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Type 59
Photo: Tyg728 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Type59

Tanks · People's Republic of China · 1959
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Type59

⚙ T-54 variant
Type 59
Type 59 Photo: Tyg728 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
32
Protection
28
Mobility
35
Technology
20
Reliability
65
Crew Survivability
18
Operational Range
42
Logistics
78
Historical Performance
38
Strategic Impact
55
Origin People's Republic of China
ManufacturerInner-Mongolia First Machine Group Company Limited
CategoryTanks
EraEarly Cold War
In service1959–1985
Operators20 countries
Quantity9,500
Data Quality88%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
37
Tanks MASS Rating
41/54
Early Cold War
308/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
32
Protection
28
Mobility
35
Technology
20
Reliability
65
Crew Survivability
18
Operational Range
42
Logistics
78
Historical Performance
38
Strategic Impact
55
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
Type 59
Category
Production
1959–1985
Quantity
9,500
Operators
Conflicts
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · EARLY COLD WAR
41
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
88
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
37
tanks category
ⓘ 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
▣Protection9MOD.9
◇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
▲Production & Service4MOD.4
  • Total Production Units9,500
  • Years in Production27 year
  • Current Service StatusActive Service
  • Notable Variants Count6
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1945First deployment: Cold War
  2. 1959Production started
  3. 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
ⓘ Shown only from conflicts recorded in our database.
05 / Variants
▚ WEAPON FAMILY
Type 59 1959
// DERIVATIVES
Al-Zarrar 2004
06 / Operators
📖 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
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Tanks entry →