PRC's Experimental Tanks

[dy031101]

Type 122 Medium Tank

Starting in late 1960s and further motivated by the various border conflict between the PRC and the USSR, an ambitious project to develop a next generation MBT of the People's Liberation Army went underway, calling for improved fire control, a bigger main gun, NBC protection, improved mobility, etc......

First prototype was completed in September 1970, and to further improve firepowers, turret-mounted ATGM launchers and heavier AAMG were also tested.  Rather than a reverse-engineered IS-3 that many sources seem to believe the Type 122 to be, this tank followed the Type 59 MBT's layout and featured composite armours, low-light nightfighting equipment, a 120mm smoothbore gun, hydraulically controlled steering, hydralic transmission, and hydropneumatic suspension.

The last three items never worked satisfactorily, so starting in early 1971 testing efforts were switched to two prototypes with those item replaced by more-conventional components (torsion bar suspension, for example).  They represented an improvement but were not sufficient to warrant production, so the project was terminated around 1974.

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Was the 120mm gun the same one as that to be used on German version of the MBT-70?  I kind of thought that the bigger gun alone ought to have be enough of an improvement over PLA's then-current tanks......?  (But then again, the Cultrual Revolution had probably complicated quite a number of things......)

[dy031101]

Type 111 Heavy Tank

Not wanting to be left behind by other major military powers (the USSR had T-10, the UK had Conqueror, and even the US ended up with M103), the various R&D and military decision makers within the PRC one after another issued requirements for a heavy tank in early 1960s.

First prototype was completed in 1965, which was said to have contained quite a number of innovations such as hydralic steering, automatic fire suppression system, NBC protection, and even a rudimentary vehicle-mounted mine detector.  Subsequent tests revealed some promise, but the advent of Main Battle Tanks- and then came the Cultural Revolution- prompted the power that be to halt all heavy tank developments.

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It is claimed that this tank has mobility comparable to that of the Type 59 despite being a fair deal heavier, and that its indigenously-developed 122mm gun as is can easily defeat the likes of the M60 Patton and has the potential to, if updated with modern technology, make short works of the likes of the M1 Abrams...... no mention on the gun's rate of fire though.

Whether that second claim has a factual basis or not, I wonder if the PRC ever thought about introducing that 122mm gun to their subsequent MBT designs- the USSR did with prototypes of their T-64.  Or the 120mm gun used on the Type 122 Medium......

[Arc3371]

Do you have any stats for these tanks?

[dy031101]

Type 122 Medium Tank:

Combat weight: 37.5 ton
Crew: 4
Length overall with gun forward - 9.525m
Width over the sand shields - 3.28m
Height up to the turret roof - 2.25m
Armament - 120mm smoothbore x 1
                7.62mm co-axial MG x 1
                Single/twin 12.7mm AA MG x 1
                Twin wire-guided ATGM launchers x 2
                (There are claims on the internet that the tank also has a 7.62mm bow MG for the driver...... likely needing to be aimed by manuvering the hull.)

Type 111 Heavy Tank:

Combat weight: 44~46 ton
Crew: 4
Length overall with gun forward - 10.625m
Width over the sand shields - 3.3m
Height up to the turret roof - 2.497m
Armament - 122mm rifled x 1 (claimed to, instead of being directly taken from the IS-2, be derived from field guns)
                7.62mm co-axial MG x 1
                12.7mm AA MG x 1

[Arc3371]

Thank you