WZ132

WZ132 / Type 62
	WZ132 in the Beijing Military Museum
General properties
crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
length	7.9 m (length with gun in 12 o'clock position) ; 5.6 m (length without on-board cannon)
width	2.9 m
height	2.3 m
Dimensions	21 tons
	Armor and armament
Armor	Steel: 25-50 mm
Main armament	1 × 85 mm cannon Type 62-85TC
Secondary armament	2 × 7.62 mm machine guns, ; 1 × 12.7 mm machine gun
agility
drive	12150L V12 diesel engine ; 430 hp (321 kW) at 1,800 rpm
suspension	Torsion bar
Top speed	60 km / h (road) ; 35 km / h (terrain)
Power / weight	20.5 hp / t
Range	500 km

The WZ132 (alternative designation Type 62 ) is a Chinese light tank that was developed in the early 1960s.

history

Development work on the WZ132 (Type 62) began in the early 1960s. The first prototype was completed in 1962. Series production finally began the following year. The background for the production was the demand of the army of the People's Liberation Army for a light tank that could take over the tasks of a main battle tank on the battlefield. The tank should be usable in difficult to access terrain such as mountain regions or river areas. The tank is also used by the marine infantry . The WZ132 was exported to many countries due to its low acquisition costs and is still in use today in many places.

Technology and armament

Since the Chinese designers had no experience in tank construction at the beginning of the 1960s, the engineers turned to the Type 59 , which is a copy of the Soviet T-54 . The WZ132 is essentially a scaled-down version of the Type 59. Like the Type 59, it is driven by a 12150L-3 diesel engine , which has been throttled to an output of 430 hp for this application .

The vehicle was also equipped with the small-caliber 85 mm cannon Type 62-85TC, for which 47 rounds of ammunition could be carried. The cannon is not stabilized and the effective firing range is only 1,200 meters. Targeting accuracy is also poor, since there is no fire control system or night vision systems in order to save weight and to keep the dimensions of the vehicle as small as possible. Aiming is accomplished using simple optical systems. Later versions of the tank were equipped with a laser rangefinder . Two 7.62 mm machine guns and one 12.7 mm machine gun, which is located on the tank turret, are available as secondary armament .

The armor of the WZ132 is comparatively weak. Effective protection can only be guaranteed against shrapnel and projectiles from handguns . In combat situations, this tank was found to be extremely vulnerable to anti-tank weapons .

The Type 62 was equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system. However, there was no NBC protection .