617 Factory Type 73 ARV

     Notes: The Chinese lacked indigenous tank production facilities until 1956, when the Russians helped the Chinese construct 617 Factory, which at first manufactured a copy of the T-54A, which they designated the Type 59.  However, they lacked adequate recovery and repair vehicles for their new tank until the early 1970s, when they started manufacturing the Type 73 ARV.  This ARV was, like the Type 59, later exported to several countries, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and several African nations. The Type 73 was, as will be seen, only adequate for the PLA’s needs.

     The Type 73 is, as stated, based on a Type 59A chassis (with some improvements), without the turret, which is replaced by box-like stand from about one-third back to the rear of the vehicle.  This has a flat area atop it for the transport of a Type 59’s engine or transmission – it cannot transport both at the same time, as it does not have enough carrying capacity, nor does the crane have enough strength to lift both at once.  (And anyway, the Type 59 does not have an integrated powerpack.)  The crane is on the right side and is a simple boom-type crane with a capacity of 1 ton.  The boom is manually operated from a hatch on the on the right deck just behind the commander’s hatch; it does not have power operation, being operated by manual cranks and wheels.  The boom operator has a WL spotlight for use in night repair and recovery operations.  The boom can rotate 140 degrees, mostly on the right side. The recovery winch can pull 25 tons, or 50 tons with two sets of block and tackle.  At the rear is a dozer blade with teeth on the underside; it can brace a maximum of 54 tons, and is used to brace the vehicle when using the crane or winch.  It has a secondary role in digging major fighting positions, moving rocks, and ripping up roads. Tools include basic, tracked vehicle, wheeled vehicle, power, small arms repair, and heavy gun repair tools (except the bore swabbing brush). It has an air compressor, a chainsaw, and a power-operated jack.

     The driver is on the front left and has vision blocks around him except to the rear.  The center vision block is a wide-angle block. To his right is the commander, who has a manually-operated cupola with all-around vision blocks and a mount for a heavy weapon.  Most of the crew is armed with pistols, but one has a Type 56 assault rifle with 300 rounds, and the Type 73 carries 20 fragmentation grenades. Another crewmember sits inside the vehicle just behind the boom operator; he has no windows or firing ports. On each bumper is a cluster of four smoke grenade launchers.

     The engine is the same M-12150L liquid-cooled diesel developing 520 horsepower.  It has a manual transmission.  The engine and transmission are modified to produce high torque when necessary. It has a Christie-type suspension, with reportedly a rough ride.  Unlike the Type 59, the Type 73 cannot carry rear-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks – the rear-mounted dozer blade is in the way.

*The “Turret” is the boom crane; it is not a “Turret” as such.  Personnel hits are considered misses.

**The dozer blade can be hit by rear incoming hits, where it can take the hits depends on the attitude of the dozer blade of the time.  If such a hit is ruled, the rear get the additional benefit of 5Sp.

NORINCO GCZ-110

     Notes: The PLA describes the GCZ-110 as a “multipurpose armored engineer and recovery vehicle.”  It is partially based on the Russian IMR series of AEV; however, while it does have many of the same or similar features as the IMR series, it also markedly differs from the IMR.  These differences are what allows the GCZ-110 to function in a dual role. The chassis is based on the Type 96 tank, but the turret is heavily-modified to provide a pivot point for the GCZ-110’s crane.

     The GCZ-110 carries engineer-specific equipment, including an engineer demo chest, 5 engineer demo kits, and 40 kilograms of C4.  It also carries equipment which can be used in both roles, such as power tools, a circular saw, a “jaws of life” (actually called a Hurst rescue tool), and a chainsaw, as well as two sets of pioneer tools and basic and heavy tool kits.  It carries tools for recovery, including a tow bar, 3 lengths of 30-meter steel wire rope, and the tool kits necessary for working on tracked and wheeled vehicle.  There is no area on the rear deck where a powerpack may be carried; normally is one is needed, it will be carried by another vehicle or on a trailer.

     The crane can rotate 360 degrees and has a maximum reach of 3.5 meters.  At this distance, the crane may lift 3 tons.  The crane is normally traversed to the rear when travelling, allowing the plow to be raised straight up for easier travel carriage. The GCZ-110 has a main winch which can be led out of the front or back of the vehicle and has a pull strength of 50 tons, or 100 tons with block and tackle, and has 70 meters of 30-millimeter cable.  A lead/auxiliary winch has a capability of 300 kilograms and has 100 meters of 10-millimeter cable.

