After the victory of the Chinese Communists over the Kuomintang, the Soviet Union provided the People's Republic of China with large-scale assistance in strengthening its defense capability. Several thousand military advisers and civilian technicians were sent from the USSR to support the construction of the armed forces in the PRC. Simultaneously with the transfer of Soviet-made equipment and weapons, enterprises designed for the production of defense products were built on the territory of China, and personnel were trained.
Until the end of the 1950s, China received a large number of various armored vehicles from the USSR. At first, these were T-34-85 medium tanks, SU-76M and SU-100 self-propelled artillery mounts. In smaller quantities, heavy tanks IS-2, as well as self-propelled guns ISU-122 and ISU-152 were supplied. Before the aggravation of Soviet-Chinese relations in the early 1960s and the termination of military-technical cooperation in the PRC, PT-76 amphibious tanks, T-54 medium tanks, and BTR-40 and BTR-152 armored personnel carriers were also transferred.
The first baptism of fire of Chinese tankers on the T-34-85 in Korea took place at the end of 1950. During the Korean War, the Chinese deployed more than 300 T-34-85 and IS-2 tanks. There are two T-34-85 tanks on display at the Military Museum of the Chinese Revolution in Beijing. One of them with hull number "215" was awarded the title "Tank Hero".
According to the official Chinese version, this tank in July 1953, during a counteroffensive in the Shiksyandong area, emerged victorious in a battle with three American M46 Patton heavy tanks. Trying to climb a hill before that, the thirty-four got stuck in a deep hole with mud. After two other Chinese tanks, having fallen under artillery fire, retreated, the enemy considered the T-34-85 No. 215 knocked out. However, the crew under the command of Yang Aru did not leave the tank and at night disguised it as a small hill, smeared with mud and covered with branches. The tankers were in the tank without food for two days, until three American Pattons appeared on the hill.
After waiting for the enemy M46 to turn sideways, the commander Yan Aru ordered to open fire. In a short period of time, two American tanks were set on fire, and the third lost its speed. With the help of the infantrymen, who delivered about 70 logs at night, the tank was rescued from the mud trap. Thirty-four went on the attack. Together with the infantry, the tankers captured Mount Beishan, destroying 2 enemy tanks, 12 dugouts, 3 machine-gun nests and 3 recoilless guns. During the war on the Korean Peninsula, this tank supported infantry attacks seven times. He knocked out and destroyed: 5 tanks, a tracked conveyor, 26 dugouts and machine-gun nests, 9 mortars, a tunnel and a command post.
In the second half of the 1950s, the USSR delivered several dozen T-54 medium tanks to the PRC. Almost simultaneously with the start of operation of these machines, the Chinese leadership acquired a license for their production. In 1957, at the plant number 617 in the city of Baotou, the first batch of tanks was assembled from Soviet components. In the early 1960s, the PRC managed to completely localize the production of the T-54. The Chinese version differed from the original sample in a number of details, which was due to the limited capabilities of the Chinese industry. A number of sources claim that the Chinese analogue of the T-54, designated Type 59, initially had inferior quality armor. The early Type 59 was not equipped with night vision devices, a ballistic computer, and a weapon stabilizer. In terms of mobility, the Type 59 corresponded to the T-54, but the reliability of the Chinese tank was worse.
Subsequently, improved versions went into the series, and the Type 59 became the basis of the PLA armored forces for a long time. Serial production of Type 59 tanks lasted 30 years. During this time, it was possible to build over 10,000 combat vehicles of various modifications. The museum's collection contains three tanks of the Type 59 family, which differ in the year of manufacture and equipment.
Since 1961, the Type 59-I tanks went into production. This version differed from the original model with an updated 100-mm gun, night vision devices and a ballistic computer with manual data entry.
