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M901

2022-05-12T01:12:21Z

U114139157: added some cons

{{About
| about = American tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = M113 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m901_itv
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a squadron rank {{Specs|rank}} American tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]]. Based on the M113 chassis, this vehicle is equipped with the BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM missile launcher.

Upon release, M901 ITV was nicknamed Wall-E, after the Waste Allocation Load-Lifter: Earth-Class robot, the main protagonist of the 2008 Pixar's computer-animated science fiction film of the same name.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


[[File:M901 X-ray.png|thumb|x250px|right|Interior layout of the {{PAGENAME}} showing the location of ammo racks, crew and critical components.]]

The {{PAGENAME}} is based off the M113. It may look like a lightly armoured vehicle, but it features 44 mm of alloy 7039 on the sides and 38mm on the front. The front is angled to make frontal armour effective thickness to match the flat sides. Overall, This counts as about 21 mm of RHA. However, there is a hatch on front which is much about 40% thinner and make this effort rather fruitless, which is compensated by engine block being there to block some shots.

Overall, head-on this is only enough to stop 12.7 mm calibre machine gun fire from 600m away and if angled correctly able to stop some low caliber SPAA's from penetrating the hull and '''any''' APHE of its rank will detonate upon hitting it. Keep in mind, that SPAA have high fire rate and you must park it at least 600 m away and at an angle, or they will still manage some partial penetrations. The 30-35 mm SPAA and light tanks will penetrate this tank indefinitely at almost any range.

The top is also quite strong with 38 mm of alloy, which is equial about 18 mm RHA, which means hull might be able to sustain some inaccurate fighter strafe, but most of their 30 mm cannons or top-down attacks will still ruin the tank. If small Bombs or rockets miss, they might fail to penetrate, but armour will not save M901 when receiving a direct hit.

The crew, however, has excellent survivability when the vehicle is placed in a hull-down position. Two crew members, the loader and the commander, are located in the back part of the hull and there are no other critical components located there, so there is little reason to target them first. In the middle of the tank is the gunner operating the tower. Since the I-tow missile is launched from a launcher mounted on top of a tower, it is next to impossible to hit the tower base when hulldown and so the gunner is not exposed to direct fire. The driver is located at the front of the vehicle and is next to the engine block, which might block the shot.

Behind the engine block is the ammunition storage, if hit from the front with SPAA rounds or some types of conventional rounds, the engine block will eat up (absorb and protect the rest of the vehicle) most of the shots, however, if shot from the side or from the front with HEAT, pure AP, APDS and APFSDS rounds, this usually ends in disaster as it will go through the engine and cause an ammunition explosion or destroy a majority of the crew, one-shotting the vehicle.

When played from a hull-down position with only the launcher exposed, this vehicle is practically immune to kinetic damage, however, being hit with a chemical shell or ATGM into the turret might cause the ATGMs to explode and destroy the carrier. Crossing open areas may also result in taking a hit, thus losing an engine, a crew member or resulting in an ammo-rack explosion.

'''Armour type:'''

* Aluminum Alloy 5083 - Main
* Structural Steel - Front and Rear Fenders
* Rubber-Fabric Screens - Fenders/Sideskirts
* Gun Steel - Launcher

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38 mm (45°) ''Upper glacis'' 38 mm (26°) ''Lower glacis'' 29 mm (45°) ''Engine maintenance hatch'' || 44 mm ''Top''
32 mm ''Bottom''
| 38 mm || 38 mm
|-
| Turret
| colspan="4" | 10 mm ''Launcher'' 17 mm ''Launcher frame''
|-
| Cupola|| 20 mm || 20 mm || 20 mm || 16 mm
|-
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=301|rbMinHp=188}}

The mobility of the {{PAGENAME}} is okay. The power-to-weight ratio is 17.45 HP/ton. The top speed for the {{PAGENAME}} is 64 km/h, though there are not many circumstances you will reach these speeds. Offroad, the {{PAGENAME}} will reach 20 km/h quite fast due to its high power-to-weight ratio and will reach its top speed of 38 km/h. In reverse it will easily reach -14 km/h, allowing you to get out of a bad situation.

This vehicle does not have neutral traverse, but still does turn quite fast.

