Type 90 AFV

Type 90 (YW535)

Type	Armoured personnel carrier
Place of origin	People's Republic of China
Production history
Designed	late 1980s
Manufacturer	Norinco
Produced	1991
Specifications
Weight	14.5 tonne
Length	6.744 m
Width	3.148 m
Height	2.376 m
Crew	2 (commander and driver) and 13 passengers

Armor	Welded steel hull, resist rounds up to 12.7mm
Main armament	1x Type 54 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun
Engine	Deutz/KHD BF8L 413F 4-cycle air-cooled diesel 320 hp
Power/weight	16.21 Kw/t
Suspension	torsion bar
Operational range	500 km
Speed	65 km/h

The Norinco Type 90 Armoured Fighting Vehicle is the successor for the Type 85 AFV of which it uses some components. The Type 90 series was developed for export, which consists of at least 10 different types; its industrial index is YW535.

This new type is rather similar to its predecessors Type 85 AFV and Type 89 AFV, but the hull has a different shape, having a vertical lower side wall and a sloping upper side wall. Overall, the Type 90 is bigger and heavier, yet has a lower profile.

Description

The hull is made of all-welded homogeneous armour plate, and provides protection against small arms fire. The vehicle carries a maximum of 15 including crew. The driver sits in the front left of the hull, and has a single piece hatch, which opens to the left. The driver is provided with three day periscopes. One of them can be replaced by a passive low-light-level night vision device or infrared sight. The commander sits behind the driver and has a single piece hatch.

The air-cooled, turbocharged diesel engine sits to the right rear of the driver. The engine is usually the BF8L 413F of 320 hp, but some models (Type 91) are powered by a more powerful 360 hp engine BF8L 513C. A large intake is located in the top of the hull, with an exhaust on the right hand side. The engine feeds a new hydraulic gearbox with 4 forward gears and 1 reverse gear. The track is driven at the front by a drive sprocket, and passes over five dual rubber-typed road wheels and three track-return rollers, then loops over an idler at the rear, before returning to the front again.

A 12.7 millimetre calibre machine gun with armoured shields is located in an open mount at the front of a small hatch in the center of the hull which opens into the troop compartment. The gun can traverse through 360 degrees and can be elevated to an angle of 90 degrees. A total of 1,050 rounds is carried on board. The troop compartment is at the rear of the hull with the infantrymen entering via a large door hinged on the right. Over the top of the troop compartment is a total of four hatches, two small ones located towards the front and two oblong ones to the rear; the latter open outwards. In each side of the hull there are three fitring ports with periscopes. On either side of the forward hull, a cluster of four 76 mm smoke grenade dischargers is mounted.

The vehicle is fully amphibious, a folding trim board stowed at the front of the hull needs to be raised, and the vehicle can then propel itself in the water using its tracks. Standard equipment includes an NBC system, a Type 889 radio, and a Type 803 intercom system.

Variants

Type 90 Tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier - Basic version, as described.
Type 90 Armoured Command Vehicle - Retains the basic low-profile hull, but has some of the periscopes removed. Specialised equipment consists of a generator and additional radio sets.
Type 90 Armoured Command Post - Has a higher roofline and is equipped with a generator and multiple radio sets.
Type 90 Tracked Armoured Ambulance - Unarmed ambulance with a higher roofline, can carry 4 stretcher patients.
Type 90 Recovery Vehicle - Has a slightly wider hull and is equipped with a 1-tonne crane, generator and welding equipment.
Type 90 Self-Propelled Artillery Rocket Launcher - Variant with a 30-round 130 mm rocket launcher mounted on top of the hull. A total of 60 rockets is carried on board. Crew: 6.
Type 90 Self-Propelled Mortar 120mm - With a 120 mm mortar Type W86 and 50 rounds in the hull rear. The mortar is fired through a big circular opening in the hull roof and has a range of 11 km. Weight: 15 tonnes.
Type 90 Self-Propelled Mortar 82mm - With an 82 mm mortar Type W87 mounted in the rear hull and 112 rounds of ammunition. Weight: 14.6 tonnes.
Type 91 Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle - This version is powered by the 360 hp engine and has a longer chassis with 6 roadwheels either side. It is fitted with a 2-man turret which is very similar to the one of the Russian BMP-2. The turret can be armed with an automatic gun of calibre 23, 25 or 30 mm.
Type 91 Self-Propelled Howitzer 122mm - Turret-less version with a Type 85 122mm howitzer mounted on top of the open rear hull. 40 rounds of ammunition are provided. Crew: 6. Weight: 17.4 tonnes. This version too has a longer chassis and 360 hp engine.
Type 91 Re-Supply Vehicle - Logistics version.

Operators

Myanmar

External links

References

Norinco booklet about Type 90 Armoured Personnel Carrier
Jane's Armour and Artillery 2005-2006

Chinese modern AFVs

Main battle tanks	Gongchen (modified Type 97 Chi-Ha)^x T-34^x IS-2^x Type 59 Type 59G Type 62^x Type 62G Type 69/79^x Type 88^x Type 96/A Type 99 Type 99A

Export MBTs	Type 85^x Type 90^x MBT2000 VT1A VT2 VT4

amphibious tanks	Type 63 Type 63A ZTD-05 VN16

Infantry fighting vehicles	ZBD-86 WZ501A YW307 Type 91 CS/VNBC ZBD-97 ZBD-04 ZBD-03 ZBD-05 ZBD-04A ZBL08 VN1 13P VN18 VN11 VN12

APCs	Type 63 Type 77 ZSD-85 ZSD-89 ZSD-90 ZSL-92 VN2 ZSL-93 ZFB-05 CS/VNBC ZFB-08 VN3 QL-550 ZBL09 13P ZBD-08 VP10

MRAPs	CS/VP4 CS/VP3 8M SET CS/VP11 12P

SPGs	Type 70 Type 85 CS/SM1 SM4 PLZ07A PLZ07B PLL-05 W90 Type 83 SPH SH-1 SH-2 SH-3 SP-3 CS/AH2 SH-5 CS/SH1 CS/SH2 15P ZBL09 SPH ZBL09 Mortar PLZ05A PLZ-45 PLZ-89 PLZ-52 PLZ-05 PLZ-04

Tank destroyer	PTZ-89 PTL-02 ZBL09 tank destroyer ST1 07PD

Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicles	Sharp Claw 1 Sharp Claw 2 Combat Robot

MRLs	Type 63 Type 81 Type 82 Type 83 Type 89 Type 90 Type 90A Type 90B WM-40 WM-80 SR-4 PR50 AR1A AR3 AR8 A100 A200 A300 PHL-03 WS-1 WS-2 WS-3 WS-6 WS-15 WS-22 WS-32 WS-33 WS-35 WS-43 WS-63 SR-5 SY300 SY400 Weishi

SPAAG	CS/SA1 Type 80 LD2000 PGZ-95 PGZ-04A PGZ-07 ZBL09 air defense system FK1000 SW2

Wheeled assault guns	PTL-02 ZBL09 assault gun ST1 07PD

Prototypes	WZ-111 Type 98 WZ-132 WZ-122 59-16 WZ-141 Type 80

Note: ^x = retired from service or has ceased development

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