Type 85 (YW531H)

History

The PT-85 is a light amphibious tank system (also known as "Type 82" or "Type 85") in service with the Korean People's Army (KPA). The tracked vehicle entered service sometime in the mid-1980s, and its chassis was developed from the North Korean VTT-323 armored personnel carrier - itself a licensed production copy of the Chinese NORINCO YW531 APC.

The PT-85 chassis differed from the VTT-323 in that it was slightly lengthened and fitted with a powered turret system similar to the Soviet-era PT-76 light amphibious tank.

Light tanks still play a vital role on the modern battlefield as they primarily demonstrate speed - due to their light weight - and are backed by massive firepower. Additionally, many designs are amphibious in nature, enabling vehicles to traverse land and water sources with relative ease and with little or no preparation.

Vehicles like the PT-85 make sense within the framework of this armoring doctrine for modern maneuvering forces that need to move people and machines quickly over long distances.

From the looks of it, the PT-85 contains many things that Soviet tank engineers had already developed during the Cold War. The turret is centered on the top front of the fuselage and has sloping sides that taper toward the center.

The turret roof is flat and features two side-by-side crew access hatches. The forward hull has a well-sloped glacis plate that meets at a sharp point at the very front end. The driver remains in the forward left position of the fuselage and has his own access hatch. The sides of the fuselage are slightly inclined inward from bottom to top, and the overall top cover of the fuselage looks flat. The engine is located in the rear compartment, and the track system is mounted on the sides of the fuselage, working around six rubber tire wheels.

Powered by an inline 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine believed to be 240 hp, the PT-85 is expected to reach road speeds of 60 km/h and have a range of up to 500 km. The suspension system is a typical torsion bar type. The PT-85 weighs 20 tons, is 3.1 meters wide and 2.8 meters high.

The vehicle is equipped with a standard four-man combat formation consisting of a driver, a tank commander, a gunner and a loader.

Powered turret system with full 360 degree traversal and built-in elevation capability to attack targets at different ranges. The main weapon is a 1 x 85mm main gun, capable of taking on lightly armored vehicles and even some main battle tanks with precision fire capabilities.

HE (High Explosive) projectiles can help clear infantry positions. In addition, the tank is equipped with a launcher at the top of the barrel (near the gun mount) that fires the powerful 9M14 Maliutka (AT-3 "Sag") anti-tank missile.

Complementing the primary weapon is a heavy 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine gun capable of attacking low-flying aircraft such as helicopters and lightly armored vehicles. For anti-infantry purposes, the PT-85 can be fitted with a 7.62mm general purpose machine gun.

Like the Soviet PT-76, the North Korean PT-85 is fully amphibious, capable of maintaining a top speed of 10 km/h over water.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

26 x 85mm bullet.

300x14.5mm ammo.

1,000 x 7.62mm ammo.

Changes