Type 63 (rocket launcher)

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The Type 63 is a in the People's Republic of China made multiple rocket launchers from the 1960s, are fired mm with the rocket caliber 130th

development

At the beginning of the 1950s, NORINCO developed a successor model for the outdated BM-50 rocket launcher . This was based on the Soviet BM-13 . The new model was introduced in the early 1960s and was given the name Type 63 by the West. The simple structure of the model is reminiscent of the 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 of the German Wehrmacht . There is also a type 63 rocket launcher , which fires 107 mm rockets.

variants

  • Type 63 - first serial version with 19 turret tubes, installed on a truck NJ-230 .
  • Type 63-1 - version for guerrilla and commando units, consists of a single tube and a tripod.
  • Type 70 - second series version with 19 turret tubes, installed on a YW 531 tracked vehicle.
  • Type 82 - version with 30 launcher tubes, installed on a 6 × 6 truck. With a complete set of missiles in reserve.
  • Type 85 - version with 30 turret tubes, installed on a tracked vehicle YW531H (Type 85) .
  • LP-70 version installed on landing craft for coastal fire.

technology

A turret arm that can be pivoted horizontally and vertically is installed on the vehicle above the rear axle. On this 19 launcher tubes are attached in two layers. The type 82 and type 85 have 30 gun tubes arranged in three layers. A rocket launcher is able to fire all rockets in 17-19 seconds. Reloading an empty turret takes around five minutes.

Missiles

The rockets with a caliber of 130.43 mm are spin stabilized and have no stabilizing wings . In flight, the rockets rotate at 19,200 revolutions per minute. The swirl of the rocket is created by inclined nozzles arranged around the main drive nozzle. The missiles measure 1,086 m in length. They have a takeoff weight of 33 kg, of which 14.73 kg are accounted for by the warhead. The maximum range is 15 km with a burnout speed of 437 m / s. The following types of missiles are known:

  • Type 63 - with 14.7 kg fragmentation warhead producing 1,916 fragments; Splinter effect circle around 24 m; Range 10.1 km.
  • Type 82 (HE) - with 14.7 kg fragmentation warhead, which generates 3,850 fragments and is additionally equipped with 2,800 embedded steel balls. Range 10.2 km.
  • Type 82 (HEI) - 14.7 kg incendiary warhead containing 5,000 incendiary pellets. Effective area around 30 m. Range 10.2 km.
  • Type 85 - with 14.7 kg fragmentation warhead with proximity fuse ; Fragmentation circle of around 32 m; Range 15 km.

distribution

In addition to the official user states, a number of Type 63 units are in use with guerrilla and separatist units.

AfghanistanAfghanistan Afghanistan Egypt Bangladesh People's Republic of China Eritrea Gabon Iraq Lebanon North Korea Sri Lanka Thailand Vietnam
EgyptEgypt 
BangladeshBangladesh 
China People's RepublicPeople's Republic of China 
EritreaEritrea 
GabonGabon 
IraqIraq 
LebanonLebanon 
Korea NorthNorth Korea 
Sri LankaSri Lanka 
ThailandThailand 
VietnamVietnam 

commitment

The Type 63 and its variants were used in various armed conflicts: Lebanon War , First Afghanistan War , Sino-Vietnamese War and conflicts on the African continent . The Type 63 has proven to be robust and reliable in all battles.

literature

  • Ian Hogg : 20th Century Artillery. 1st edition, Gondrom Verlag, Bindlach 2001, ISBN 3-8112-1878-6 . (German translation)
  • TJ O'Malley: Modern Artillery Systems. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 361301758X .

Web links