From 1982 to 1985, the Type 59-II tanks were produced. The main difference from previous tanks of this family was the 105 mm Type 81 rifled gun, which was a copy of the British L7 gun. A laser rangefinder appeared above the gun, and smoke grenade launchers appeared on the sides of the turret. Apparently, these innovations were copied after getting acquainted with Western armored vehicles in Egypt and the beginning of military-technical cooperation with the United States and Great Britain in the early 1980s. On the part of the tanks, the Type 54 anti-aircraft machine gun (a copy of the DShKM) was replaced by a 12, 7-mm Type 85 machine gun created in the PRC. On the basis of the Type 59-II modification, the Type 59-IIA tank was created, in the design of which combined multilayer armor and reactive armor were used to a limited extent.
Currently, Type 59 tanks in China are considered obsolete and put into reserve. Nevertheless, the vehicles supplied for export are still used in the armies of a number of states. In some countries, they have been modernized by Chinese or Western companies.
The first tank of its own design in the PRC is considered the Type 62. This vehicle resembles the reduced size of the Soviet T-54, and at the same time is armed with an 85-mm cannon and has bulletproof frontal armor of the hull. A 7.62-mm Type 59T machine gun (a copy of the SGMT) is paired with the gun, a 12.7-mm Type 54 anti-aircraft machine gun is mounted on the turret. The mass of the Type 62 tank in combat position was 20.5 tons. The thickness of the frontal and side armor of the hull is 25 mm, turret forehead - 50 mm, turret side - 40 mm. Diesel engine with a capacity of 430 hp. provided speed on the highway up to 70 km / h.
The main purpose of the Type 62 was reconnaissance. It was also (based on the experience of military operations in Korea) supposed to be used in mountainous areas. The insufficient protection of a light tank had to be compensated for by its high mobility. The Type 62 tanks performed well at the final stage of the Vietnam War, their passability on soft ground and jungle was significantly higher than that of the Soviet T-54 and their Chinese clones.
In 1979, a modification of the Type 62-I with a laser rangefinder went into production. On some of the tanks, overhead armor and bulwarks were installed, which improved protection against cumulative grenades. Production of the Type 62 light tanks continued until 1989, with a total of about 1,200 vehicles built. Currently, the Type 62, which were previously in service with the PLA, are mostly transferred to storage or decommissioned.
The last Soviet serial light amphibious tank was the PT-76; production of this vehicle ended in 1967. However, the PRC went further, and on the basis of the PT-76 in 1958 they created a Type 63 amphibious tank, installing a turret with an 85-mm cannon on it, with which a 7.62-mm machine gun was paired. On the turret, in front of the loader's hatch, an anti-aircraft 12, 7-mm machine gun is mounted, from which it is also possible to fire at ground targets. The tank had bulletproof protection, the thickness of the hull armor was 11-14 mm. Unlike the PT-76, a radio operator was added to the crew, and its number reached 4 people.
During the trial operation of the Type 63 tank, it turned out that the V-6 diesel engine with a capacity of 240 hp. does not provide the required level of mobility of the 18, 7-ton machine. Therefore, a 400-horsepower diesel engine was installed on an improved modification of the Type 63-I in 1964. At the same time, the main weight, size and combat characteristics of the Type 63-I tank remained the same as that of its small-scale prototype. The amphibious tank develops a maximum speed when driving on the highway 64 km / h, afloat - up to 12 km / h.
In the mid-1970s, Chinese amphibious tanks underwent modernization, the purpose of which was to increase combat effectiveness by installing a fire control system. The Type 63-II tank was equipped with a laser rangefinder with a range of 300 to 3000 meters, a ballistic computer, night vision devices and new radio equipment. The next modification of the amphibious tank was the Type 63A, which is armed with a 105 mm low-impulse rifled cannon. Subsequently, on the Type 63-II and Type 63A tanks, the obsolete anti-aircraft 12, 7-mm Type 54 machine gun was replaced by the Type 85 machine gun, which uses the same ammunition. It is reported that additional metal-ceramic armor and side shields can be used to increase security. But at the same time, the tank loses its buoyancy and the level of its mobility decreases. In this regard, some of the late-production vehicles use a 600 hp engine and additional plastic floats that are attached along the side.
