IRAQI MEDIUM TANK T-69-II

Description

The Type 69 are Chinese main battle tanks. Development of the Type 59 (based on the Soviet T-54A), they were the first main battle tanks developed independently by China. Their lineage can be seen through the distinct gap between the first and second roadwheels. Other improvements included a new engine, ballistic computers, and laser rangefinders. During the 1980s, China was reported to have sold hundreds of Type 59 and Type 69 MBTs to Iraq. By 1991 Gulf War, western analysts claim that Iraq had upgraded some Type 69s with a 105 mm gun, a 160 mm mortar, and a 125 mm gun with an auto-loader. All of them were reinforced with frontal layer armor welded on the glacis plate. All these versions were known as Type 69-QMs. It was reported during the 1991 Gulf War that the Iraqi Type 69 units fought harder than the elite Republican Guard units, equipped with T-72 MBTs. One possible explanation is that Saddam ordered his Republican Guard units to preserve their strength, while sending the rest of the army, equipped with inferior Type 69 tanks, to frontline fight. The Type 69-IIA was the first production version released in 1982, fitted with: Type 69-II 100 mm rifled gun, new FCS system with: TSFC 2-axis gun stabilization, Type 70 gunner sight, TCRLA Laser rangefinder, BCLA Ballistic computer, Type 889 radio, Rubber track skirts, Storage racks on turret, Smoke grenade launchers, 2 diamond shaped oil cap on angled plate behind engine deck. (Scale : 1/35e)