     The GCZ-110 has a large frontally-mounted plow which can be configured in a V-shape for use as a mine/debris plow, or spread out to a flat shape 5 meters wide (wider than the GCZ-110). The plow can also dig fighting positions for vehicles or large generators, and can move 250 cubic meters of soil at once.  Other uses the plow include road clearing, grading, and filling ditches or preparing banks for use by an AVLB.

.    The GCZ-110 has a 118Kw APU to power the vehicle’s systems when the engine is off.

     The GCZ-110 is lengthened from its Type 96 tank base, though the lengthening is minimal and there are no roadwheels added.  Armor of the GCZ-110 carries over from its Type 96 base, though the electrical system has been heavily modified and upgraded.  The engine is a 1000-horsepower turbocharged diesel; this engine also has high torque, used when towing or when additional power is required in winch operation.

     The GCZ-110 has a BMS, a GPS receiver with an inertial navigation backup, a mapping computer, and a vehicle state computer.  The commander, driver, and crane operator have LCD screens at their position which display applicable information – the driver has mainly vehicle state and navigation information, the crane operator has mainly vehicle state and tool states, and the commander has two LCD screen with access to all information.  The driver is at the front left, and the commander on the front right; the engine is at the rear. The interior of the GCZ-110 has a small computer with tech manuals for the crew to consult, and two long-range data-capable radios and a short-range radio for communication with the vehicle being recovered or vehicles in the immediate vicinity.  The GCZ-110 has no defensive armament other than the small arms of the crew, a box of fragmentation grenades, and an RPG-7 rocket launcher. The GCZ-110 is equipped with air conditioner with NBC filters.

*If the plow is in the forward position, it provides an AV of 15Sp to the front of the vehicle.  It the plow is raised, the mechanism provides an AV of 7 to the front, though of course this may damage the mechanism.

NORINCO GCZ-112

     Notes: Unlike the GCZ-110 above, the GCZ-112 does not do double duty; it is a full AEV and not designed to recover vehicles.  However, it is also based on the Type 96 tank chassis.  The GCZ-112’s primary job is to aid the mobility of armored vehicles and other units, and is heavily armored and has a powerful engine to operate with these vehicles at the FEBA. It looks vaguely like the Russian IMR-2, but has a number of features the IMR-2 doesn’t have and doesn’t have some features the IMR-2 does have.  The GCZ-112 has the Type 96’s turret replaced with a raised superstructure and the excavator arm on the right of the vehicle. The GCZ-112 is generally used in  operations to fill ditches and move rock obstacles to bashing open pillboxes and filling ditches on top of defenders,

     The GCZ-112 has a 52kW APU, used to power the excavator arm and winch when the engine is off (though the APU power and the engine power can be used together to add a little oomph to the winch operation), and can operate the powered tools, excavator arm,, and both winches at the same time.  Tools range from basic power tools to hand tools of every type to items like two sizes of chainsaw, three sizes of circular saw, and a Hurst rescue tool. An air compressor is also available.

     Instead of a crane, the GCZ-112 has a large excavating arm which can be rotated through 285 degrees and is capable of lifting up to 25 tons of rock, soil, or other debris, and moving it around. The arm can also be used to position a fascine roll, which may be carried on the rear deck.  It can also be used as a giant club, to push aside trees, rocks, or in some instances where the fortifications are thin and light, bash down fortifications. It can also do considerable damage to unarmored vehicles which are not moving, causing the equivalent of 20 points of damage to such vehicles per swipe.  (The excavator arm is actually able to cause some slicing damage to such vehicles.)

     The GCZ-112 has a pulling power of 50 tons, but is able to pull with double or triple strength with proper block and tackle.  The main winch has 150 meters of cable.  An auxiliary/lead winch has a capacity of 500 kilograms and has 300 meters of cable.  The main winch cable is 30 millimeters wide, while that of the aux winch is 10 millimeters thick.  The winches can be lead out of the front, rear, or the front sides.

     The dozer blade may be put into a V-shape for route or mine clearing, or in a straight configuration for digging or bracing the vehicle.  The blade can dig 250 cubic meters per hour, and the blade can also shoulder aside obstacles (especially in its V configuration) or push down certain fortifications.

     The engine of the GCZ-112 is the same as that on the Type 96 tank and related vehicles – a 1000-horsepower turbocharged diesel, modified for supplying high torque.

     The GCZ-112 has a BMS, a GPS receiver with an inertial navigation backup, a mapping computer, and a vehicle state computer.  The commander, driver, and crane operator have LCD screens at their position which display applicable information – the driver has mainly vehicle state and navigation information, the crane operator has mainly vehicle state and tool states, and the commander has two LCD screen with access to all information.  The driver is at the front left, and the commander on the front right; the engine is at the rear. The interior of the GCZ-112 has a small computer with tech manuals for the crew to consult, and two long-range data-capable radios and a short-range radio for communication with the vehicle being recovered or vehicles in the immediate vicinity.  The GCZ-112 has no defensive armament other than the small arms of the crew, a box of fragmentation grenades, and an RPG-7 rocket launcher. (This normally uses HESH warheads, to blast obstacles.) The GCZ-112 is equipped with an air conditioner with NBC filters.

*If the plow is in the forward position, it provides an AV of 12Sp to the front of the vehicle.  It the plow is raised, the mechanism provides an AV of 6 to the front, though of course this may damage the mechanism.

NORINCO Type 84

     Notes:  This is a Chinese AVLB based on the Type 69 main battle tank chassis.  The bridge is derived from that of the German Biber AVLB (see NATO Combat Vehicle Handbook), with alterations to mate it to Chinese-made bridge laying system.  The total length of the bridge is 18 meters (16 meters usable), with a load limit of 40 tons.  There is also a narrow inner track to the bridge, with a load limit of 8 tons.  3-4 minutes are required to lay the bridge, and 3-4 minutes are required to recover it.  The bridge itself weighs 8.5 tons, and is based on the German Biber’s bridge.  It is constructed of light steel. Deployment is from the rear of the vehicle, with both halves being moved to the rear of the Type 84 along with the carrier frame.  This frame lays the bridge.

     The Type 84 has a crew of three; one of which is the driver in the front left side behind the glacis plate.  The other two are the commander, who is in the right of the hull with all-around vision blocks and a raisable pivoting day/night periscope. When the bridge is deployed, the commander may mount a machinegun on the provided external mount.  The bridge operator is in the center of the vehicle, again with all-around vision blocks and a day/night periscope. The chassis is basically a modified Type 69 MBT chassis. Power is provided by a Type 12150L-7BW diesel developing 580 horsepower, with a manual transmission.  The Type 84 AVLB has a vehicular NBC Pack, and extra radios.  The Type 84 has a small computer with tech manuals and solutions of various problems in bridging.

     If necessary, the Type 84 AVLB can operate without a commander, the position being left empty.  However, the bridge operator cannot use the machinegun from his position, nor can he use the bridge controls from the commander's position.

*The Type 84 has a Config of CiH is the bridge is mounted.  Otherwise the Config is Stnd.  If the bridge is mounted and there is a “turret” hit, no personnel hits are possible; these are regarded as misses.  Other CiH hits are on the bridge itself or the deployment machinery.

^*The Type 84 has a floor AV of 5.

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NORINCO Type 85 Armored Repair Vehicle & Recovery Vehicle

     Notes:  The Type 85 Armored Repair Vehicle is a vehicle based on the chassis of the Type 85 armored personnel carrier, designed for carrying vehicle repair teams.  This vehicle has a raised superstructure topped with a cupola-mounted machinegun.  The vehicle has a 5 kW generator, basic, wheeled vehicle, tracked vehicle, small arms, and heavy ordinance tools, a welding set, air and oil filter cleaners, and an inertia dynomometer.  It also has a circular saw and power tools. It normally carries a wide selection of spare parts. 

     The Type 85 Repair Vehicle is a Type 85 armored personnel carrier with a hydraulic crane that has a capacity of 1 ton.  It has a light winch with a capacity of 25 tons (50 with block & tackle). Also included are basic, wheeled vehicle, and tracked vehicle tools, a welding set, a 5kW generator, excavating tools, an air compressor, a tow bar, ropes, and cables.  (The RV essentially carries the same tool set as the ARV.) They tend to be found in conjunction with Type 85 ARV noted above. 

     As a variant of the Type 85 APC, the two engineer variants have a Deutz BF8L 413F turbocharged diesel developing 320 horsepower; their suspension is by torsion bars and the transmission is manual.  The crew enter and exit through a large door in the rear face; a table can also be folded down outside the vehicle to create more work space. The gunner (who is also a mechanic, like the rest of the crew) is on the center roof, manning a machinegun.  The gun has full armored gun shields, with AV2. The driver is on the front left; he has three vision blocks to the front, and the center front can be replaced with a night vision block. A third hatch, behind the driver's hatch, is normally manned by the chief mechanic and has all-around vision blocks. The two oblong hatches are deleted, though there is a smaller hatch on the left side to the rear of center.