Amphibious tanks of the Type 63 family are in service with the PLA ground forces and marines, where they are used for reconnaissance, convoy escort and assault support during landings on the coast. In the past, Type 63 tanks took part in the war in Southeast Asia and in a number of local conflicts.
Among the Chinese tanks, the museum has installed a 130-mm Type 70 (WZ-302) multiple launch rocket system on the chassis of a Type 63A (YW531) tracked armored personnel carrier. In the frontal projection, the armor thickness is 11 mm, the side - 6 mm. Diesel engine with 260 hp. provides speed on the highway up to 60 km / h, afloat - 6 km / h. MLRS on tracked chassis were supposed to provide fire support to tank regiments and have mobility no worse than medium tanks Type 59. MLRS Type 70 entered service in the early 1970s.
Inside the hull, transportation of additional ammunition is provided. The launch tubes are arranged in two rows: in the upper row there are 10 tubes, in the lower row - 9. The firing is carried out with 130-mm turbojet unguided projectiles, stabilized in flight by rotation around the longitudinal axis. Although the firing range is 10 km, it was understood that the MLRS would mainly fire at visually observed targets. The early modification 130-mm rocket projectile has a length of just over 1 m and was equipped with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead. In the mid-1980s, shells appeared with a fragmentation warhead containing 2600 steel balls, as well as incendiary shells. Projectile weight 32 kg, warhead weight - 3 kg. Recently, the release of a rocket with an increased firing range of up to 15 km has also been adjusted. This projectile has an increased fragmentation effect.
Serial production of the Type 63A amphibious armored personnel carrier began in the second half of the 1960s. The mass of the vehicle in the combat position is 12.6 tons. The crew is 3 people, 11 motorized riflemen could be accommodated in the troop compartment. Armament - 12, 7-mm machine gun.
Although there are no modern Chinese tanks in the permanent display of the Military Museum of the Chinese Revolution in Beijing, in the past, temporary exhibitions were regularly held on the grounds adjacent to the main building. As part of the exhibition of weapons and military equipment dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army of China, a number of modern samples were presented. In front of the entrance to the museum, 23 samples were placed in service with the PLA. The exhibition was attended by the highest leaders of the PRC, including the head of state Xi Jinping.
The Type 99 main battle tank presented at the exhibition is a combination of Russian and Western technologies and conceptually resembles the Soviet T-72. The Chinese tank is armed with a 125-mm ZPT-98 cannon with an automatic loader (unlicensed version 2A46 with an extended barrel), paired with a 7, 62-mm Type 66 machine gun and an anti-aircraft 12, 7-mm Type 89 (QJZ89). Thanks to the use of an automatic loader, the tank's crew was reduced to 3 people. According to the Chinese media, the Type 99 tanks include laser-guided ATGMs launched from a tank gun. The fire control system uses components copied from Western tanks and includes a gunner's sight with a built-in laser rangefinder and thermal imaging channel, a panoramic combined commander's sight, a weapon stabilizer, a digital ballistic computer and a set of sensors.
The armor of the Type 99 tank is in many ways similar to the armor of the Soviet T-72 and T-80 tanks. The protection of the frontal projection of the latest series of tanks is enhanced by the installation of DZ blocks placed on top of the main armor, and the blocks are located on the tower "in a corner". In addition, the sides of the tower are additionally protected, where the reactive armor is mounted on top of the lattice basket. Protection against laser-guided ATGM is provided by a countermeasures complex consisting of a radiation detector, a quantum generator and an automatic control system.
The high mobility of the tank with a combat weight of more than 50 tons is provided by a water-cooled turbocharged diesel engine with a capacity of 1200 hp, which was created based on the German WD396. The engine is interlocked with the transmission into a single power unit and can be replaced in the field in 30-40 minutes. The maximum speed on the highway is 65 km / h, the cruising range with external fuel tanks is up to 700 km. Currently, the PLA operates more than 800 Type 99 tanks.
