Type
62 Light Tank
Notes: The Type 62 is a scaled-down Type 59 tank, with a bit smaller
body, reduced-caliber main gun, and thinner armor, in order to reduce weight.
The object was to produce a tank that is more agile in areas of China like the
mountainous southwest, like Tibet, and southern China with its rice paddies,
lakes, ponds, and rivers and streams. The prototypes were developed from
1960-62, and the vehicle entered service in 1963. The vehicle is armed with an
85mm Type 62-85TC main gun, with Type 59T (PKT) machineguns at the coaxial
position and bow, and a Type 54 (DShK) 12.7mm machinegun at the commander’s
hatch. The 85mm main gun is the
same as mounted on the Type 63 Amphibious Light Tank below. The commander is on
the left side of the main gun with an overhead cupola; the gunner is on the left
side of the gun, and the loader on the right rear of the turret. The driver is
on the front center offset to the left; he has three vision blocks to the front
and sides, and the front block may be removed and replaced with a night vision
block which slightly amplifies night vision through optics, allowing the driver
to see to a range of 50 meters. The
gunner’s sights have been dumbed-down and are rather primitive, and the gun
installation has poor accuracy, with only a very limited facility for fire on
the move. Fire control equipment is likewise lacking in capability. Elevation
maximum is +20, while depression is -4 degrees.
The suspension is also lightened, with small roadwheels of aluminum. The
Type 59’s original engine was made into a smaller version called the 12150L-3
powered down to 430 horsepower. The Type 62 can cross over 0.8 meters high,
2.85-meter trenches, and 30-degree side slopes.
The Type 62 can ford 1.4 meters deep without preparation, or 5 meters
with a snorkel. The turret is noted to have a large bulge at the right roof,
which is a forced air blower, as the main gun has an inadequate fume extractor.
There are lugs for stowage boxes or external fuel tanks on the rear fenders,
four on the right and three on the left. The Type 62 may lay a thick, oily smoke
screen by injecting diesel fuel into its exhaust, but has no smoke grenade
launchers.
The Type 62-I upgrade was based on combat use in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
The upgrade adds a laser rangefinder, side skirts, and a forward AV2 gun shield
for the Type 54 gun on the roof. An external stowage rack for crew equipment is
added to the turret sides and rear, and this also adds additional protection to
the turret armor. The Type 70 is a Type 62-I with single-axis gun stabilization
and improved sights, and without the gun shield for the Type 54 machinegun.
The Type 62G has an improved armor layout with applique and Kevlar
antispalling liners for the interior. The original round turret is replaced with
a new flat-plate welded turret that also has an increase in armor. This turret
has four smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret. The main gun is now
a copy of the British L7 105mm gun with a fume extractor, and which has
one-plane stabilization and a laser rangefinder with a ballistic computer.
The Type 62G is equipped with night vision gear and sights.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Type 62 |
$219,159 |
D, A |
347 kg |
21 tons |
4 |
15 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Type 70 |
$243,957 |
D, A |
344 kg |
22.14 tons |
4 |
15 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Type 62-I |
$231,957 |
D, A |
344 kg |
22.08 tons |
4 |
15 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Type 62G |
$341,279 |
D, A |
354 kg |
22.41 tons |
4 |
14 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification
(G, C) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Type 62 |
145/102 |
40/28 |
730 |
160 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF10
TS7 TR6
HF12 HS6
HR4 |
Type 70 |
139/98 |
39/27 |
730 |
160 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF10
TS7 TR6
HF12 HS8Sp
HR4 |
Type 62-I |
140/98 |
39/27 |
730 |
160 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF10
TS7 TR6
HF12 HS8Sp
HR4 |
Type 62G |
138/97 |
38/27 |
730 |
160 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF15Sp
TS11Sp TR7
HF15Sp HS8Sp
HR4 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Type 62 |
+1 |
Basic |
85mm Type 62-85TC gun, Type 59T, Type
59T (Bow), Type 54 (L) |
47x85mm, 2000x7.62mm, 1250x12.7mm |
Type 70 |
+2 |
Fair |
85mm Type 62-85TC gun, Type 59T, Type
59T (Bow), Type 54 (L) |
47x85mm, 2000x7.62mm, 1250x12.7mm |
Type 62-I |
+2 |
Basic |
85mm Type 62-85TC gun, Type 59T, Type
59T (Bow), Type 54 (L) |
47x85mm, 2000x7.62mm, 1250x12.7mm |
Type 62G |
+3 |
Fair |
105mm Type 83 gun, Type 59T, Type 59T
(Bow), Type 54 (L) |
38x105mm, 2000x7.62mm, 1250x12.7mm |
Type
63 Light Tank
Notes: In the mid-1950s, China received a few PT-76 light amphibious
tanks from the Soviet Union for test and evaluation purposes.
While the PLA felt the design had some merit, they also felt that a good
deal of improvements could be made to the PT-76 before accepting into service.
The first such attempt resulted in the Type 60, but this design was
unsuccessful and a more comprehensive redesign was undertaken.
This resulted in the Type 63, accepted into service in April 1963.
The design of the Type 63 is largely conventional, with the driver in the
front left, commander and gunner in tandem on the turret left, and the loader at
the turret rear on the right, with the engine in the rear of the vehicle and the
turret in the center. The Type 63 has a flat, boat-like hull, with a
nearly-horizontal glacis plate and a high-gradient bow.
The sides are slightly bulged in the center.
The turret looks like that of the Type 62, but is actually modified from
the prototypical Type 60. The turret armament is an 85mm Type 62-85TC gun, the
same as on the Type 62 light tank above, with a Type 59T coaxial machinegun and
a Type 54 heavy machinegun on the roof, manned by the loader. Like on the basic
Type 62 light tank, the main gun has poor accuracy and virtually no
stabilization. The Type 63 uses the Soviet-style Christie suspension. The driver
has a special night vision front vision block like that of the Type 62 above,
but no true night vision devices are installed. Armor is of welded steel, with a
cast turret; the Type 63 has no side skirts and the roadwheels are easily
damaged. The overall armor is poor, giving protection primarily against small
arms fire and shell fragments, though frontal armor can protect against heavy
machineguns to an extent. The Type
63 is powered by a 6-cylinder 4-stroke inline diesel engine developing 241
horsepower, making it somewhat underpowered, and using a manual transmission.
Amphibious operation requires switching on the bilge pumps, erecting the trim
vane, and the replacement of the driver’s front vision block by a special
periscopic vision block that allows the driver to see over the trim vane.
This preparation takes six minutes. The Type 63 is propelled in water by
a pair of water jets as well as by track movement. The Type 63 can swim in
wetlands and rice paddies and also seas with high Sea States.
The updated Type 63-I has its engine replaced with a 12150-L2 diesel
developing 402 horsepower. The
increase in performance is dramatic. The Type 63-II is the Type 63-I equipped
with night vision equipment and a laser rangefinder for the turret armament.
The laser rangefinder is the same as on the Type 59-I MBT.
The Type 63-II upgrades were made in the early 1970s.
The Type 63HG (stands for “Sea Modification” in Chinese) was designed to
increase swimming capability. There
is a rounded bow extension which increases swimming stability and has incidental
armor value. The main gun is also replaced by the 105mm Type 83.
The main gun is too powerful to allow it to be fired while swimming.
The Type 63A is a greatly-upgraded Type 63-II.
It has a new engine developing 581 horsepower, and this in addition to a
modified bow profile enables a much higher swimming speed. This is further
enhanced by additional floatation modules at the front and rear of the vehicle.