     Both versions have two long-range secure data-cable radios. As well as a secure short-range radio.  They have inertial navigation with a mapping computer.  There is a vehicular NBC Pack into which the crewmembers plug their protective masks; the hoses reach to the rear workbench.

*The CiH Config rating refers primarily to the armored gun shields around gunner’s nest, but also refers to the various equipment, including the generator, carried on top of the vehicles.  It can also refer to the crane of the Type 85 RV.

NORINCO Type 90-II ARV

     Notes: China’s latest ARV design is meant to recover the Type 96 and 99 tanks, amongst other vehicles. As yet the Type 90-II ARV has not been exported; I have not been able to find reliably whether it is even on the export market.  It is used by the PLA and will eventually replace all other ARVs in the tank recovery role.

     As the name would indicate, the Type 90-II ARV is based on the Type 90-II tank. As such, it has the same basic chassis, leading to a heavily-armored ARV (though it does not have the Type 90-II tank’s composite armor glacis), which is fast and able to operate with other newer vehicle formations.  It has a French-designed 1200-horsepower engine, with an automatic transmission that is able to switch to manual mode to take advantage of the engine’s enormous torque. The Type 90-II ARV has a MIL-STD-1553-A data bus to allow it to operate with Western BMSs (a version of which the PLA has standardized). The Type 90-II ARV has the same suspension improvements as the Type 90-II tank, giving it a smooth ride. As the Type 90-II tank, the Type 90-II ARV has a 1200-horsepower turbocharged 6TD diesel.  The vehicle may ford 1.4 meters, of 5 meters with preparation (though it cannot actually swim).

     The driver is on the front left and sees through a large armored window to his front.  He also has a pull-down image intensifier stowed to the front and above his head. The window has an armored shutter with a vision slit to close over the window in high incoming fire situations.  The commander is on the front center on a power-traversed cupola. To the left of the commander’s cupola is a manually-operated cupola with a heavy weapon mount.  He can aim and fire the weapon when buttoned up. Both cupolas have all-around vision blocks and the both cupolas’ frontal vision blocks have an image intensifier. Both cupolas have a WL spotlight for use when working at night. Other crewmembers sit in the hull when travelling.  They have an NBC overpressure system with a vehicular NBC backup.  They have a heater and AC. On the top front right side is a cluster of eight smoke grenade launchers.

     The Type 90-II ARV has on the right side of the hull a 25-ton-capacity winch, able to traverse 290 degrees.  The winch uses a 30mm wire rope and can pull 41 tons, or 82 tons with block and tackle.  It can tow 50 tons as full speed, or 65 tons at half speed. In front is a dozer blade 400mm in height and as wide as the front of the vehicle, which can brace the vehicle during crane of winching operations, recover vehicles, or excavate 120 cubic meters per hour. Tools include deluxe versions of basic tools, wheeled vehicle tools, tracked vehicle tools, and power tools. It has an arc welder, a power jaw (“jaws of life”) and a circular cutter. It has a chainsaw.  It has two sets of pioneer tools, a 40-ton capacity hydraulic jack, and a selection of spare parts.  It is able to carry a complete powerpack for a Type 90-II tank, Type 98, or Type 99. Tools, vehicle equipment, and the crane can be powered by a 118kW APU, to allow operation with the engine off. (The winch requires the use of engine power.)

     The Type 90-II ARV has a BMS, GPS, mapping computer, and vehicle state computer.  There are three MFDs, one for the driver, one for the commander, and one in the rear for the crew.

     The crew has a computer with a complete set of tech manuals for most of the PLA’s vehicles and mechanical equipment to refer to when they have any questions. 

*The “turret” is actually the crane, and a “turret” hit means that the crane has been hit.  Personnel hits are regarded as a miss.

**The frontally-mounted dozer blade can sometimes take a hit; this blade adds 6Sp to the frontal armor.  Whether it has been hit depends upon how high the blade is raised.

NORINCO Type 84/84A

     Notes: The Type 84 (also known as the Type 653 or WZ-84A) series is an armored recovery vehicle based on the chassis of the Type 69-II tank.  The primary mission of the Type 84 is vehicle recovery, and movement to rear areas for repair; however, it does have a limited ability to repair vehicles and a tertiary mission of preparing fighting positions.

     The Type 84 series is in use by China, Bangladesh, Iraq, Pakistan, and Thailand.  A small amount have also been supplied to Kuwait along with their new PLZ-45 SP howitzers.

