Type 69
In service 1974 - 1990s in Chinese service
Based onType 59 (derived from)
China's first tank developed without Soviet help, drawing on a T-62 captured in 1969 and sold in huge numbers across the Middle East and Africa.
Built byNorinco Factory 617, Baotou
Development history
The Sino-Soviet split left China with the Type 59 and no access to newer Soviet designs. A T-62 captured during the 1969 Zhenbao Island border clash gave Chinese engineers a look at smoothbore gun technology, and the Type 69 that followed added a new gun, infrared night fighting equipment, a two-axis stabiliser and improved fire control to the Type 59 hull. Chinese units were unimpressed and took few; the export market was another matter. Iraq bought Type 69-IIs in bulk and used them heavily through the Iran-Iraq War and then against coalition forces in 1991, and further customers included Iran, Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar and several African states. Roughly 5,000 were built.
Variants
One canonical record, 3 recorded variants.
Type 69
1974Initial version with a 100 mm smoothbore gun.
Type 69-II
1982Reverted to a 100 mm rifled gun with improved fire control; the main export version.
Type 79
1984Fitted with a licensed 105 mm rifled gun and further improved fire control.
Related vehicles
Separate records that derive from this vehicle, grouped by how they relate to it.
Derived from this vehicle
Notable actions
- Iran-Iraq War
- Gulf War