The main gun is a low-pressure version of the 105mm Type 83 called the Type
83-I, and that along with a computerized fire control system and gun
stabilization allows the main gun to be fired in the water. The main gun may
also fire a 105mm version of the Russian 9M117 Bastion ATGM. The Type 63A has a
GLONASS-based satellite navigation system with a mapping module. The Type 63A-I
is a Type 63A with a further bow extension, wider track skirts, and lugs for ERA
on the turret front. A small amount of applique armor has been applied. It also
has more advanced sighting devices. The Type 63A-II adds lugs for ERA on the
turret sides, hull front, and hull sides.
Notes: A Chinese version of the PT-76, used by
China, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and Vietnam, with a beefed-up suspension,
transmission, and engine, and more powerful gun.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Type 63 |
$216,316 |
D, A |
874 kg |
18.4 tons |
4 |
12 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Type 63-I |
$217,036 |
D, A |
884 kg |
19.83 tons |
4 |
14 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Type 63-II |
$302,835 |
D, A |
878 kg |
19.81 tons |
4 |
14 |
Passive IR (D, G), IR Searchlight |
Enclosed |
Type 63HG |
$309,269 |
D, A |
906 kg |
20.12 tons |
4 |
12 |
Passive IR (D, G), IR Searchlight |
Enclosed |
Type 63A |
$464,086 |
D, A |
932 kg |
20 tons |
4 |
14 |
Thermal Imaging (G), Image
Intensification (G, C), Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
Type 63A-I |
$474,743 |
D, A |
926 kg |
22 tons |
4 |
14 |
Thermal Imaging (G), Image
Intensification (G, C), Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
Type 63A-II |
$481,829 |
D, A |
926 kg |
22 tons |
4 |
14 |
Thermal Imaging (G), Image
Intensification (G, C), Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Type 63 |
103/72/19 |
29/20/5 |
403 |
89 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF6
TS6 TR6
HF8 HS4
HR4 |
Type 63-I |
144/101/27 |
40/28/7 |
403 |
143 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF6
TS6 TR6
HF8 HS4
HR4 |
Type 63-II |
144/101/27 |
40/28/7 |
403 |
143 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF6
TS6 TR6
HF8 HS4
HR4 |
Type 63HG |
142/99/29 |
39/28/8 |
403 |
143 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF6
TS6 TR6
HF10Sp HS4
HR4 |
Type 63A |
193/135/72 |
54/38/20 |
403 |
209 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF7Sp
TS6 TR6
HF12Sp HS6Sp
HR4 |
Type 63A-I |
178/125/66 |
50/35/18 |
403 |
209 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF8Sp
TS7 TR6
HF14Sp HS7Sp
HR4 |
Type 63A-II |
178/125/66 |
50/35/18 |
403 |
209 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF8Sp
TS7 TR6
HF14Sp HS7Sp
HR4 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Type 63 |
+1 |
Basic |
85mm Type 62-85TC gun, Type 59T, Type 54
(L) |
47x85mm, 2000x7.62mm, 500x12.7mm |
Type 63-I |
+1 |
Basic |
85mm Type 62-85TC gun, Type 59T, Type 54
(L) |
47x85mm, 2000x7.62mm, 500x12.7mm |
Type 63-II |
+2 |
Basic |
85mm Type 62-85TC gun, Type 59T, Type 54
(L) |
47x85mm, 2000x7.62mm, 500x12.7mm |
Type 63HG |
+2 |
Basic |
105mm Type 83 gun, Type 59T, Type 54 (L) |
38x105mm, 2000x7.62mm, 500x12.7mm |
Type 63A |
+3 |
Good |
105mm Type 83-I gun, Type 63, QJC-88 (L) |
34x105mm, 4xGP105 ATGM, 2000x7.62mm,
500x12.7mm |
Type 63A-I |
+4 |
Good |
105mm Type 83-I gun, Type 63, QJC-88 (L) |
34x105mm, 4xGP105 ATGM, 2000x7.62mm,
500x12.7mm |
Type 63A-II |
+4 |
Good |
105mm Type 83-I gun, Type 63, QJC-88 (L) |
34x105mm, 4xGP105 ATGM, 2000x7.62mm,
500x12.7mm |