Type 59 100mm Towed Anti-Aircraft Artillery

Last updated: 3 May 2007

The Type 59 single-100mm anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) gun is a Chinese copy of the Soviet KS-19, which was originally introduced in the late 1940s as the replacement for the wartime 85mm AAA guns. Although the KS-19 has already been replaced by the surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems in the Soviet Army since the 1980s, the Type 59 is still held in some AAA units in the PLA Air Force to provide medium-range air defence for high-value targets. The weapon is likely to be replaced by the SAM systems in the future.

The Type 59 has a semi-automatic horizontal sliding wedge breechblock, a power rammer, an automatic fuse setter, and is fitted with a long multi-baffle muzzle brake. The anti-aircraft fire-control system includes a Type 59-01 director (maximum detection range 31.62km) and a Miao-5 fire control radar (maximum range 80km against airborne targets). The weapon can also be used against ground targets such as tanks, armoured vehicles, fortifications, bunkers and surface ships.

Specifications

Crew: 15
Carriage: Towed 2-axle, 4-wheel carriage
Combat Weight: 11,000kg
Length: (Overall) 9.3m; (Travel Position) 9.45m
Length of Barrel: 5.74m
Height: (Overall) 2.2m; (Firing Position) 7.62m
Width: (Overall) 2.32m
Emplacement Time: 7min
Displacement Time: 6min
Gun Calibre: 100mm
Service Life of Barrel: 2,800 rounds
Rate of Fire: (Cyclic) 10-15 rounds/min
Loader Type: Manual reload
Traverse: 360 degree
Traverse Rate: 20 degree/sec
Elevation: -3 to 89 degree
Elevation Rate: 12 degree/sec
Reaction time: 30 seconds
Fire control: (On-carriage) telescope, panoramic telescope; (Off-carriage) Rangefinder, Radar
Radar Performance: Range 80km, Tracking Range 35km, Frequency 2.7-2.9GHz Frequency Band E Peak Power 300kW)
Ammunitions: Frag-HE, AP-T, APC-T
Range of Fire: (With on-carriage sight) 4,000m; (With off-carriage radar) 12,600m

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