Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Model 1981 "Shin'heung"

Model 1981 "Shin'heung"
Also known as Type 82
Western name: PT-85
Later model of M1981 Shin'heung during a parade. Note the IR projector on the turret
TypeAmphibious light tank
Place of origin North Korea
Specifications
Mass20.0 t
Length9.4 m (gun forward)
Width3.1 m
Height2.8 m
Crew4
Armor30mm hull
Main
armament
1 x 85 mm tank gun
1 x 9M14 Malyutka launcher ATGM
Secondary
armament
1 x 14.5 mm anti-air machine gun
1 x 7.62 mm machine gun
Enginediesel
SuspensionTorsion bar
Operational
range
500 km
Maximum speed 60 km/h on paved road
10 km/h in water

The Model 1981 "Shin'heung"[1] (Rise), in western countries known as the PT-85, is a North Korean amphibious light tank. It is built for the needs of their army, with around 500 examples operated.[2] The Model 1981 "Shin'heung is based on the lengthened VTT-323 APC chassis, and although the turret appears similar to PT-76, the PT-85 has a higher horseshoe-shaped turret, with an 85 mm gun and hatches similar to those of a T-54.[2] The US Department of Defence calls it the M-1985.[3]

Model 1981 "Shin'heung" upgrades

Right side of a T-62 tank showing the large L-2 Luna IR spotlight similar to the upgraded PT-85 tank

Early examples of the Model 1981 "Shin'heung" tank have shown a 9M14 Malyutka (AT-3 "Sagger") anti-tank guided missile installed on top of the turret directly above the main gun, and with two lights on the front of either side of the hull.[2] In recent parades, the Model 1981 "Shin'heung" has been observed with a large IR projector (possibly a reverse engineered copy of a L-2 Luna IR spotlight[4] on the turret, linked to the gun with a brace for elevation, as on the Soviet T-55/62 tanks.[2]

The arrangement of the lights on the hull has also changed: there are three lights on the right side of the front glacis (two black ones and one white), plus one on the left side plate; sometimes some of these lights are omitted.[2] The AT-3 "Sagger" missile is also now absent on the PT-85; it's unclear if these new or upgraded variants can be armed with that missile, and if so where the launcher would be installed.[2] Its also possible that the tank was never able to fire the missile and it was only mounted to parade tanks to confuse observers.[3]

In 2015, Model 1981 "Shin'heung" tanks in parades have also been observed with a Manpad SAM installed on the rear of the turret, as well as three smoke mortars on each side of the turret.[2]

References

  1. ^ "M1985 Amphibious Light Tank". www.military-today.com.[dead link‍]
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "PT-85 North Korean amphibious tank". www.massimotessitori.altervista.org. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  3. ^ a b Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (2020). The Armed Forces of North Korea: On the Path of Songun. Helion & Company. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-910777-14-5.
  4. ^ "ODIN - OE Data Integration Network".
Quelle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PT-85