NORINCO Type 69

History

The Type 69 Main Battle Tank (MBT) is a Chinese self-developed series of Type 59 main battle tanks, first released in 1959. Production of this car lasted from 1958 to 1985, of which about 9,500 were purchased. Both the Type 69 and Type 59 owe their existence to the original Soviet-era T-54A model line.

Introduced in 1946, the system laid the foundation for the upcoming T-55 series. The Type 69 entered service in 1982 and has remained active, serving in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Gulf War (1990-1991) and the Iraq War (2003-2011) (with the Iraqi Army). combat missions).

The vehicle emerges from the design in prototype form with an all-new 580 hp diesel engine. An infrared (IR) searchlight was added, along with a laser rangefinder to expand tactical capabilities. The gun has a caliber of 100 mm and a smooth barrel design.

Another prototype is the Type 69-I, modeled after the Soviet T-62 main battle tank, with its own searchlight design and a much improved NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) suite.

The Type 69-II series is derived from Type 69-III - also known as "Type 79". Pilot vehicles appeared in the early 1980s and production began in 1984. Major modifications to the line included "westernizing" equipment, such as the 105mm rifled main gun based on the excellent British L7 model. NBC protection has also been improved, as has FCS.

Power is provided by a 730-horsepower diesel engine. Over time, these vehicles also support the use of Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) blocks to increase protection against armored lethal missiles.

Type 69 combatants (outside the Chinese military) include Bangladesh, Burma, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Sudan. The Iraqi Army used hundreds of Type 69 tanks, although all of them were lost or scrapped in combat.

Iraqi Army forms include Type 69-QM, Type 69-QM1 and Type 69-QM2. All of them are embedded under the name "T-55B". The QM is equipped with a 100mm towed main gun with additional frontal armor protection and optional ERA module support. The QM1 is equipped with an L7-based 105mm main gun and a laser rangefinder. The QM2 is equipped with a large 125mm smoothbore main gun, popular among the main Soviet and Russian main battle tanks.

A laser rangefinder is also standard.

In the end, all the mentioned brands produced at least 4,500 Type 69/79 tanks.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

34 x 100 mm projectile.

500 x 12.7mm ammo (if equipped).

3,000 x 7.62mm ammo.

12 x Smoke Grenade (if equipped).

Changes