However, the {{PAGENAME}} suffers in traversing hills with high angles such as getting up the west side of point "C" on the El Alamein map. This does limit the ability of this vehicle to get to good positions without being spotted and fired upon.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|BGM-71C I-TOW}}

The main weapon on the {{PAGENAME}} is the BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM. It has up to 630 mm of penetration at 0 degrees at any distance since it carries a HEAT warhead. The post penetration of this missile is not amazing and in some circumstances, a follow-up missile may be needed. The missile is a second-generation ATGM so it is mouse controlled. It travels at a speed of 296 m/s. Due to the fuse sensitivity of 0.01 mm, any bush, fence or object in the way will trigger the missile into detonation and the lack of a machine gun means that these obstacles will become quite a nuisance.

The turret can angle down 30 degrees, which means it can fire down from almost any mountain or fire horizontally even when standing on a steep cliff. It also does not have an arming distance, therefore it an fire at tanks even in an immediate surroundings.

The vehicle is trying to put the launcher on the pad whenever it is moving, however, it is still possible to keep it unfolded by moving short distances at a time and stopping between them. Keep in mind that the vehicle will attempt to stow the launcher even when pushed by the enemy, making it impossible to shoot back, therefore all care should be taken to avoid such situations.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BGM-71C I-TOW]] ATGM || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 10 (2 preloaded in launcher) || rowspan="2" | -30°/+35° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 46.62 || 46.62 || 56.61 || 62.60 || 66.60 || rowspan="2" | 13.00 || rowspan="2" | 11.50 || rowspan="2" | 10.60 || rowspan="2" | 10.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 31.50 || 31.50 || 38.25 || 42.30 || 45.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
BGM-71C I-TOW ATGM is a relatively potent missile, having above average penetration values and an excellent flight velocity. Its close Soviet counterpart, [[IT-1]], has {{#expr: (1-(500 / 630)) * 100 round 0}}% lower penetration and {{#expr: (1-(224 / 296)) * 100 round 0}}% lower velocity, on the other hand [[RakJPz 2 (HOT)]] has {{#expr: abs((1-(800 / 630)) * 100) round 0}}% higher penetration, but {{#expr: (1-(240 / 296)) * 100 round 0}}% lower velocity.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| I-TOW || ATGM || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630 || 630
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Range (m)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| I-TOW || ATGM || 296 || 3,750 || 19.05 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 2,720 || 80° || 82° || 90°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''5''' || 4 ''(+1)'' || 3 ''(+2)'' || 2 ''(+3)'' || 1 ''(+4)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note:'''

* Ammo racks function in a somewhat weird way on the tank. The ammo counter when full will appears as 2/4, and so pre-match ammo selection will show as 5/5. It's due to the fact that a single ammunition load represents 2 missiles, with the first 2 loaded into the launcher at the start of the match.

== Usage in battles ==


;Hull down

In a battle, this vehicle is best played hull-down, preferably behind a rock so that rounds won't dip and hit the main chassis, if this is not possible, try to find a ridge to hide behind or a depression in the terrain. Since your launcher is the only thing exposed, expect for your launcher to get hit and receive a 10-second repair. (Note for stock vehicles, you will still be able to fire). Some players will be smarter and will shoot HESH rounds at you, the splash damage will be enough to either hull-break or knock out the rest Since you only have 12 missiles (2 in the launcher, 10 stowed away) you will have to be patient and skilled at using this missile. If in the right hands, it is incredibly strong and can hold an important spot and single handily deny the enemy any chance of taking an area. This will reward you a large number of targets destroyed as well as gaining a large number of points from people shooting at you launcher.

However, there is a couple of issues. The launcher can only be deployed when stationary and has a deployment time before you are able to train the gun sights on the target and open fire. The reload also requires the launcher to traverse to the rear of the vehicle and further lengthening the reload. one way to combat this is to have the rear end of the vehicle to the target, therefore reducing the time taken to traverse the launcher back to the firing position.

;SPAA duty

Apart from shooting at tanks, the ATGM can also be used on helicopters as there is no drop on ATGMs. If playing hull down, it might also be quite hard for helicopters to spot you, therefore making it a potent weapon against an enemy helicopter. Planes will be harder to hit as they will be moving at a faster speed.

