NORINCO Type 653

History

The Type 653 Armored Rescue Vehicle (ARV) was developed by China North Industries Corporation for the Chinese Army. The design is a completely traditional ARV system based on the existing Chinese Type 69 MBT chassis minus the turret structure. Instead, the vehicle is equipped with a dozer blade for moving obstacles and dirt, a hydraulically powered crane weighing up to 70 tons, and other features that make it a useful ARV on a fighter jet.

The turret area was replaced by a fixed hull superstructure to represent the crew's operating space.

The origins of the Type 69 are evident in the fuselage lines and landing gear - including the five wheels on one side of the fuselage. The operation team consists of three people.

Operators include the Chinese military, as well as Iraq, Pakistan and Thailand.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Performance

Armor

No.

Changes