![]() ![]() The driver sits in the front left of the hull, and is provided with a hatch immediately above his seat, which opens to the left. The turret varies in thickness from 39–100 mm. The hull is welded steel varying in thickness between 99 mm on the front lower glacis to 20 mm on the hull floor. The Type 59 has a conventional post-war layout with an engine compartment at the rear and a cast dome-shaped gun turret in the centre of the hull. The Type 59 was not originally fitted with the infrared searchlight or main gun stabilization of the T-54. The Type 59 is almost identical to the early production Soviet T-54As, but there are some key differences. It was also the basis of several later Chinese tank designs including the Type 69 and Type 79 tanks. The Type 59 was modified several times during its service. 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. Over 10,000 of the tanks were produced by the time production ended in 1985 with approximately 5,500 serving with the Chinese armed forces. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963. 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. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |