The new chinese landforce weaponary naming system

[Aluka]

For a pretty long time i was going to ask this, but for some reason didn't, and by the way, im wondering, why did nobody ask this before.
The question is "what designations for tanks/ifv's/spg's does PLA use?". From what i know there seems to be three different names for most chivese vehicles - "Type" designations (probably western? if not, is there any less confusing way to translate it?); WZ designation (Obiekt?); specific designation (i.e. ZTZ, PTZ, PLZ, PGZ, YW, ect.). What purpose each designation type has? Also i would like to know, what do those letters mean.

[PiSigma]

all chinese designations are based on the chinese language, so if you speak chinese, it's very obvious.
for example t-98 is T because the work tank in chinese is Tan-ke, which came from the english work tank
Z-9 for the helicopter is Z because for helios in chinese it's zishengji (pinying?)

the designations are based on their use in chinese, and just take teh first letter from pinying(romanized chinese).

[Red Guard]

first of all, i see there are lots of canadians in this forum, and i am one myself, i am looking forward to get to know some army reserves buddies.

second of all.
all chinese weaponaries' codes are base on the chinese charactor which represents some words. this is the new naming system, back many years ago, such as tanks and AFVs would all be named as Type XXX, as XXX would be the years such vechile or any kind of landforce weapons enter services are being mass produced.

now, the new naming system, SOME, goes like this, note, some of these are not correct, since this system was never offically published.


ZTS-63A
Z：armoured ，T：tank，S：amphibious
ZTZ-96
Z：armoured，T：tank，Z：main battle
ZSL-92 wheeled APC
Z：armoured，S：peronal carrier，L：wheeled
ZSD-89 APC
Z：armoured，S：personal carrier，D：tracked
ZBD-03 tracked IFV
Z：armoured ，B：IFV，D：tracked
ZDF-89 anti tank missile launch vehicle
Z：armoured，D：missile launcher vehicle ，F：anti tank
ZJX-93 armoured recovery vehicle
Z：armoured ，J：recoverier，X：fixing
ZHB-94 armoured supplies vehicle
Z：armoured，H：services，B：supplies
ZLZ-94 mobile mounted automatic grenade launcher
Z：armoured，L：grenade launcher，Z：automatic
PLZ-89 Self-Propelled Gun-Howitzer
P：artillery，L：howitzer，Z：self-propelled

PLL-01 towed howitzer
P：artillery，L：howtzier，L：towed？
PTL-02 wheeled assault gun
P：artillery，T：assault gun？，L：wheeled
PGZ-95 self-propelled AA gun
P：artillery，L：AA gun，Z：self propelled
PTZ-89 self-propelled anti tank gun
P：artillery，T：anti tank gun ，Z：self propelled
PHZ-89 self-propelled rocket launcher
P：artillery，H：rocket launcher，Z：self propelled
PF-98 anti tank rocket
P：artillery，F：anti tank rocket
PP-87 mortar
P：artillery，P：mortar
QLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher
Q：light weaponary，L：grenade，Z：launcher
QJZ-89 heavy machine gun
Q：light weaponary，L：machine gun, Z：heavy
QJG-02 anti aircraft machine gun
Q：light weaponary，L：machine gun, Z：anti aircraft
QJY-88 squard automatic weapon ?
Q：light weaponary，L：machine gun，Y：heavy/light
QBZ-95 automatic rifle
Q：light weaponary，L：rifle, Y：automatic
FHJ-84 bio chemical rocket
F：chemical warfare，H：chemical，J：rockets
QS-92 pistol
Q：light weaponary，S：pistol
QLT-89 pistol
Q：light weaponary，L：grenade launcher，T：ejected.


since i have no Jane's at hands, i am not sure if some of the translations are correct. please correct it to the correct military language.

I think this post is good enough for SinoDefence.com to put into their website.

if required, i could post the pictures of these vehicles.

[Aluka]

Do you speak chinese? If yes, couldn't you translate more complicated letter combinations? And this T-98... I always thought that "T" is western-only designation, while ZTZ and type are "more" chinese. And once again, what's the reason in having 3 different designations for one vehicle?

[Dongfeng]

I think this post is good enough for SinoDefence.com to put into their website
Well indeed, thank you for this valuable information. I was always confused about these new designations. Does anyone know if these designations are actually used by the PLA to replace the old "Type XX" designation, or are they only used by the designer and manufacturers?

[Red Guard]

Was my post combined???

