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Type 82 Shinheung
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Introduce
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The Type 82 Shinheung is a light tank of the Korean People’s Army, which combines the main gun of the Type 62 light tank with the body of a North Korean-made VTT-323 armored vehicle. The PT-85 is a misnomer, the official name is the Type 82 Light Tank, or Shinheung Light Tank.
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History
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The 323 APC (often referred to as the VTT-323), the basis of the Type 82, is an amphibious armored vehicle produced by North Korea in the 70s as a clone of the YW531 (Type 63 APC). It was given the name M1973 based on the year it was first observed from the United States.
The first appearance of the Type 82 was on August 15, 1985, when the 40th anniversary of independence was held, and the US Department of Defense gave it the name M1985.
The Type 82 has undergone various modifications, such as replacing the ATGM with a SAM and adding a smoke grenade launcher, and is still in service.
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Characteristic
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Hull & Mobility
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YW531 was 5.48m long, and it is assumed that the 323 will be similar, but this vehicle is clearly longer than the 323. Another road wheel was added, bringing the total to six, and the length of the hull is estimated to be about 7.60m. Compared to the hull width of the 323, which was 2.98 m, the Type 82 appears to have increased to about 3.10 m.
The engine used on the Type 82 is unknown. The YW531 is known to use the BF8L 413F, an 8-cylinder, 320hp diesel engine, and it is likely that this engine was installed throughout the 323 series, including the Type 82.
It is estimated that the Type 82 will have 10-20mm of light armor and weigh less than 20t. The maximum speed is estimated to be 60 km/h on land and 10 km/h on water.
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Turret & Armaments
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The Type 82 had a horseshoe-shaped turret like the PT-76. The size of the turret has been increased, and although it is assumed that only the commander and gunner are housed in the turret, it is sometimes claimed that the loader also sits in it. Based on the main gun in the front of the turret, a coaxial machine gun was mounted on the right side and a sight was mounted on the left side.
Basically, the main gun of the Type 82 is the Type 62-85TC mounted on the Type 62 LT, but with an extended gun barrel. Available ammunition types are estimated to be APHEBC, APCBC, APCR, HE, and HEAT-FS. Places like Wikipedia say it can use an APFSDS, but China’s Type 1956 APFSDS never went into mass production, and North Korea probably never developed an 85mm APFSDS.
There is a big difference in armament between the 1985 version, the 1992 version and the 2015 version. In the 1985 version, in addition to the main gun and coaxial engine, a Susong-Po(수성포), a locally produced version of the 9M14, was mounted on top of the turret. In the 1992 version, the Susong-Po(수성포) was removed and an infrared light was added to the upper right of the turret, and a light was also added to the hull. In the 2015 version, three smoke grenade launchers were installed on each side of the turret, and Hwasung-Chong(화승총), a North Korean production version of the 9K310, was mounted on the top of the turret.
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Technical Data
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Type 82 Shinheung
Specification (Estimation)
Length: 7.60m
Width: 2.10m
Height: 2.80m
Weight: 19t
Engine: Unknown (Maybe BF8L 413F)
Suspension: Torsion Bar
Maximum Speed: 60km/h (Road)/10km/h (Water)
Crew: 3 (Sometimes claimed to be 4)
Armament (Estimation)
Main Armaments: 85mm Type 62-85TC (47 Rounds)
Secondary Armaments:
7.62mm PKT, Susong-Po (1985)
7.62mm PKT (1992)
7.62mm PKT, Hwasung-Chong (2015)
Photos
Type 82 mod.1985
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Type 82 Mod.1992
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Type 82 mod.2015
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