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Tanks1959–present
Main battle tank
Type 59 tank is a main battle tank originating in China. The cited manufacturer or builder is First Inner Mongolia Machinery Factory , Norinco.
ChinaTechnical data
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 6.04 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 6.04 m | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
Main battle tank
China
1959–present
Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Sino-Indian War Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Sino-Vietnamese War Iran–Iraq War Second Sudanese Civil War Sri Lankan Civil War Gulf War First Congo War Kosovo War Albania–Yugoslav border incident (April 1999) Sudanese civil war (2023–present)
First Inner Mongolia Machinery Factory , Norinco
1958–1985
9,500
36 tonnes (35 long tons; 40 short tons)
6.04 metres (19.8 ft) (hull)
3.27 metres (10.7 ft)
2.59 metres (8 ft 6 in)
4
20–203 mm
100 mm rifled gun
2 x Type 59T 7.62 mm machine gun, Type 54 12.7 mm air-defence machine gun
Model 12150L V-12 liquid-cooled diesel 520 hp (390 kW)
14.44 hp/tonne
torsion bar
450 km, 600 km with external tanks
50 kilometres per hour (31 mph)
Bangladesh
Cambodia
Chad
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
Iran
Myanmar
North Korea
Pakistan
Sudan
Tanzania
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Type 59 tank equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
BangladeshReported count for Type 59. Service scope: Bangladesh Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 34. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
CambodiaNumber column of the Wikipedia list table under "Main battle tank". The list's own wording applies; it is a compiled secondary source, not an official census.
CameroonReported count for Type 59. Service scope: Cameroon Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 12. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2021), not the article revision. 2021 cited publication year. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Chad ChinaPLA ZTZ-59/59-II/59D family MBT holdings.
Democratic Republic of the CongoRange count for Type 59. Service scope: Land Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 12-17. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2024), not the article revision. 2024 cited reference period. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
GuineaReported count for Type 59. Service scope: Guinean Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 12. Origin: Soviet Union China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2021), not the article revision. 2021 cited publication year. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Iran
Mali
MyanmarArmy exact named equipment holdings: Type-59D. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLES / MBT. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
North KoreaReported count for Type 59. Service scope: Korean People's Army Ground Force; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Excludes retired/reserve/on-order rows. Count column(s): quantity: 175. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
PakistanEstimated Pakistan Army ZTZ-59 holdings; separately upgraded Al-Zarrar counted under its own family.
Reported count for Type-59. Service scope: Pakistan Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 600. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Republic of the CongoReported count for Type 59 / Type 62. Service scope: Army equipment; does not replace a national total. 2 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 15 / quantity: 10. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2021), not the article revision. 2021 cited publication year. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Sri Lanka
SudanReported count for Type-62. Country-wide list; no individual service specified. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): in service: 70. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
TanzaniaReported count for Type 62 / Type 59-I. Service scope: Tanzanian Army; does not replace a national total. 2 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 66 / quantity: 30. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Thailand
United Arab EmiratesReported count for Type 59. Service scope: United Arab Emirates Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): number: 20. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Vietnam
ZambiaReported count for Type 59. Service scope: Zambian Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 20. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2014), not the article revision. 2014 cited source edition. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
ZimbabweReported count for Type 59. Service scope: Zimbabwe National Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): number: 30. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2019), not the article revision. 2019 cited reference period. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, Tanzania, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Equipment reference ↗Reported count for Type 59. Service scope: Cameroon Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): in service: 12. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2021), not the article revision. 2021 cited publication year. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Reported count for Type-62. Country-wide list; no individual service specified. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 70. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.