) with additional communication equipment.

This model is identified by its additional antenna and raised fuselage roofline. "Type WZ721" marks the communication relay vehicle, and "WZ750" becomes the armored ambulance. "Type YD801" became a fire truck, and "ZZM88" was used for password encryption services. The "WZ534" (Type 89) vehicle spawned its own production line while based on the Type 63.

The Type 63 chassis also serves the "Type 70" vehicles of the Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH) and Type 70 Multiple Rocket System (MLRS) vehicle families.

Export models include the 1982 "Type 81", "Type YW701" command vehicle, "Type YW750" armoured ambulance, and the "Type YW304" and "Type YW381" mortar transporters (82 mm and 120 mm respectively) mm).

The

Type 63 is essentially a no-frills vehicle that serves its driver collection and offers a low-cost APC solution. It has since been retired from the armies of Albania and Vietnam. At its peak, China managed a fleet of about 10,000 vehicles. Iraqi Kurdistan was recently observed (2014-2015) using Type 63 armoured personnel carriers against ISIS forces. Vehicle series were recorded during the Vietnam War (1955-1975), Sino-Vietnamese War (1979), Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and Gulf War (1991).

During the Tiananmen Square protests (1989), the Chinese army used it to quell unrest.

NORINCO Type 63 (YW531) Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

1,000 x 12.7mm ammo.

Changes