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CDI Fact Sheet: T-54, T-55, T-62, PRC Type 59 and Type 69 MBTs
Iraq procured and modified various Chinese and Soviet armored vehicles to meet its combat needs throughout eight years of conflict with Iran. During the 1991 Gulf War, most of the Iraqi Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) encountered by Allied Forces during Operation Desert Storm were non-upgraded T-54/55, T-62, T-72 and Type 59/69s. Only a handful of those encountered were upgraded, typically with additional passive armor over their frontal arc to enhance protection against High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) projectiles.
The T-54, T-55 and T-62 tanks are improved versions of each the last, but all share the same basic design. The Type 59 and Type 69 are Chinese versions of the T-54 and T-55, respectively, with minor differences. All the variants are most effective against light to medium armored vehicles. As with any tank, the three main factors in gauging effectiveness are: armor, firepower and mobility. Armor & General Battlefield Survivability:
Fire Power:
Mobility:
Key:
*Stadiametric ranging is a crude method for estimating target range that was used in early tank models. It uses the relationship between angles and the arcs they subtend over a given distance to help the gunner determine the distance between the tank and the target. Once the gunner has made an estimate, he matches the target range to the corresponding superelevation, which also depends on the type of ammunition being used. Although original T-62's are equipped with stadiametric rangefinders, some may be retrofitted with laser rangefinders. Laser ranging is a method for estimating target range that was introduced in the 1970's. It is more accurate than stadiametric ranging and is used by almost all major armies today. The laser rangefinder is an electro-optical instrument that operates by firing a laser beam from the gunsight. When the beam hits a target, a small fraction of the transmitted light is reflected directly back along the path it was sent toward the tank, where it passes through an optical system to a receiver that is sensitive to the laser's frequency. The device then determines the time elapsed from the transmission of the original laser beam to the return of the reflected fraction-or "echo"-from the target, and uses this figure to estimate the target range.
International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2001-2002, Brassey's, London, 2002 "AFV Design Tanks - Creation & Development," SimHQ.com "Jane's Armour and Artillery, Twenty-first Edition 2000-2001," Ed. Christopher F. Foss. Coulsdon, Surrey, Jane's Information Group, 2000. "Laser Range Finder," aselsan.com "Laser Rangefinder," msss.com "T-54 / T-55 Series Tanks," GlobalSecurity.org "T62 Series Tanks," fas.org "T62 Series Tanks," GlobalSecurity.org "Type 59," GlobalSecurity.org "Type 69 Main Battle Tank," GlobalSecurity.org *Photo sources: globalsecurity.org, fas.org, legion.wplus.net
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Since WWII, the T-54/55 MBTs has been the most numerous tank in the world. The T-54 was first produced in 1947 in the former Soviet Union as an improved version of the T-44 used during WWII and the 1956 Hungarian uprising. The T-54 is primarily intended for combat involving tanks, combat vehicles and armored enemy targets. It was used in combat in Vietnam, Cambodia and Uganda in the 1970's. In 1958, an upgraded T-54 was introduced and dubbed the T-55. This new model featured improvements on the fully developed T-54 series, yet retained its basic design and appearance. The Soviets used the T-55 in the invasion of Hungary in 1956 and the former Czechoslovakia in 1968. It was also used in Syria in 1970, and was the primary MBT used by the Arabs in the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel. The T-55 was produced in the former Soviet Union until 1981.
In the 1950's, T-54s were supplied to China, where China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) put a copy of the tank into production as the Type 59 MBT. The Type 59 was employed in conflicts in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and continues to be used, most notably by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea and Pakistan. An improved version of the Type 59, the Type 69, was released by NORINCO in 1982 and is a virtual copy of the Soviet T-55 MBT. Iraq ordered between 100 and 200 Type 69-I MBTs from China once the tanks were available. In 1983, the first of these were delivered through Saudi Arabia.
In the former Soviet Union, an improved version of the T54/55 MBT emerged as the T-62 in 1961. It was produced until 1975 and eventually replaced the T-54/55 tanks as the standard MBT in Soviet tank and motorized rifle units. The T-62 was also produced for export in the former Czechoslovakia between 1973 and 1978, and in North Korea for home and export markets.
