Aluka said:
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.