TO Aluka.
Yes, i do speak chinese. And T-98 is actually just a simplied form for Type 98 which ONLY exists on chinese military forums. it's nothing offical, just people thought it would be cool to call it T-98 than type 98, like T-54, T-72, and it's easier to type as well. So there is only Type 98, which is not entirly correct. Since, Type 98 MBT only exists in very small numbers, the only Type 98s are those had shown on the parade of Oct.1st 1999 national day parade. And other than that, those new ones entering services are all called Type 99, which is ZTZ-99 MBT.
I am not really sure when this naming system was out, but It seems ever since ZTZ-99, or maybe around the year of 2000, many of the new AND some of the vehicles that had entered the service was named with these codes. I wish i explained it will, since i am in a hurry to go to school.
i will explain further more while i return. peace.

[Aluka]

if required, i could post the pictures of these vehicles.
Thanks, but i have a lot of them, probably much more then you, i just don't know, how to name folders with those photos :)
And about chinese... Could you post transcript of chinese words behind those letters?

[Dongfeng]

Was my post combined???

Yes, since you both post very similar topics in a very short time.

[Red Guard]

Thanks, but i have a lot of them, probably much more then you, i just don't know, how to name folders with those photos :)
And about chinese... Could you post transcript of chinese words behind those letters?

So you are a russian eh? it's hard to get a russian to be a fan of chinese weaponary.

I could post chinese charators behind each name, but i am afraid your computer won't support the chinese language. since my computer is being down for a long time, and my new computer will be issued about next weekend, i will do it next weekend, hope you won't mind.

okay, back to the naming system
"what's the reason in having 3 different designations for one vehicle?"
We all know, the first generation and the oldest generation of weapon designers and techinians were trained and taught by the Soviet Union. Which had a great effect on the latter on weapon designation in china. as well as the naming systems. As we also call T-62, as Te-62 in the russian letter. But, since Soviets already used T as tanks, so we used Type XX in the following years. and Now, it seems like we need a new and cooler code for our tanks which have been exporting A LOT in the recent 20 years. So as part of "walking on the same track with the west" movment, we are giving these weapons new and more meaning full names.
AS
first letter means the type of force it's serving in ( now there is a mixed up, someone says this someone says that)
ie ZTZ-99, first Z means armoured (someone says it's armoured troops, someone says it's just armoured type vehicle), as in chinese "Zhuang jia"
second letter means the type of this weapon
ie ZTZ-99, T means Tank, or in chinese Tan ke
Third part is the detailed use.
ie ZTZ-99, second Z means "main battle" as in chinese "Zhu Zhan"
ZTS-63A, S means amphibious as in chinese "Shuang xi"
which ZTZ-99 is the main battle tank
and ZTS-63A is the new amphibious tank.
And why they use 3 letters? i don't know, maybe because Russians already used T, and US already used M, and type sounds pretty weird, and our greatest enemy japanese also use Type as their tank.... so......
But i do think this sounds cool.....

TO DONGFENG
this naming system isn't REALLY replacing the old Type system. But it IS offical. As ZTZ-99 is far easier to be called Type 99 tank than ZTZ-99 by the soldiers, so there are lots of people call it by Type 99 in chinese, and ZTZ-99 is kind of like showing to the foreigners, look we got a cool name. And in another way, in the army, soldiers normally have an easier and short call for the weapon they use. like they normally would call the type 95 rifle, just a "95 rifle", or they would say "yes, i used 95 there", as they assume you know what they are talking about. ja, so by now, on many offical and non offical papers they use both names.

hope i explained well.

[Aluka]

So you are a russian eh? it's hard to get a russian to be a fan of chinese weaponary.
Why do you think so? Among schoolkids - maybe, but russian people found of military generally seem to have chinese arms at a "special account". On a random russian military board you'll always find thread on chinese weapons with 40+ pages. It's interesting to study military force, growing so rapidly, besides, there's much "charisma" about chinese weapons, like soviet before.

but i am afraid your computer won't support the chinese language
It will, i've taken care of it. And i don't mind to wait for some time.

Also about this "type" word - is there any other way to replace it? You see, korean and japanese vehicles have type designation as well, which is confusing.

And there's another question on it's way - do you apply new designations to old vehicles, such as type59, or they still remain "types"? And if yes, do old numbers remain?

PS And what about WZ designation? Type98 is WZ-123, right?

