The
Norinco Type 77 is a
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
amphibious
armoured personnel carrier. First fielded in 1978, it is in many ways similar to the earlier
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
BTR-50. However the two vehicles share little in their designs, as the Type 77 is based on the
Type 63 light tank.
Variants
Base variants
* Type 77 - Chinese tracked amphibious APC based on the Type 63-I amphibious light tank. The industrial designator is WZ511.
** Type 77-1 - amphibious armoured personnel/artillery carrier designed to carry a disassembled gun (85 mm towed anti-tank gun or 120 mm towed howitzer) on the roof. The vehicle has hydraulic winch and ramps to load/unload the gun. The industrial designator is WZ511-1.
** Type 77-2 - amphibious armoured personnel carrier. No winch and ramps. The industrial designator is WZ511-2.
** Type 76 ARV - recovery vehicle.
Major modifications
* Type 89 self-propelled howitzer (
PLZ-89
The Type 89 self-propelled howitzer (military designation PLZ-89) is a 122 mm self-propelled howitzer used by the People's Liberation Army of China to replace Type 85 and Type 70 122 mm self-propelled howitzer. PLZ-89 was first unveil ...
) - Type 77 converted into a self-propelled howitzer armed with 122 mm gun. Although most vehicles were based on Type 77 APCs, some vehicles were based on Type 63-I amphibious light tanks.
[http://www.sinodefence.com/army/tank/type63.asp]
* Type 77 Armored Engineering Vehicle -
Military engineering vehicle
A military engineering vehicle is a vehicle built for construction work or for the transportation of combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles may be modified civilian equipment (such as the armoured bulldozers that many nations field) ...
variant featuring two water-jets, excavation crane, and hydraulically-operated dozer in a V-blade configuration.
Operators
*
References
External links
* http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/type-77-apc.htm
Amphibious armoured personnel carriers
Armoured fighting vehicles of the People's Republic of China
Armoured personnel carriers of the Cold War
Military vehicles introduced in the 1970s
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