Type 77 (armored personnel carrier)

Type 77
Type 77 armoured personnel carrier advancing with People's Liberation Army Marine Corps soldiers.
Type	Amphibious armoured personnel carrier
Place of origin	People's Republic of China
Service history
In service	1978 – present
Production history
Manufacturer	Norinco
Specifications
Mass	15.5 tonnes
Length	7.15 m
Width	3.2 m
Height	2.16 m
Crew	2 + 20
Armor	Welded steel
Main armament	12.7 mm machine gun
Engine	12150L-2 12-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel 402 hp (300 kW) at 2,000 rpm
Power/weight	25.8 hp/t
Suspension	torsion bar
Fuel capacity	416 l
Operational range	370 km (road)
Maximum speed	60 km/h (road) 12 km/h (water)

The Norinco Type 77 is a Chinese amphibious armoured personnel carrier. First fielded in 1978, it is similar to the Soviet BTR-50 in function. ^[1] Like the BTR-50 designed by putting a higher hull on the PT-76 light tank chassis, Type 77 is based on the Type 63 light tank, ^[2] which is itself a derivative of PT-76, making both vehicles very similar. ^[3]

Design

The Type 77 was designed in 1978 based on the Type 63 after certification to manufacture it was received in 1977. ^[4]

The Type 77 is equipped with a 12.7 machine gun mounted on top with no protection for the gunner. ^[5]

Variants

Base variants

• Type 77 - Chinese tracked amphibious APC based on the Type 63-I amphibious light tank. The industrial designator is WZ511.
  • Type 77-1 - amphibious armoured personnel/artillery carrier designed to carry a disassembled gun (85 mm towed anti-tank gun or 120 mm towed howitzer) on the roof. The vehicle has hydraulic winch and ramps to load/unload the gun. The industrial designator is WZ511-1.
  • Type 77-2 - amphibious armoured personnel carrier. No winch and ramps. The industrial designator is WZ511-2.
  • Type 76 ARV - recovery vehicle.

Major modifications

• Type 89 self-propelled howitzer (PLZ-89) - Type 77 converted into a self-propelled howitzer armed with 122 mm gun. Although most vehicles were based on Type 77 APCs, some vehicles were based on Type 63-I amphibious light tanks. ^{[6] [7]}
• Type 77 Armoured Engineering Vehicle - Military engineering vehicle variant featuring two water-jets, excavation crane, and hydraulically-operated dozer in a V-blade configuration. ^[8]

Operators

• China: 200 to 300 Type 77s formerly used by the PLA Marine Corp for combat support. ^[4]

References

1. "Chinese Armour on the Move" . Retrieved 2024-02-07.
2. "Type 77 Armored personnel carrier". Military Today. Archived from the original on May 23, 2007.
3. "Type 63 Light Amphibious Tank". man.fas.org.
4. "Type 77 Amphibious Armoured Personnel Carrier". Archived from the original on 2012-01-23. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
5. "Type 77 / WZ 511 Armored Personnel Carrier". www.globalsecurity.org.
6. "Type 63 Amphibious Tank". Archived from the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
7. "ODIN - OE Data Integration Network". odin.tradoc.army.mil.
8. "Review: China army new tracked and wheeled engineer armored vehicles". Army Recognition. 5 April 2021.