Harbin Type 89 Antitank Gun

     Notes: This self-propelled antitank gun was first fielded in China in small numbers in the late 1980s.  The chassis is the same as that of the Type 83 152mm self-propelled gun/howitzer.  The M-1989 has a driver’s compartment at the front left and the engine compartment on the front right.  The turret is mounted on the rear of the vehicle, with a door on the rear of the vehicle for crew entry.  The 120mm gun is fitted with a thermal sleeve and fume extractor.  The commander has a cupola on the right side of the turret with a machinegun mount.  There are stowage baskets on either side of the turret rear. There are four smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret, and a thick, oily smoke cloud can be laid by injecting diesel fuel into the vehicle’s exhaust. At the rear of the hull is a door for crew entry and quick replenishment of ammunition. The driver is on the front left. The crew is protected by a collective NBC system as well as an automatic fire suppression system. A special rack carries a Type 69 RPG and four rounds, which are considered part of the basic weaponry of the vehicle. The Type 83-152 has inertial navigation and a mapping system with computer to give the driver instructions. Power is provided with the 520-horsepower turbodiesel WR4B-12V160LD engine coupled to an automatic transmission. Armor is of steel, but it is thin steel and provides minimal protection. The basic chassis is as similar to the Type 83 as possible in order to simplify production; however, interior appointments are very different due to the different weaponry and ammunition.

     The ammunition is of Chinese make, similar to the NATO 120mm ammunition, but no APFSDSDU ammunition is made in China for this weapon.  The gun can fire NATO ammunition, however, including APFSDSDU rounds. The main gun is long and accurate, though with limited fire control equipment. The gun has a semiautomatic loader which quickens the fire rate, though not as much as a 125mm gun with an autoloader. The gun is not stabilized, so shots while moving are not recommended.

     Note that unlike other Chinese weapons systems, the Type 89 has never been offered for sale outside of China. It has also only seen small-scale introduction inside of China, due to its 120mm gun; the 125mm and 100mm guns are felt to be logistically superior to the 120mm gun, as well as being superior due to the 125mm gun’s ability to be fed by an autoloader. Only about 100 Type 89s were built, equipping two divisions as well as a few independent brigades. Though vehicles were built which filled equivalent roles, a version with a 125mm or 100mm gun was never built.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$668,634

D, A

783 kg

31 tons

4

21

Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G)

Shielded

 

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

121/85

34/24

885

194

Trtd

T4

TF7  TS4  TR4  HF8  HS3  HR3

 

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

+2

Basic

120mm Type 82-2 L/50 gun, PKT, W-85 (C), Type 69-1 RPG

60x120mm, 1100x7.62mm, 650x12.7mm, 4xType 69 rounds