Notes: The Russians supplied a large number of T-54 tanks to China in 1950s. They copied these tanks, calling them the Type 59. Early models were not equipped with fume extractors or IR searchlights; they were added later and the resulting vehicles named Type 59A.

With British help, the Chinese modernized their Type 59s starting in the 1980s, resulting first in the Type 59-I. The Type 59-I added a hydraulic booster for the breech, automatic fire extinguishers, an alarm that sounds if the engine it not developing the proper power, and most importantly, a new fire control system featuring a laser rangefinder.

The next upgrade was the Type 59-II; this replaced the main gun with one similar to the L-7 gun used by the British on their earlier generations of tanks.

The third upgrade was one that was not used by the Chinese Army, but was offered for export. It has the standard 100mm gun, but uses a 730-horsepower engine instead of the old 520-horsepower engine. The gun is strengthened to fire APFSDS-T ammunition. In addition, the tracks have rubber bushings, an NBC over pressure system has been added, gun stabilization is improved, the fire control system is simplified, and the ride is smoother due to better shock absorbers. This is commonly known as the Retrofit Package.

The last known upgrade was the NORINCO Type 59 Upgrade. This is also not used by China, but has been sold to undisclosed countries. This upgrade replaces the 100mm gun with a locally-designed 120mm gun that fires Western ammunition. A laser rangefinder has been added to improve hit probability, along with a ballistic computer.

Twilight 2000 Notes: All of these vehicles were found in the PLA during the Twilight War, but more upgrades had been done.

Notes: This is a Chinese development of the T-55, used by China and Iraq. The Type 69 can lay a smoke screen, and has a more powerful engine. The chassis is used as the basis for several other vehicles, including AAA gun, bridgelayer, and armored recovery vehicle. The Type 69-I adds a laser rangefinder, and changes the gun to a smoothbore 100mm gun that has a longer barrel and more ammunition flexibility.

The Type 69-II further simplifies the fire control system by adding a ballistic computer, and adds rubber shields for the side skirts, automatic transmission, and automatic fire extinguisher, and smoke dischargers. The gun, however, is the same 100mm rifled gun as the standard Type 69.

The Type 79 is a further development of the Type 69-II. It is equipped with an internally-mounted laser rangefinder instead of the external add-on laser rangefinder of the Type 69-II. There is ample external stowage bins on either side of the turret; as the back of the turret is a bank of four German-designed smoke grenade dischargers and a box for holding more smoke grenades. However, the biggest change is the main gun, which is the same 105mm L-7-type weapon as found on the Type 59-II. The Type 79 had only a short production run and was never exported; this was probably because newer designs became available.

Notes: Though it has also been referred to as the Type 88 and the Type 69-III, Type 80 is the most common designation for this tank. As one of its alternate names suggests, it is a development of the Type 69 series. Improvements include a more modern ballistic computer, a 105mm gun, a change in suspension including new sock absorbers and 6 smaller roadwheels instead of the 5 larger ones of the Type 69, a more powerful engine, and the deletion of the IR searchlight and the addition of an image intensifier. The Type 80 can lay a smoke screen by injecting diesel fuel into its exhaust, or two banks of 4 smoke grenade dischargers may be fired to create a thicker smoke screen. External fuel tanks may be added at the rear of the vehicle to increase range. A large stowage basket runs around the sides and rear of the turret. The Type 80 is in service only with China.

The Type 80-II is virtually identical to the Type 80, but it weighs 500 kilograms more. It has an automatic transmission and a more powerful American-made radio. It may be intended as a command tank.

Notes: This series of tanks marks a dramatic leap in Chinese armor technology, as for the first time, China used composite armor in their tanks. In addition, previous Chinese designs used cast steel turrets, while the Type 85 series uses welded steel with composite plates in the front. The Type 85-II is slightly lighter than the Type 85-IIA and has thinner armor; both use a 105mm L-7-type main gun.

The Type 85-IIM is a heavier version with somewhat stronger armor and using a 125mm gun; this gun is autoloaded and the loader’s crew position has been eliminated. The engine is somewhat more powerful.

The Type 85-III is almost a ton heavier than the Type 85-IIM.This is mostly accounted for by a larger and more powerful engine, but the Type 85-III is also equipped with a longer-ranged radio and a GPS system. This version is also used by Pakistan, but they refer to it as the Type-85-IIAP.

Notes: This main battle tank was first produced in 1990 in China, though volume production had only just begun in 1997. It is also produced by license in Pakistan, and further development has resulted in the Pakistani MBT-2000 Al-Khalid. The layout is similar to an upgraded Type 85-III, with a layer of composite armor on the turret front and hull front. ERA is also normally mounted on the hull front, turret front, and turret sides. The armor is much heavier than the Type 85-III. In addition, a large basket is added to the turret rear that allows for external stowage of equipment. The main gun and coaxial machinegun are fully stabilized and are linked to a laser rangefinder with ballistic computer.

Notes: The Type 98 was not shown in public until 1999, and the first units are not expected to be equipped with it until early 2004. It is basically an upgraded Type 90, with heavier armor and better armor sloping. The engine is more powerful, and better night vision is installed. The Type 98 has a laser warning system on the turret roof that detects when a laser rangefinder is targeting the tank and launches smoke grenades in the direction of the laser beam. A design defect is the large gap between the turret and the hull (especially in the back and under the gun); this creates major shot traps.

Twilight 2000 Notes: As of 2000, only 18 sightings of the Type 98 have been made by Russian and Vietnamese forces.

Merc 2000 Notes: As Notes, but budgetary problems have delayed deployment until 2006, and in nowhere near the numbers once hoped for.