In previous articles, the author talked about a series of stories about the development of tanks in our country, such as the 59 series tank, the 96 series tank, and so on. Today we are talking about the 88 series tanks. The 88 series tank is the second-generation tank of the PLA Army, and it is also a tank with a relatively small number of equipment. Currently, regarding the number of tanks produced in the 88 series, foreign ** considers between 200 and 400 units. So, the number of tanks of the 88 series, why is there such a small number of production?
First of all, let's talk about the development of PLA tanks. In the 50s, due to its own lack of experience in tank design, coupled with the limited level of domestic industry. At that time, the PLA forces had very complex tank models, including American and Japanese tanks captured on combat vehicles, as well as T34 tanks imported from the Soviet Union. In particular, the T34 tank, which was in the PLA units, remained in service until the late 80s or early 90s.
The PLA Army has a huge establishment and a great demand for tanks, and relying on imported tanks is not an option at all. Because the quantity of imports is limited, and it is not conducive to logistical maintenance and technological upgrades. In the late 50s, with the technical help of the Soviet Union, a production line of the T54A tank was established in our country, and the domestic model in our country was called the Type 59 tank. For a long time, the Type 59 tank belonged to the absolute workhorse of the PLA Army, for example, a series of improved models such as the C, 59D, etc. appeared.
After entering the sixties and seventies, according to the actual needs of the PLA troops and the overall development of science and technology, China has successively developed the Type 69, Type 79 and other derivative models on the basis of the Type 59 tank. However, the number of equipment of the above models in the PLA units is not very large. In the late 60s, our country learned from the captured Soviet-style T62 tanks the experience and technology of the design of a series of new generation tanks. After entering the 80s, China and Western countries have entered a very precious honeymoon period.
Our country has come into contact with a series of Western advanced armored vehicle technologies and concepts, such as the famous British L7 105mm rifled gun, which belongs to a generation of classics. After summarizing various European and American technologies, and integrating the experience and needs of China's tanks, China began to develop the second generation of domestic main battle tanks. And on the basis of the Type 80 tank, it was further upgraded to the Type 88 tank.
At the end of the 80s, the basic model of the Type 88 tank was finalized and began to enter the stage of small batch production. Note that the Type 88 tanks of this period were not mature in performance, and the basic models of the Type 88 tanks were not produced in large quantities. At present, it has been handed over to the Central Theater Army, which is mainly responsible for the training of new tank troops. In terms of service time, the basic model of the Type 88 has been in service for more than 30 years, and it has indeed entered the end of service, or is about to be retired.
In view of a series of problems in the use of the Type 88 tank, especially the problem of too simple fire control. China has carried out various aspects of the design of the Type 88 tank, and around 1995, the Type 88B tank was finalized and began to be delivered to the troops in batches. Compared with the previous Type 88 tank, the Type 88B tank is equipped with the ISFCS-212 lower anti-stabilized image fire control system, which has a shorter fire reaction time and improved shooting accuracy.
PLA Army 88 Series Main Battle Tanks Note that the Type 88B tank was finalized in the mid-90s. As for the Type 88A tank, it belongs to the development model of the Type 88B tank. True, Type 88A After Type 88B, in the late 90s, on the basis of the Type 88B tank, our country introduced the Type 88A tank. In comparison, the Type 88A tank used a Type 94 105 mm rifled gun. At the same time, additional ** reactive armor was installed, and the armor protection capability was further improved. The full combat weight of the Type 88A tank, which reached more than 39 tons, approached the level of 40 tons.
Maybe you have found a problem, that is, the time node, whether it is Type 88B or Type 88A, is a product of the mid-to-late 90s and belongs to the standard second-generation tank. In the 90s, third-generation tanks from various countries have appeared one after another, such as the American M1 series, the German Leopard 2 series, the British Challenger series, the French Leclerc series, the Russian T80 series and so on.
Compared with the above-mentioned third-generation tanks, the PLA Army's Type 96A main battle tank, China's 88 series tanks, as second-generation tanks, have a very obvious generation difference. Therefore, the number of tanks produced in the 88 series was not very large. About the total volume of production of tanks of the 88 series, our country did not announce. Speculations from various foreign agencies are also different, but they generally believe that between 200 and 400 vehicles. Due to the fact that there is still a gap with European and American tanks in the technical level of tanks, in the 90s, we significantly accelerated the pace of development of domestic third-generation tanks.
At the end of the 90s, the basic model of the domestic 99 series tank was finalized, and it participated in the National Day parade in 1999. In 2001, the basic model of the 99 series tank, which entered mass production. However, the size of the PLA Army is so large that it is impossible to replace all of them with tanks of the 99 series. Thus, the 99 series tanks were developed at the same time as the 96 series tanks.
The initial code name of the 96 series of PLA Army Type 99A main battle tanks is the Type 88C tank, and it also incorporates the development experience and technology of the 85 series and 88 series tanks. Seriously, the 96 series tanks do not belong to the third generation of tanks, but to the second and a half generations, using the chassis of the second-generation tank and the turret of the third-generation tank. The advantage is that it is cheap and convenient for mass production, and the disadvantage is that there is still a certain technological gap with the third-generation tank. Around 2002, the 96 series of tanks entered mass production.
With the finalization of the 96 series tanks and 99 series tanks, they entered the stage of mass production, and the 88 series tanks were discontinued. Before the 96 99 series tanks were finalized, the 88 series tanks belonged to the most advanced tank models of the PLA Army, which were mainly equipped with the elite ace units of the Beijing Military Region. Of course, this was the case in the late 90s. In the 21st century, with the mass service of the 99 series and 96 series tanks, the status of the 88 series tanks declined rapidly. At present, the 88 series tanks have been basically transferred to the Western Theater and the Central Theater.
The PLA Army's 15 series light tanks, for example, repeatedly appeared in a series of exercises in the Western Theater of Operations. In a blink of an eye, the Type 88B and Type 88A tanks in the 88 series of tanks have been in service for at least 25 years. Although it will not be retired immediately, it has already entered the end of its service life. In the northwest of our country, the pressure in the surrounding areas is relatively light, and the 88 series tanks are also enough to meet the needs of the task.
Of course, with the acceleration of the modernization of China's army, the army units in the northwest of China are equipped with 99A and Type 15 tanks at the same time. Among them, the Type 15 tank is gradually replacing the 88 series tank. As soon as the situation on the front line deteriorated, the 88 series tanks were powerless. The Type 99A tank will immediately send reinforcements, whether it is the T72 or the T90, compared to the Type 99A tank, there is basically no advantage.
There are many stories about the development and construction of the PLA Army units in the same frame of the Russian T14 and T90 tanks, and the author will talk to you slowly in future articles.