'''Urban combat'''

The M901 does not fare too well in urban combat - due to the speed of the ATGM it is quite hard to readjust the missile direction in case of a miss and having to stop to fire the ATGM will result in an unpleasant experience. However, if you are forced to take this vehicle out in an urban environment, the best strategy will be to follow your teammates, hide behind cover and wait for your teammates to bait the enemy out.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* [[M113A1 (TOW)]]: this is a similar vehicle based on the M113 hull, with a much slimmer TOW launcher. The launcher only has 90 degrees horizontal rotation and 20 degrees gun depression meaning it adapts terrains slightly worse than the M901. Also, its launcher has a very small profile meaning it is harder to spot so you must deal with the M113A1 (TOW) carefully. However, its gunner is fully exposed and is prone to being knocked out or detonating chemical shells. In a battle, your M901 and the M113A1 (TOW) might be at similar spots which is kind of a sniper vs sniper scenario. Try to spot it first and fire at the gunner/launcher. Its gunner/launcher will detonate your missile and cause overpressure damage, killing all the crew. But watch out for its 12.7 mm MG, it might damage your launcher or penetrate the hull in some cases.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Uses pairs of I-TOW missiles, which allows for quick follow-up attacks on targets if the first missile hits its mark or misses
* Has the best launcher depression of all horizontal ATGM launchers in the game at -30 degrees
* If it is forced into close combat, it can fire its missile at point-blank range at the risk of blowing itself up if the target is too close
* The missile launcher is very tall and combined with its amazing depression of -30 degrees, it can allow for players to abuse terrain features to go completely hull-down and reduce their chance of being spotted at range
* Superior to [[M113A1 (TOW)|export Italian version]] in almost every way possible
* Has access to 1st generation thermal sights that allow you to increase your situational awareness and spotting ability once unlocked.

'''Cons:'''

* The missile launcher is very tall and does not fully retract when hull-down, which can lead to situations where you are ammo-racked while reloading your missiles by players with good aim or luck.
* While the vehicle is traveling, the launcher is retracted and will be stowed away facing backwards and will take about 3 to 5 seconds for it to deploy and face the hull front, which means any vehicle that catches the M901 while it is relocating can dispatch it with ease.
* The launcher only reloads after the second missile has registered a hit
* The gun sight is located in the launcher, so when the launcher is reloading, it moves together with it and forces the operator to switch over to the binoculars to scan their surroundings
* Its missiles lack tandem warheads that can go through ERA and NERA found on many vehicles at its battle rating, but through the use of a follow-up missile ( a one-two punch ) the vehicle can defeat those enemies.
* No access to any form of smoke which can make survival difficult if caught off guard.
* Very thin armour everywhere on the tank that can be killed by most other tanks machine guns.
* Repairs for the launcher can become quite frustrating at times and may even force you to miss opportunities to strike enemies in your field of fire

== History ==

[[File:M901 TOW missile vehicle (1985).jpg|thumb|right|M901 in Germany during the Reforger "Central Guardian" 1985 exercise]]
M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle) is a variant of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier introduced in 1979 as a highly mobile tank destroyer that could engage not only armored targets but also fortifications while offering maximum protection for the crew. The vehicle could be transported by air, parachute-dropped and ford water up to 1 meter deep with no preparation. Last vehicle of the series was produced in 1998, totaling 3,315 units built over the years.

It's called "improved" due to being an upgrade over the [[M113A1 (TOW)|M113A1 with TOW launcher mounted]] instead of the standard [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|M2 Browning]] for the chassis. Its SEI 901 TUA launcher was capable of rapid deployment, could accurately hit targets with the first missile and fire the second one as soon as the first impacted the target. It was reloaded manually within 40 seconds. That said though, it had to be stowed when moving above 5 mph (8 km/h) to avoid damage to the launcher. As a secondary weapon M901 carried [[M60D (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M60 machine gun]] operated by the gunner. A total of 10 missiles and 2,000 machine gun rounds were stored.

A number of variants of the M901 existed, notably:

* M901 - equipped with first-generation TOW missiles, M113A1 chassis (in-game variant)
* M901A1 - equipped with TOW 2, M113A2 chassis
* M901A3 - equipped with TOW 2, M113A3 chassis

The in-game launcher uses the BGM-71C I-TOW missiles, which were the most advanced missiles available on the M901, featuring an increased range and an improved shape-charge warhead. The missile could be fired at targets up to 3,750 meters away, with an arming distance of 65 meters. Missile's average speed at the maximum range was 187.5 m/s.