     The Type 84A is basically a Type 84 with a heavier, more powerful crane.  The turret of the Type 69 is replaced with a raised superstructure, offset to the left of the vehicle.  To the right of the vehicle is a crane; on the Type 84, this has a capacity of 10 tons, while on the Type 84A, the capacity is 20 tons.  Both cranes have a reach of 6 meters and can rotate 360 degrees; the base is on the front right side.  Both the cranes can lift a Type 69 powerpack or equivalent or smaller items; the Type 84A’s crane allows it to work with larger vehicles or powerpacks.

     To the front of the vehicle is a large dozer blade used for bracing and for earthmoving (it may excavate 100 cubic meters per hour on dry soil, or use the blade as a brace if lifting heavy items).  The Type 84 series also has a hydraulic winch with a capacity of 70 tons with 130 meters of cable (160 meters on the Type 84A).  The Type 84 also has an auxiliary winch with a capacity of 10 tons.  The winches, power tools, and crane are powered by the engine, but the Type 84 has two transmissions; when the winches are in use, or the crane and a winch, the two transmissions allow the engine to be used to operate two pieces of equipment at once. The vehicle carries 100 kg of random vehicle parts, with the accent on tracked vehicle parts. The Type 84 is equipped with a variety of tools for work on tracked and wheeled vehicles, and also carries excavating tools, as well as a large number of stowage boxes where other tools may be kept (other tools must be bought separately).  A tow bar is carried on the roof.

     The commander is at the right of the superstructure; he has a modified position for his gun which may be aimed and fired from within the vehicle, with it buttoned up.  The commander has all-around vision blocks and one with a day/night channel, and has a manually- operated cupola with a pintle for a heavy weapon. The driver is on the front left of the front, raised somewhat above the equivalent position on the Type 69 tank.  At the rear of the superstructure is a large hatchway, one meter long and two meters wide, which has the control positions for the winch and crane.  The two seats in this position may be swiveled 360 degrees, and may also move up and down. The operators have vision blocks to the rear and to each side of the compartment. One more crewmember is inside the hull, under the superstructure. As with the Type 69, the vehicle is powered by a Type 12150L-7BW diesel developing 580 horsepower, with a manual transmission.

NORINCO VME-102-40

     Notes: Though the GCZ-110 was designed partially with repairing and recovering the Type 96 tank series in mind, the GCV-110 is really more of an AEV with some ARV capabilities.  The VME-102-40 (increasingly referred to in the PLA as the Type 96 ARV) is designed specifically for recovery and if possible, repair in the field.

     The VME-102-40 is based on a Type 96’s hull, and is essentially the same hull, modified for use with a crane and other recovery crews, and lengthened, with a total of seven roadwheels instead of the six of the Type 96 tank.  The turret is removed and replaced with a raised superstructure, and a large crane with its base on the front right side. The front of the VME-102-40 resembles that of the BREM-80U, though the VME-102-40 has heavier frontal armor (and side and rear armor as well).  The VME-102-40 appears to be a long-flat vehicle, often towing a trailer with spare parts or a powerpack.  The superstructure is cut out on the right side to allow for stowage of the crane in traveling order.  The heavy armor allows the VME-102-40 to operate in the front lines under direct fire from enemy forces; though it does not have the composite armor of the Type 96 tank..

     The large crane can operate at a maximum reach of six meters and can turn through 360 degrees. It can lift 16 tons at this maximum reach or 18 tons at half that reach, and can lift a complete Type 96 tank powerpack or turret.  In the front glacis there is a winch that has a pull power of 35 tons, though this may be doubled or tripled with use of blocks and tackle.  A lead/auxiliary winch has a pulling power of 400 kilograms.

     The tool set is similar to that of the GCZ-110, though the number of most tools is doubled and there are much more spare parts.  The electronics are also similar.  The APU is a 52 kW model.

     Unlike the GCZ-110, the VME-102-40 has a heavy machinegun on the turret roof attached to a cupola.  This machinegun may be operated, aimed, and reloaded from inside the armor envelope of the vehicle. Clusters of four smoke grenade launchers are found at each corner of the vehicle.

*Most of the small turret contains tools and the controls for the crane and winches, and any “electronics hits” will be on these tools, the intercom system, the turret portion of the BMS system, or the night vision system.

**The bracing blade can protect the front end and glacis: what it depends upon whether the blade is lowered (lower front protected), midway/traveling order (lower glacis protected), or fully upwards (upper glacis/hull protected).  The blade gives a protection level of 4Sp.