Type 63 (tank)


The Norinco Type 63 is a Chinese amphibious light tank. First fielded in 1963, it is in many ways similar to the earlier Soviet PT-76. However, contrary to the popular belief, it does have some essential differences from the PT-76 in the vehicle's waterjet propulsion system, etc. It is also known under its industrial designation, the WZ-211. Type 63 is being replaced by Type 63A.

Development history

The Chinese obtained a few PT-76 amphibious light tanks from the Soviet Union in the mid-1950s. In October 1958, the PLA decided to develop an indigenous amphibious tank based on the PT-76 design. The development program was carried out by 201 Institute and the 615 Factory. A prototype known as WZ-211 was built and tested in 1959, but the design suffered from a number of problems including engine overheating. The PLA wasn't satisfied with the performance of the vehicle, which led to the development of an improved version. It was jointly developed by Military Engineering Institute and the No. 60 Research Institute of Fifth Ministry of Machine Building. The prototype was completed in 1962 and was sent to Norinco Factory 615, the Shaanxi Weiyang Diesel Engine Plant, for continued research. After it later passed the extensive trials, the amphibious light tank was finally approved for design finalization in April 1963, and was officially designated Type 63.
Because of continuing tension with Taiwan, the PRC felt the need to upgrade its fleet of amphibious tanks as the original Type 63 was rapidly becoming obsolete and incapable of facing modern tanks. To prepare for a possible amphibious assault on Taiwan Island, the PLA requested a new amphibious tank that can be launched from tank landing ships over 10 kilometres offshore and reach the shore at a high swimming speed of 14 kilometres per hour. This improved mobility would reduce the risk to PLA Navy ships from enemy missiles, aircraft, ships, speedboats and mines and increase the survivability of the tank in the amphibious assault stage. The new version was designated Type 63A.

Description

Type 63 has a typical tank layout: steering compartment at the front, fighting compartment in the center and the engine compartment in the back. Although it is externally similar to PT-76 it has some essential differences from its Soviet equivalent. Instead of a three-man crew on the PT-76, the Type 63 has a four-man crew for better efficiency. Unlike in the PT-76 where the driver's station is located in the center of the front of the hull, the type 63 has the driver's station located on the left hand side of the front of the hull. The driver has a round hatch with three periscope vision blocks over his station. Gunner and commander have their stations in the left hand side of the turret and the loader has his in the right hand side of the turret. The turret has two hatches. The right turret hatch opens backwards and has a mount for 12.7 mm Type 54 anti-aircraft heavy machine gun. The left turret hatch opens forwards, has a periscope vision block and can be fitted with the 7.62 mm Type 59T anti-aircraft medium machine gun. There's a dome-shaped ventilator behind the hatches. The tank is wider and higher than PT-76. The Type 63 has a flat, boat-like hull similar to the design of the PT-76, apart from a nearly horizontal glacis plate, higher gradient of the bottom of the bow, different engine grills with three separate vertical slot side air inlets on the Type 63, in contrast to the single large inlet with inset vertical baffle plate on the PT-76. There's also a slight bulge in the center of each side of the hull. Also the tracks are mounted higher and the roadwheels are bigger. The half-egg-shape, cast turret, which is sometimes considered to be a modified Type 62 turret, is actually a modified Type 60 turret. It is placed in the center of the vehicle and has a ventilator dome with a snorkel fitting. Apart from his usual duty of reloading the gun after it has been fired by the gunner, the loader is also responsible for operating the 12.7 mm Type 54 anti-aircraft heavy machine gun mounted on the turret's roof.
The weapons array consists of the 85 mm Type 62-85TC rifled gun, the 7.62 mm Type 59T coaxial medium machine gun and the 12.7 mm Type 54 anti-aircraft heavy machine gun which is a Chinese copy of Soviet 12.7 mm DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun. Also a 7.62 mm Type 59T anti-aircraft medium machine gun can be additionally fitted to left hand side turret hatch. 85 mm Type 62-85TC rifled gun is the same gun as the one fitted in Type 62 light tank and can fire AP, APHE, HE, Frag-HE, HEAT, APFSDF-T and smoke rounds. The gun has maximum range of 12,200 m and maximum aimed range of 1,870 m and has a rate of fire of eight round per minute. The gun is not stabilized and is aimed via an optical gun sight. It can be elevated or depressed between +22 and -4 degrees. The Type 63 amphibious light tank is characterized by having poor accuracy, given the primitive optical gun sights that the gunner has to use and lack of a gun stabilizer, a fire control system and a night vision equipment. Type 63 amphibious light tanks are also equipped with a man-portable anti-aircraft missile launcher which is fired by a crew member standing in one of the turret hatches. Type 63 cannot fire its main gun while it swims due to the lack of fire control system. The vehicle carries 47 rounds for the 85 mm Type 62-85TC rifled gun, 2000 rounds for the 7.62 mm Type 59T medium machine gun and 500 rounds for the 12.7 mm Type 54 anti-aircraft heavy machine gun.
The hull of the Type 63 is composed of welded rolled steel. The hull is 11 millimetres thick at the front, 14 millimetres thick at the upper sides and 10 millimetres thick at the rear. The top and bottom of the hull are both 10 millimetres thick. This gives it protection against 7.62 mm calibre small arms fire and small artillery shell fragments, but it is not sufficient to protect from either heavy machine gun fire and bigger artillery shell fragments. The tracks aren't protected by any armour and are easily damaged.
The torsion bar suspension consists of six road wheels with the drive sprocket at the rear and the idler at the front. The suspension doesn't have return rollers. The track is composed of metal and is 2.82 meters long. The first limited production variant of Type 63 was powered by the same 6-cylinder 4-stroke inline water-cooled diesel engine developing 241 hp at 1800 rpm as the one used in early Type 60 amphibious light tank. The second production run, designated Type 63-I, was given the more powerful 12150L-2 12-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine, which developed 402 hp at 2,000 rpm. The more powerful engine gave the Type 63-I a maximum road speed of 64 kilometres per hour and a maximum cross country speed of 30 km/h. The Type 63 can cross 2.9 meter wide trenches and 0.87 meter high vertical obstacles, as well as climb 60° gradients and handle 38° side slopes. The vehicle has a manual, planetary transmission system with five forward gears and one reverse gear. The tank can fitted with additional fuel tanks to increase vehicle's operational range.
Type 63 is amphibious thanks to its flat boat-shaped hull. Preparation for swimming involves switching on the bilge pumps, erecting the trim vane at the front of the vehicle and switching the driver's periscope vision blocks for a swimming periscope vision block that enables the driver to see over the trim vane. The trim-vane improves the vehicle's stability and displacement in water and prevents water from flooding the bow of the tank. When not in use the trim vane is placed in its laying position in the front of the bow over the barrel of the main gun and serves as additional armour. Like the PT-76 it is propelled in the water by two water jets, one in each side of the hull, with the jet exits at the rear of the tank, however it has its entrances located in the front of the vehicle and not in the bottom as in case of PT-76. Unlike the PT-76, Type 63 also uses its moving tracks to swim. The waterjet propulsion system gives it the maximum swimming speed of 12 kilometres per hour and top swimming range of 120 kilometres.
Type 63 is equipped with an A-221A internal telephone and A-220A receive/transmit radio for which it has a radio antenna on the left hand side of the center of the turret. It also has two IR driving lights on the right hand side of the hull and an IR searchlight on the right hand side of the turret.