Currently, the largest operators of the M901 ITV are Saudi Arabia (335 units), Greece (320) and Egypt (262), a total of 1313 units remains in operation between 10 countries.

{{Clear|right}}
[[File:M901 details.png|800px|center|thumb|Details of the M901 ITV in the A3 variant]]

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=tank_destroyer&vehicle=us_m901_itv Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|qoZv-sA80aI|'''Squadron Vehicles''' discusses the M901 at 00:38 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:42 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=106 [Military Factory<nowiki>]</nowiki> M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle)]

{{TankManufacturer Emerson Electric Company}}
{{USA tank destroyers}}
{{Squadron ground vehicles}}

[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

Type 69

2022-05-11T04:51:54Z

U114139157: cons no thermal sight

{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_type_69
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]].

At first glance, the Type 69 looks a lot like the previous [[Type 59]]. Closer inspection reveals some interesting features. It can be visually differentiated from similar vehicles by the placement of the IR spotlight directly above the gun mantlet (Soviet tanks place the spotlight off to the side), a laser rangefinder next to it, and a unique fume extractor located near the tip of the barrel. It can be thought of as a cross between the Soviet [[T-55A]] and [[T-62]]. Like the former, it boasts improved mobility and gun handling from the original Type 59, and like the latter, it has a smoothbore gun firing HEAT-FS and APFSDS rounds. Incorporating some of the PRC's first indigenous technologies, it also boasts night vision, two-plane stabilizer, and a laser rangefinder which both the T-62 and T-55A lack.

Players coming from the [[Type 59]] will appreciate many of the Type 69's improvements, no longer having to deal with a glacial turret rotation speed, single plane stabilizer, and lack of night vision. The firepower is a sidegrade at best and a downgrade at worst. Both tanks can use HEAT-FS, but while the Type 59 could use APHE rounds for instant knockouts against lightly armoured tanks like the [[Leopard 1]], the Type 69 has a poor-quality APFSDS round instead. No miracles should be expected from its gun.

Succeeding the Type 69 is the [[ZTZ59D1]], which has much improved firepower and protection but reverts back to the Type 59's poor gun handling and weaker engine.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The armour layout of the Type 69 is identical to the [[T-54 (1951)]], with a rounded turret made of cast homogeneous armour and a highly sloped front glacis. While the frontal protection is good in terms of raw values, the Type 69 will face many tanks with powerful sub-calibre and HEAT rounds that can penetrate its armour with ease. That said, it is resistant to the APHE rounds used by Soviet light/medium tanks and the US [[T32]]/[[T32E1]].

Post-penetration survivability is not optimal as the interior of the tank is cramped and plenty of loose ammunition is stored in the turret and fighting compartment. However, the Type 69 has a "wet" ammo rack next to the driver, which is more resistant to detonation by HEAT rounds.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 100 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 100 mm (54°) ''Lower glacis'' || 80 mm || 45 mm (16°) ''Upper'' 30 mm (72°) ''Lower'' || 30 mm ''Front'' 20 mm ''Back''
|-
| Turret || 160 mm (14-39°) ''Turret front'' 200 mm (4-78°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 115 mm (45-50°) ''Upper'' 155 mm (10-30°) ''Lower'' || 65 mm (0-35°) || 30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspensions wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=899|rbMinHp=513}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|Type 69 (100 mm)}}