[Red Guard]

Because your location says moscow. i used to want to go to MAI for aerospace study when i was in high school. but that didn't come true....instead i am in canada studying engineering and hope i will be in military industrials one day, muhahaha. i used to be a huge fun of the soviet weapons, i guess that's because i used to watch lots of WWII movies about easten front when i was young, and i was very much moved by the ...how do you say....that powerful feeling you get when you see endless tanks showing up on the horizon.
yes, i do know the confusion made by the korean and japanese weapons, but since korean and japanese weapons aren't a very big part of the world weapons markets and people rarely mention them, so.....but it does cause problems, like. japanese type 89 IFV, and there is chinese type 89 APC. But, i am not quite understanding what you mean by "any other way to replace it"

and, the answer to this question is unknown. i was just thinking about it on my way back home today. because I DID see it once that someone called it ZTZ-59, but other than that i don't. besides these old vehicles such as type 59s are being retired out of the services in the next 10 years, so i don't really think they are going to make it that way. looking at the other way people had been calling type 59, or 59 tank, for the past 40 years, it's very hard to change. like soviet I-15, I-16, their names did not change after they started to call the planes by the designers' initial, right?

about WZ, yes, it's a very interesting question, i was hoping you wouldn't know it. :P WZ and YW are codes for the factories, and the design bureaus, most WZ and YW did not entire service, and when they do, they got a name like Type 85 APC, Type 89 APC. such as WZ551 later on when entered serviced are called Type 92 wheeled APC. and I am sure Z means armoured, and W...or.....i think WZ stands for Armoured in chinese Wu Zhuang, and YW stands for carrier armoured, as Yun Wu. I am not quite sure about that sorry. We rarely hear about YW and WZ now, maybe they stopped using it, maybe the new types just keep coming out so quickly........

keep in mind, WZ are now the new codes for fighter choppers now. the old Z-9, which is the chinese version of french dophine had been mounted with anti tank missiles and called WZ-9, and i just heard the new or.... legendary
WZ-10, is going to be entering services next year. that WZ stands for Wuzhuang Zhishengji.

and the coding system i translated above is only for the landforce, the missiles have another different system. As DF-31, DongFeng for East Wind. and PL-12, for PiLi "the lightnning", FN "FeiNu" "flying crossbow" etc.....

i will post the chinese version of that article in a minute.

[Red Guard]

Zts-63a Z：装甲兵，t：坦克，s：水陆
Ztz-96 Z：装甲兵，t：坦克，z：主战
Zsl-92 轮式装甲输送车 Z：装甲兵，s：人员输送车，l：轮式
Zsd-89 装甲输送车 Z：装甲兵，s：人员输送车，d：履带式
Zbd-03 履带式步战车 Z：装甲兵，b：步兵战车，d：履带式
Zdf-89 反坦克导弹发射车 Z：装甲兵，d：导弹发射车，f：反坦克
Zjx-93 装甲抢救修理车 Z：装甲兵，j：抢救车，x：修理
Zhb-94 装甲补给车 Z：装甲兵，h：后勤，b：补给
Zlz-94 车载式自动榴弹发射器 Z：装甲兵，l：榴弹发射器，z：自动
Plz-89zhb-94 装甲补给车 Z：装甲兵，h：后勤，b：补给
自行榴弹炮 P：炮兵，l：榴弹炮，z：自行
Pll-01牵引式榴弹炮 P：炮兵，l：榴弹炮，l：拉？
Ptl-02 轮式突击炮 P：炮兵，t：突击炮？，l：轮
Pgz-95 自行高炮 P：炮兵，l：高射炮，z：自行
Ptz-89 自行反坦克炮 P：炮兵，t：反坦克炮，z：自行
Phz-89 自行火箭炮 P：炮兵，h：火箭炮，z：自行
Pf-98 反坦克火箭筒 P：炮兵，f：反坦克火箭
Pp-87迫击炮 P：炮兵，p：迫击炮
Qlz-87自动榴弹发射器 Q：轻武器，l：榴弹，z：自动
Qjz-89重机枪 Q：轻武器，l：机枪，z：重型
Qjg-02高射机枪 Q：轻武器，l：机枪，z：高射
Qjy-88通用机枪 Q：轻武器，l：机枪，y：通用
Qbz-95 自动步枪 Q：轻武器，l：步枪，y：自动
Fhj-84 防化火箭筒 F：防化兵，h：化学，j：火箭
Qs-92 手枪 Q：轻武器，s：手枪
Qlt-89 手枪 Q：轻武器，l：榴弹发射器，t：弹射

[T-U-P]

Pgz-95 自行高炮 P：炮兵，l：高射炮，z：自行
Qjz-89重机枪 Q：轻武器，l：机枪，z：重型
Qjg-02高射机枪 Q：轻武器，l：机枪，z：高射
Qjy-88通用机枪 Q：轻武器，l：机枪，y：通用
Qbz-95 自动步枪 Q：轻武器，l：步枪，y：自动
are you sure those are correct? i don't know much about the naming system but if they're all pingyin, then shouldn't 高射炮 be "g", 机枪 be "j", and 步枪 be "b", etc?

[Red Guard]

ja, i am not really sure why that is......but....one way or another, it's somehow correct. as i said, it's not offically published. but it's...somewhat true...these kind of things could never be published offically....not for a LONG time.....