- Yes
- No
TL;DR: Very rare Eritrean modification of ZTZ59 with 122mm D-30M.
Note: Information regarding this vehicle is incredibly scarce, the following is the best I could do
History
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, gained de jure independence from Ethiopia in 1993, following its annexation in 1962, and the decades-long Eritrean War of Independence. Eritrea’s EPLF (Eritrean People’s Liberation Front) was briefly allied with the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front that toppled the Derg – Ethiopia’s Marxist-Leninist regime – in 1991, and used various tanks during this conflict.
However, not long after official independence, Eritrea invaded Ethiopia – starting the Eritrean–Ethiopian War from 1998-2000. It was in this conflict that the mysterious ZTZ59 (122) was constructed and used in battle.
Ethiopia first got their hands on T-54/55s from the Soviet Union, with around 900 T-55s delivered in the late 70s and 80s, and another 230 from other Eastern Bloc countries up to the late 1990s – Bulgaria delivered another 100 from 1999-2002.
However, the only two images of this vehicle show the hull belonging to a Chinese ZTZ59 (Type 59), distinguishable by a few key details like the sideskirts, and the headlights on the upper front plate. No sources that I’ve found mention deliveries of ZTZ59s to Ethiopia or Eritrea, and so I’m unsure how it ended up there. It could simply be a delivery that went unreported.
This vehicle is said to have been constructed for service during the 1998-2000 war, specifically seeing action near Badme in Eritrea in 1998, a town at the heart of the war. Its whereabouts since are unknown, most likely destroyed in fighting, or scrapped after the war – no images have surfaced since. One other image shows what appears to be at least three similar vehicles, but due to the angle, it’s unclear whether they are ZTZ59s, or T-54s/55s.
- Three 122mm-armed T-54s/55s/ZTZ59s
Characteristics
The vehicle was constructed as an impromptu SPG, potentially after its turret was blown off or damaged. A 122mm D-30M is placed on the hull, with only a small gunshield around the front, and what appears to be lowerable side-skirts.
The 122mm D-30M is a modernised variant of the 122mm D-30, with a new double-baffle muzzle-break and an improved base plate. The D-30M can fire a variety of shells, with at least 2 HE rounds, a couple of HEAT-FS rounds (one of which has 460mm penetration), as well as smoke rounds. The gun of the 2S1 Gvozdika is modified from the D-30 and uses the same shells, and so should give a good idea of its performance.
- D-30s in Eritrean service
The hull of the vehicle appears unchanged. The ZTZ59 has 100mm of frontal armour, sloped at 60°. The sides are 80mm at 0°, and the rear is 45mm at 16°. The tank has a 520hp engine, giving it a top forward speed of 51km/h and reverse speed of 8km/h. It weighs 36t, turret included. As such, this modification probably weighs around 33t – the hull alone weighs roughly 30t (WZ651/Type 75 ARV weight is 31t, with dozer blade and other attachments), and the D-30M weighs 3.2t.
Conclusion
The ZTZ59 (122) would be a fun premium or event vehicle for the Chinese tree, with a powerful cannon and decent frontal hull armour, but with very poor crew protection. It would probably sit around 7.0.
Specifications
Armament
- 122mm D-30M
- 3OF24 HE
- 3OF56 HE
- 3BK-6M HEAT-FS
- 400mm at 0º
- 3BK-13 HEAT-FS
- 460mm at 0º
- Smoke
Armour
- Hull
- Front - 100mm at 60°
- Sides - 80mm at 0°
- Rear - 45mm at 16°
Mobility
- Speed
- +51/-8 km/h
- Weight
- ~33t
- Engine power
- 520hp, ~15.8hp/t
Other
- Crew
- 1 (Driver) + 3-6 (Commander, gunners, loaders)
Images
- Text reads “A tank improved by the ingenuity of the Army” (Google translate)
- Same image, coloured
Sources
https://www.ilcornodafrica.it/afabet-march-1988-the-decisive-battle-for-eritrean-indipendence/
https://x.com/Filmona12/status/1669920001137037313
SIPRI Arms Transfer Database