The Type 69 is armed with a 100 mm Type 69 smoothbore cannon equipped with a two-plane stabilizer, capable of firing APFSDS, HEAT-FS, and HE rounds. It reloads 0.1 seconds quicker than the Type 59's rifled gun but this is a negligible improvement. The turret traverse is on par with the T-55A and is 50% better than the Type 59. The ability to automatically range the gun using the laser rangefinder helps offset the lower velocity of the HEAT-FS round, and makes sniping extremely easy. As a whole, the Type 69 significantly rectifies the Type 59's gun handling problems, but it still lags behind most Western MBTs. It also retains the T-54/Type 59's poor gun depression of 4 degrees, which is 1 degree worse than the T-55A.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 69 (100 mm)|100 mm Type 69]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 44 || rowspan="2" | -4°/+17° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 14.28 || 19.76 || 24.00 || 26.54 || 28.24 || rowspan="2" | 11.05 || rowspan="2" | 9.78 || rowspan="2" | 9.01 || rowspan="2" | 8.5
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.93 || 10.50 || 12.75 || 14.10 || 15.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The Type 69's stock rounds are the 1-72-85 APFSDS and the 1-71-74 HE. The APFSDS was at one point the worst round of its type in War Thunder; 220 mm of flat penetration at 10 meters is worse than many AP/APHE rounds. The [[AUBL/74 HVG]]'s 60 mm APFSDS penetrates more despite having a much lower calibre! It also suffers noticeable drop-off at long distances. However the angled penetration is decent, topping out at 127 mm @ 60 degrees. For comparison, the T-55A's 3BM25 APFSDS round has far superior flat penetration (up to 335 mm) but only has slightly higher angled penetration (up to 129 mm @ 60 degrees) than the 1-72-85. Penetration aside, it has a high muzzle velocity of 1505 m/s. The post-penetration damage is nothing to write home about, generally comparable to the Type 1959 APDS used by the Type 59. Be sure to aim for crew members and ammo racks.

The 1-71-74 HE shell is weak and should be ignored. It has a low explosive content and might be able to cause overpressure damage to light targets, but not consistently. Any vehicle with more than paper-thin armour will be immune to it.

The unlockable Type 1973 HEAT-FS is a Tier I modification. Familiar to Type 59 users, it has the same penetration performance as the T-55A's 3BK17M HEAT-FS with a lower TNT equivalent and a slightly lower muzzle velocity. 390 mm of flat penetration at any distance is impressive and will slice through almost all tanks lacking special armour types (spaced, reactive, composite). While it lacks the high velocity of the APFSDS and can be detonated by bushes or fences, the HEAT-FS is still good for dealing with heavy targets that the APFSDS can't penetrate. Post-penetration damage is somewhat inconsistent, so again, aim for crew members and ammo racks. It is capable of knocking out very lightly armored vehicles with overpressure damage, but this is not guaranteed. Still, it is much more practical than the HE shell and is the best accompaniment to the APFSDS.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| 1-72-85 || APFSDS || 220 || 213 || 193 || 173 || 156 || 140
|-
| Type 1973 || HEATFS || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390 || 390
|-
| 1-71-74 || HE || 17 || 17 || 17 || 17 || 17 || 17
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| 1-72-85 || APFSDS || 1,505 || 4.7 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 76° || 77° || 80°
|-
| Type 1973 || HEATFS || 1,000 || 10.05 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,180 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| 1-71-74 || HE || 900 || 15 || 0 || 0.1 || 1,300 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty*
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''44''' || 43 ''(+1)'' || 38 ''(+6)'' || 34 ''(+10)'' || 22 ''(+22)'' || 20 ''(+24)'' || 1 ''(+43)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* The 6th Rack serves as First-Stage ammo stowage (19 shells total).

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)|SGMT (7.62 mm)}}

The DShK is useful against enemy helicopters if they get too close. It can also penetrate lightly armoured targets like certain SPAAs or light tanks.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 500 (50) || 600 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[SGMT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm SGMT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,400 (250) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Type 69 is somewhat paradoxical. Its laser rangefinder and smoothbore cannon may suggest that it is a good sniper, but the poor penetration of its 1-72-85 APFSDS makes it difficult to pick off well-protected targets from afar. Meanwhile its two-plane stabilizer, improved engine, and faster turret rotation speed are more suitable for an offensive role, though it lacks the APHE enjoyed by the comparable [[T-55A]] for instant knockouts. New tankers can try using it as a second-line midfielder to support pushes and quickly react to targets from a comfortable distance. It can brawl quite well against tanks that lack stabilizers. Take advantage of the laser rangefinder to shoot accurately at long distances, as the ability to automatically range the gun helps a lot.

