Norinco PGZ-88 - Heavy metal for the skies

Surbaissemaxxing · September 8, 2025, 9:37pm

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Suggestion No.88

G’day lads. I want to suggest an SPAA between the WZ and PGZ for China, which would be the PGZ-88 featuring a radar with 2 37mm cannons :)

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Description:

Spoiler

The PGZ-88, also sometimes known as the Type 88, is a Chinese SPAAG developed in the 1980s and revealed in 1989. It was built on a MBT69-II tank chassis and armed with twin 37mm automatic cannons. The system included radar, optical sights, and a fire control computer. Only 24 units were made for testing, and it was never mass-produced or exported (although it was offered for export). It could detect targets up to 15km away and engage them at altitudes up to 3km. The vehicle carried 1000 rounds and was tested in various conditions.

History:

Spoiler

The PGZ-88 was developed by Norinco in the early 1980s and officially revealed in 1989. Its origins come from the downsides of earlier systems like the Type 65, a twin 37mm SPAAG based on the T-34/85 chassis, which was rejected by the PLA.

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In response, China made several experimental designs, including the Type 80 SPAAG, a reverse-engineered version of the Soviet ZSU-57-2, built on a Type 69-II chassis for Iraq. That project failed to attract export orders and was only accepted in small numbers by the PLA.

PGZ80-3

Their anti air capability for mobile air defense had to be upgraded. So, China looked on 2 different ways to approach their goal. First, they were studying imported ZSU-23-4 units from Egypt, meanwhile also experimenting with domestic twin 37mm mounts on Type 59 chassis. This led to the development of a new system using the Type 76 naval gun and a modified Type 79 (MBT69-II for export) tank chassis. By 1983, a prototype was built, but it lacked radar and suffered from power limitations. Improvements followed, including a new fire control radar with 15km detection range and stabilized tracking up to 8 km. It also appears that later on it got its own tracking radar, sitting on the middle left side of the turret, or on the middle (for the exported one).

1985-Type88-proto

In 1986, four radar-equipped prototypes were built by Factory 497 and tested successfully. The PGZ-88 was showcased at the Beijing Defense Exhibition and the National Day parade, leading to its inclusion in the “8910” project. Twenty more units were ordered for evaluation, but the program was halted due to budget cuts and doubts about the system’s reliability compared to foreign counterparts like the Oerlikon 35mm.

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Only 24 PGZ-88 units were produced. Though never adopted for full service or exported, the system helped with further development with other SPAAGs. Today, surviving PGZ-88s are used for training and occasionally appear in PLA footage, such as with the 82nd Group Army.

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Armaments:

Spoiler

The PGZ-88 is armed with 2 Type 75 AA cannons, carrying 1000 rounds. 1 belt has 500 rounds, while the other 500 are stowed.

It has a muzzle velocity of 1000m/s and an RPM of 360-380 rounds for each gun.

The rounds it could fire are shown below from a 90s Norinco brochure. Further info about the turret will be shown in the specifications area.

Specifications:

Spoiler

The PGZ-88 is mounted on a MBT69-II (as shown on the brochure), and with it, it weights around 35 tons, has 4 crew members and produces 570hp. This makes it go up to 50km/h.

Its firing accuracy for typical flight courses to R10 mils > 81%, with a system continuous working time of 6-12 seconds and a system reaction time of 6-12 seconds. The gun tracking laying speed includes a traverse of 0.5°–60°/sec and an elevation of 0.5°–40°/sec. The gun laying acceleration has a traverse of 45°/sec² and an elevation of 40°/sec², with 500 rounds of ammunition stowed. The radar detection range exceeds 15km, radar measuring range exceeds 10km, radar detection height is 1000-3000m, radar searching speed is 30 turns per minute, and the laser range is 8km (aka tracking range for its tracking radar).