Together with the Type 99 tank, the Type 04A (ZBD-04A) infantry fighting vehicle was presented at the exhibition, which uses a complex of weapons similar to that installed on the Russian BMP-3. According to information published in open sources, in 1997, full-scale samples and documentation for the Russian fire control system and armament of the BMP-3 with a 100-mm cannon paired with a 30-mm 2A72 automatic cannon and a missile control channel launched through the channel were transferred to the PRC trunk. In addition to this, the Chinese BMP is equipped with one 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun located to the left of the cannon, and two 7.62 mm machine guns in the front of the hull. Three smoke grenade launchers are attached to each side at the front of the turret.
The turret is made of armored steel and the hull is made of aluminum. The turret and hull provide the crew with protection from bullets and shrapnel. On the exhibition model, the hull and turret in the frontal projection have reinforced armor, which makes it possible to withstand small-caliber shells. The vehicle with a combat weight of about 25 tons is floating and, in addition to 3 crew members, accommodates 7 paratroopers. Travel speed on a paved road - up to 65 km / h, afloat - 6 km / h. The exact number of Type 04A BMPs built in China is not known, but in the West they believe that there are at least 200 units.
To provide fire support, reconnaissance and combat tanks, the "wheeled tank" PTZ-09, developed on the basis of the wheeled infantry fighting vehicle ZBL-09 (ST-1), is intended. In the basic configuration, the frontal armor of the vehicle provides protection against 12.7 mm armor-piercing bullets, and the side armor against 7.62 mm bullets. When using a set of mounted armor, the forehead is protected from 14.5 mm bullets and 25-30 mm shells fired from a distance of 700 m.
The main armament of the vehicle is a 105 mm rifled cannon, with which a 7.62 mm machine gun is paired. As an anti-aircraft machine gun, a weapon of 12.7 mm caliber is used. An 8x8 tank destroyer in a combat position weighs 22.5 tons and is equipped with a 440 hp diesel engine. with. The maximum speed on the highway is 90 km / h.
The exhibition also features the Type 05 (PLZ-52) self-propelled 155-mm howitzer and the Type 09 self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery mount.
The development of the Type 05 self-propelled artillery unit has been underway since the mid-1990s. Testing of the first prototype began in 2003. The Chinese 155mm self-propelled gun is similar to many modern foreign self-propelled howitzers, but representatives of the PRC claim that the Type 05 is entirely Chinese development.
The Chinese self-propelled artillery mount is equipped with a 155-mm L52 howitzer, with a barrel length of 52 caliber. The firing range of an active-rocket projectile reaches 53 km, a conventional high-explosive fragmentation projectile can fly 39 km. Adjustable laser-guided projectiles are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 20 km. The gun is equipped with an automatic loader, providing a rate of fire up to 8 rounds per minute. A 12.7 mm Type 89 machine gun mounted in front of the vehicle commander's hatch is used as an additional weapon. The machine gun is used to provide self-defense against manpower and to fire at air targets. In addition, smoke grenade launchers are installed on each side of the tower in its front part. The Type 05 self-propelled artillery mount is equipped with a digital fire control system, a dual-channel sight with a thermal imager and a laser rangefinder.
The armor of the hull and turret provides protection against rifle-caliber bullets and light shrapnel. Crew - 4 people. Combat weight exceeds 43 tons. ACS Type 05 with a 1000 hp diesel engine can travel on paved roads at speeds up to 65 km / h, cruising range of 450 kilometers.
The chassis of the Type 05 self-propelled guns was used to create the Type 09 ZSU armed with two 35-mm anti-aircraft guns. In fact, this is a self-propelled version of a 35-mm Type 90 towed installation with its own fire control system and radar.
Surveillance radar with an antenna mounted above the tower has a detection range of 15 km. If the enemy uses electronic warfare equipment, it is possible to search for air targets by a passive optoelectronic station with a laser rangefinder. Effective range of fire at air targets - up to 4000 m, reach in height - 3000 m. Rate of fire: 1100 rds / min.
