PT-85

PT-85 (Type 82) Light Tank
Type Amphibious Light tank
Place of origin North Korea
Specifications
Weight 20.0 t
Length 9.4 m (gun forward)
Width 3.1 m
Height 2.8 m
Crew 4
Armor 30mm hull
Main
armament
 85 mm tank gun, 9M14 Malyutka (NATO code: AT-3 Sagger) ATGM
Secondary
armament
 1 x 14.5mm anti-aircraft heavy machine gun, 1 x 7.62mm general purpose machine gun
Engine diesel
Suspension Torsion bar
Operational
range
 500 km
Speed 60 km/h on paved road
10 km/h in water

The PT-85, whose North Korean name is Model 1981 "Shin'heung" (Rise), is the common western designation of a light amphibious tank built in North Korea for the needs of their army, with around 500 examples operated.[1] The PT-85 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]

PT-85 upgrades

Early examples of the PT-85 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.[3] In recent parades,the PT-85 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 Russian T-55/62 tanks.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7] In 2015, PT-85 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.[8]

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

References

  1. ↑ "PT-85 North Korean amphibious tank". www.massimotessitori.altervista.org. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  2. ↑ "PT-85 North Korean amphibious tank". www.massimotessitori.altervista.org. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  3. ↑ "PT-85 North Korean amphibious tank". www.massimotessitori.altervista.org. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  4. ↑ Murphy, Tiles (2015-12-09). "Tankograd: T-62". Tankograd. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  5. ↑ "PT-85 North Korean amphibious tank". www.massimotessitori.altervista.org. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  6. ↑ "PT-85 North Korean amphibious tank". www.massimotessitori.altervista.org. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  7. ↑ "PT-85 North Korean amphibious tank". www.massimotessitori.altervista.org. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  8. ↑ "PT-85 North Korean amphibious tank". www.massimotessitori.altervista.org. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
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