Type 59 Main Battle Tank (Viet Nam)

Location: RAAC Memorial & Army Tank Museum, Puckapunyal, VIC, Australia

Date: April 2006

This is a detailed set of images of a Chinese produced Type 59, classified originally as a Medium Tank (in line with the original Soviet T-54/54 lineage of this vehicle), but classed more recently as a Main Battle Tank (MBT). These images complement our earlier series of images of a Chinese vehicle at the Tank Museum of the PLA.

This vehicle was operated by North Viet Nam and captured by troops of the Army of theĀ  Republic of Vietnam (South Viet Nam) in 1972 and subsequently presented to the Australian Government.

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PLA Type 59 Medium Tank

Location: Tank Museum of the People’s Liberation Army, Changping County, Beijing, China

Date: June 2006

This series of images was taken in June 2006 at the Tank Museum of the People’s Liberation Army, Chang Ping County, Peoples Republic of China.

According to the accompanying plaque, the Type 59 was China’s first MBT (introduced in the late 1950’s) and is the longest serving and most produced tank in China’s inventory. Continue reading