Type 69/79 main battle tank

The Type 69 () and Type 79 () are Chinese second generation main battle tanks. Both were developments of the Type 59 medium tank (a locally produced Soviet T-54A) with technologies derived from T-62. They were the first indigenously developed main battle tanks by China, although also classified as medium tanks while in development and service. Their lineage from the T-54A can be seen through the distinct gap between the first and second road wheels. Other improvements included a new engine, ballistic computers, and laser rangefinders. The more advanced Type 79 variant was equipped with a 105 mm rifled gun which was also found on the Type 80 tank.

History

Development of the Type 69

After the Sino-Soviet split, the Soviet Union withdrew its technical staff and support to China's arms industry. This caused China's domestic tank development to stagnate significantly. Sometime after 1960, the PLA tank corps and Fifth Ministry of Machine Building embarked on the development of China's first domestically developed tank. In 1965, development objectives were finalized and the product was named "WZ121" internally. In 1966, the first prototype rolled off the factory. However, the Cultural Revolution and its resulting chaos further impeded tank development.

During the 1969 Sino-Soviet border conflict, the PLA was able to capture a Soviet T-62 MBT. The captured tank was examined and some of its components such as the Soviet Luna IR (infrared) searchlight system, were copied and integrated into the Type 69 prototype. After around a decade of development, the first domestically developed and produced Chinese tank was inducted into the PLA ground forces as the Type 1969 Medium Tank or Type 69 Tank for short.

Appearance wise, the Type 69 did not differ from the Type 59 much. The fume extractor on the 100mm gun was moved back slightly and there was a large IR light attached to the turret. There was a laser rangefinder on the gun mantlet and a smaller IR light on the commander's hatch, making it the first Chinese tank capable of fighting in the dark. The main upgrade in the Type 69 was in its firepower. The Type 69 was the first Chinese tank to be outfitted with a 100mm smoothbore gun capable of firing APFSDS rounds. It also had two plane gun stabilization. Due to these upgrades, the Type 69 was a much more battle-capable MBT than the Type 59, especially at night. It was also faster thanks to an upgraded engine. However, protection wise the Type 69 was essentially the same as the Type 59. Like the Type 59, it also did not have any NBC protection.

Type 69 was incorporated into service in 1974. However, it was fundamentally an improved variant of the Type 59. The Chinese military decided to develop another second-generation main battle tank based on new technologies. The new tank program, also known as the Type 80, began development in 1978, built upon the foundation that was laid during the development of the Type 69 tank.

Deployment and teething issues

Despite these improvements, due to the large number of technical problems when operating the tanks, the initial batch of Type 69 tanks were returned to the factory. By March 1974, only 100 Type 69 tanks had been produced. The relevant departments in tank development did not have sufficient experience or knowledge, and the overly ambitious design requirements meant that a large amount of time was wasted. Compounding to this immaturity in the tank manufacturing industry was the on-going Cultural Revolution. The Type 69 took almost a decade of development but only resulted in a tank that looked only marginally different from the original Type 59 and was only significantly different in its firepower. By the time the Type 69 went into production, other countries had already developed much more advanced tanks such as the American M60 MBTs or what would eventually become the Russian T-72.

Development of the Type 79

Relations between China and the West warmed in the 1980s, and China was able to import some Western technologies to improve its weapon systems. The Type 69 was upgraded with Western systems such as the British Marconi FCS, and the L7 105 mm gun. The new version received the designation Type 79, which represented the conclusion of China's first-generation tank development.

Both the Type 69 and Type 79 tanks share almost identical hulls and turrets with the older Type 59. The only difference is that the two more recent tank models have been upgraded with better technologies that were either captured or bought from more advanced countries. ( Gelbart 1996:17-19) The Chinese Type 59, 69 and 79 tanks can therefore be viewed as part of the same, evolutionary tank family in the same way that the Soviet T-54, T-55 and T-62 tanks share a common lineage.

Today only a couple of hundred Type 69/Type 79s remain in PLA inventory, mostly deployed with training or reserve units. The Type 69/Type 79 are being replaced by the newer Type 96 and Type 99 MBTs.

Foreign service

The PLA was unsatisfied with the Type 69's performance, but it still became one of China's most successful armored vehicle exports. These export versions were called Type 69-II (in contrast to the domestic Type 69-I) and had incorporated improvements which were not found in the original Type 69-I. Over 2,000 were sold worldwide in the 1980s. The simplicity, robustness and low cost of the tanks made them attractive on the export market, and China sold hundreds to both sides during the Iran–Iraq War. ( Gelbart 1996:18) Many of the vehicles were later used by Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War.

During the 1980s, China sold hundreds of Type 69 MBTs to Iraq. By the Persian Gulf War of 1990 and 1991, western analysts claim that Iraq had upgraded some Type 69s with a 105 mm gun, a 60 mm mortar, and a 125 mm gun with an auto-loader. All of them were reinforced with frontal layer armor welded on the glacis plate. All these versions were known as Type 69-QMs. It was reported during the 1991 Gulf War that the Iraqi Type 69 units fought harder than the elite Republican Guard units, equipped with T-72 MBTs. One possible explanation is that Saddam ordered his Republican Guard units to preserve their strength, while sending the rest of the army, equipped with inferior Type 69 tanks, to the frontline.

According to battle reports from the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Type 69-QMs were used by the Iraqi Army units defending Nasiriyah in March 2003, most of them being employed as artillery pillboxes. They played an important role in the ambushes mounted against the US Army 507th Maintenance Company and Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, before AH-1 Cobra helicopters wiped out the Iraqi tanks. Two Type 69s destroyed at least four vehicles of the 507th, among them a heavy truck rammed by one of the tanks. There is also a first hand account of about four Type 69s hidden behind some buildings pounding the Marines' Charlie Company with indirect fire and likely disabling several AAVs. Some combat useless Type 59/69s were emplaced as decoys or mere obstacles.

Myanmar Army Type 69 tanks also reportedly engaged Royal Thai Army M60A3 tanks in 2001 during the battle for Border Post 9631, although it is unclear if either side lost any vehicles.

Variants

Prototypes

* Type 69 – Prototype based on the Type 59 hull, fitted with a new 580 hp diesel engine, Type 69 100 mm smoothbore gun, IR searchlight, and laser rangefinder.
* Type 69-I – Domestic variant incorporating some technologies from captured Soviet T-62 MBT, such as the Luna IR searchlight system, and improved NBC protection. The -I designation (such as Type 59-I, Type 69-I) denotes a domestic variant. A -2 designation denotes an variant designed for export. Similarly a "M" suffix also denoted a foreign export variant.

Production variants

Type 69

* Type 69-IIA – First production version released in 1982, fitted with:
** Type 69-II 100 mm smoothbore gun
** New FCS system with:
*** TSFC 2-axis gun stabilization
*** Type 70 gunner sight
*** TCRLA Laser rangefinder
*** BCLA Ballistic computer
** Type 889 radio
** Armored track skirts
** Storage racks on turret
** Smoke grenade launchers
** 2 diamond shaped oil cap on angled plate behind engine deck
This version was widely exported and produced under license in Pakistan by Heavy Industries Taxila

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