Service history

Type 63 entered production and service in 1963. The initial production variant was quickly replaced by the Type 63-I which had a more powerful engine, the Model 12150-L2 12-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine. In all more than 1,550 Type 63 and Type 63-I amphibious light tanks were made. The tank was designed to operate in the wetland regions and rice paddy fields of southern China. The Type 63 was intended for inland river and lake crossing operations and amphibious landing in the coastal regions and can swim long distances in harsh sea conditions at high speeds. It can also support infantry in the attack and engage lightly armoured vehicles and fortifications. It can also be used in reconnaissance and patrol roles. Type 63's high amphibious ability was proved in 1966 the Type 63s crossed the 31 km long Qiongzhou Strait between mainland China and the Hainan island.
Later the tank was also adopted by the People's Liberation Army Marine Corps for the amphibious assault operations along with various other amphibious units stationed near the Taiwan straits. Some Type 63 and Type 63-I amphibious light tanks were upgraded to Type 63-II standard in the 1970s. The original Type 63 and Type 63-I amphibious light tanks has been gradually phased out since the late 1990s and replaced by the more capable Type 63A which entered service in 1997. The PRC currently has an estimated number of 800 of both types, though only around 300 of these are Type 63A, Type 63A-I and Type 63A-II, the remainder being Type 63-II and old Type 63 and Type 63-I amphibious light tanks. The original Type 63 and Type 63-I amphibious light tanks are kept in reserve and for training purposes. Because the Type 63A was mostly designed for amphibious operations against Taiwan, it is presumed that it would be the basic vehicle used in an amphibious invasion of Taiwan Island.
The Type 63 was exported to Albania, Cambodia, Irak, North Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. It saw action during the final phases of the Vietnam war, the Sino-Vietnamese War and the Sri Lankan Civil War. During the Kuwaiti war in 1990-91, the Iraqis used Type 63 tanks in their attack on the Saudi city of Ras Al Jafiji. The Saudis attempted to reconquer the city with the support of a Qatari battalion with French AMX-30 tanks. There were few tank-to-tank engagements, due to the clumsy maneuvering of both sides. However, the few armored clashes resulted systematically with the victory of the much heavier and modern French model.
By all accounts, the Type 63 showed great mobility in terrains that are difficult for the heavy tanks, but its thin armour has caused heavy losses and casualties.

Variants

Operators

Current operators