Data Quality88%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
Type 59
Category
Country
Prime contractor
Production
1959–1985
Quantity
9,500
Operators
Conflicts
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · EARLY COLD WAR
41
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
88
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the tanks category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
- Tank ClassificationMain Battle Tank (MBT)
- GenerationEarly Cold War
- Combat Weight36 t
- Crew Size4
- Service Entry Year1959
◈Firepower11MOD.11
- Main Gun Calibre105 mm
- Main Gun TypeRifled
- Main Gun Length (Calibres)56
- Muzzle Velocity (Max)1,000 m/s
- Effective Range (Main Gun)2,000 m
- Ammunition Stowage34
- Can Fire APFSDSYes
- Can Fire HEATYes
- Can Fire HE-FragYes
- Can Fire ATGMNo
- Coaxial / Secondary MG Count1
▣Protection9MOD.9
- Armour TypeCast Steel
- Hull Front Thickness (Max)100 mm
- Turret Front Thickness (Max)100 mm
- Frontal RHA Equivalent (KE)203 mm
- Frontal RHA Equivalent (CHEM)100 mm
- Has ERANo
- Has APSNo
- NBC ProtectionYes
- Smoke GrenadesYes
◇Mobility9MOD.9
- Engine Power520 hp
- Power-to-Weight Ratio14.44 hp/t
- Fuel TypeDiesel
- Transmission TypeManual
- Suspension TypeTorsion Bar
- Max Road Speed40 km/h
- Max Off-Road Speed35 km/h
- Operational Range (Road)600 km
- Fording Depth1.4 m
◆Dimensions5MOD.5
- Length (Hull)6.04 m
- Length (Overall, Gun Forward)8.44 m
- Width3.27 m
- Height2.59 m
- Ground Clearance0.425 m
▤Electronics & Optics8MOD.8
⬢Amphibious & Special3MOD.3
▲Production & Service4MOD.4
- Total Production Units9,500
- Years in Production27 year
- Current Service StatusActive Service
- Notable Variants Count6
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
- 1945First deployment: Cold War
- 1959Production started
- 1985Production ended
67
years in service
26
years in production
9,500
units produced
20
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Conflicts
TYPE 59 · CONFLICTS SERVED IN17% win·17% loss
Total Conflicts
6
Victories
1
Ongoing
0
Losses
1
1998–1999Kosovo War—→1979Sino-Vietnamese War—→1967–1975Cambodian Civil War—→1962Sino-Indian War—→1959–1975Laotian Civil WarDecisive victory→1955–1975Vietnam WarDecisive victory→
ⓘ Shown only from conflicts recorded in our database.
05 / Variants
▚ WEAPON FAMILY
06 / Operators
Operator Inventory18country · 4,177units
4,177active
07 / MASS Score
TANKS RANKING Tanks · Early Cold War
MASS RANKINGSMASS ↗
308TANKS41EARLY COLD WAR · TANKS368PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA · ALL WEAPONS11PERFORMANCE/PRICE · TANKS
ⓘ Rankings are within theTankscategory.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE13terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
Steel alloy cast into shape for armour applications.
Type of internal combustion engine fuel, refined from crude oil.
High-Explosive Fragmentation: ammunition that explodes on impact, releasing fragments.
High-Explosive Anti-Tank: a type of projectile that uses a shaped charge to penetrate armor.
A main battle tank is a heavily armored vehicle with a large caliber gun, used for front-line combat.
Manual: a tank transmission in which the driver selects gear changes manually, typically using a clutch pedal and gear lever to engage gears.
A fire control system relying on optical sights and manual input for aiming and range estimation without computer assistance.
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical protection for tank crews.
Enhanced low-light visibility through specialized optics or sensors.
A rifled gun has spiral grooves cut into its barrel.
Handheld or vehicle-mounted devices that release dense smoke to obscure vision, conceal movements, or screen friendly forces from enemy observation.
A torsion bar is a steel rod that resists twisting and serves as a spring in tank suspensions, with one end fixed to the hull and the other connected to a lever arm moving the road wheel.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources