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Type 59 | |
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![]() A Type 59 tank in Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution | |
Type | Main battle tank |
Place of origin | China |
Service history | |
In service | 1959–present |
Wars | |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | First Inner Mongolia Machinery Factory, Norinco |
Produced | 1958–1985 |
No. built | 9,500 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 36 tonnes (35 long tons; 40 short tons)[1] |
Length | 6.04 metres (19.8 ft) (hull)[1] |
Width | 3.27 metres (10.7 ft)[1] |
Height | 2.59 metres (8 ft 6 in)[1] |
Crew | 4[1] |
Armor | 20–203 mm[2] |
Main armament | 100 mm rifled gun |
Secondary armament | 2 x Type 59T 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun,[3] Type 54 12.7 mm air-defence machine gun |
Engine | Model 12150L V-12 liquid-cooled diesel 520 hp (390 kW) |
Power/weight | 14.44 hp/tonne[1] |
Suspension | torsion bar |
Operational range | 450 km,[1] 600 km with external tanks |
Maximum speed | 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph)[1] |
The Type 59 (Chinese: 59式; pinyin: Wǔ jiǔ shì; industrial designation: WZ-120) main battle tank is a Chinese-produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an early model of the ubiquitous T-54/55 series. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963. Over 9,500 of the tanks were produced by the time production ended in 1985 with approximately 5,500 serving with the Chinese armed forces. The tank formed the backbone of the Chinese People's Liberation Army armoured units until the early 2000s, with an estimated 5,000 of the later Type 59-I and Type 59-II variants in service in 2002.
The Type 59 was modified several times during its service. It was also the basis of several later Chinese tank designs including the Type 69 and Type 79 tanks.
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