Terrible APFSDS is still APFSDS, and it does the job against against lightly armoured opponents like the [[Leopard I]] and [[AMX-30]]. US medium tanks tend to have better frontal protection and may be able to shrug off the APFSDS in certain zones; the [[M48A1]] has a tough gun mantlet, the [[M60]]'s lower glacis is immune, and the [[T95E1]] is mostly immune on the turret and upper portions of the glacis. When fighting more resilient targets like the [[M103]], [[T32E1]], and [[M60A1 (AOS)]], the Type 1973 HEAT-FS is a much better choice and will penetrate any target with conventional armor. The Type 69 may encounter some tanks that boast ERA and good base armor. Look out for the [[Centurion Mk.5 AVRE]], [[M60A1 RISE (P)]], and [[Sho't Kal Dalet (Great Britain)|Sho't Kal Dalet]], which will need repeated hits with HEAT-FS and are more easily dealt with by flanking.

The APFSDS and HEAT-FS are not very likely to destroy targets in one shot, especially those with large volumes and well-spaced crew members, so stay close to cover and have a backup plan if a target survives. This is especially important since the Type 69's reload is rather sluggish and a damaged target could retreat or retaliate before a follow up shot is ready.

Mobility wise, the Type 69 is about the same as the [[T-55A]]. While not agonizing, it most likely won't be the first tank to arrive on the battlefield. Note that the reverse speed of -7 km/h is rather poor and it lacks neutral steering, so be careful about overextending. It is easier to get into a bad position than out of it.

Overall, the Type 69 is versatile, having tools for most situations at hand and no major weaknesses, though conversely it is not exceptional in any regard. It is best used as a flexible combatant, capable of flanking, pushing aggressively, or sniping as the situation demands. Stay close to teammates and avoid engaging multiple opponents at the same time. Caution should be paid to its substandard mobility, slow reload, and finicky ammunition.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* One of the earliest tanks in the game with APFSDS rounds
* APFSDS comes stock
* Has a two-plane stabilizer
* Access to night vision and a laser rangefinder
* Laser rangefinder can automatically range the gun to fire at long distances
* Improved engine, turret rotation speed, and ammunition capacity compared to the Type 59
* Top mounted heavy machine gun is useful against aircraft
* Wet ammo storage

'''Cons:'''

* APFSDS has abysmal flat penetration for its calibre
* APFSDS struggles to destroy heavy tanks such as [[M103]]
* Does not have access to APHE
* Armour is identical to the Type 59, does not hold up very well at its rank
* Not particularly mobile
* Somewhat long reload
* No thermal sights
* No sources of smoke available

== History ==


After the Sino-Soviet split, the People's Republic of China was no longer able to receive military technical help from the Soviet Union. The [[Type 59]], a licensed copy of the T-54A, was the the most advanced medium tank available to the PLA, but after a few years it became apparent that upgrades were necessary to keep up with the rapidly advancing technology of the time. The PLA ordered the development of a new "Type 69" tank in 1963 and the first prototype was manufactured in 1966; however, the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966 and the ensuing purges impeded further development of the tank. The early Type 69 featured a smoothbore cannon, IR searchlight, laser rangefinder, and a new engine.

After the capture of [[Т-62_545_(China)| a Soviet T-62]], the latest Soviet technology was examined, copied, and implemented into the Type 69, creating the Type 69-I variant. During this time the smoothbore gun was found to be rather unsatisfactory, and Type 69 tanks in Chinese service were often refitted with the same 100mm rifled gun as the Type 59. Further development continued through the 1980s, culminating in the Type 79 series, which incorporated a new 105mm gun and numerous Western technologies.

The Type 69 series saw relatively limited service with the PLA but were more popular on the export market, purchased by countries such as Thailand, [[T-69 II G|Bangladesh]], and Myanmar. Modified Type 69 tanks were still in the inventory of the Iraqi Army during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, though by this point they were no match for modern MBTs. That being said, the Iraqi division equipped with the {{PAGENAME}} tanks, though outgunned, fought more valiantly than the elite Republican Guard who had access to more modern equipment.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_type_69 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|cZBlT1J2cVU|'''A Complicated Copy - Type 69''' - ''JustinPlaysYT''|B6ZsuPjSuNo|'''T-54/T-55 family''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 6:24 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|ro6fFFWqdJ8|'''Aggressive {{PAGENAME}}''' - ''TheEuropeanCanadian''}}

== See also ==


* [[T-69 II G]] - Upgraded export variant for Bangladesh

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:Type_69_tank|[Wikipedia] Type 69 tank]]

{{China medium tanks}}