I believe the PAP and the militia still uses the Type 81. If there ever is a general mobilization in China I am sure they are also going to be armed with the Type 81 from retired stocks. We are talking about auxiliary forces whose regular counterparts still use the Type 59 tank.
Chinese military exports to other countries
- Thread starter tphuang
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I believe the PAP and the militia still uses the Type 81. If there ever is a general mobilization in China I am sure they are also going to be armed with the Type 81 from retired stocks. We are talking about auxiliary forces whose regular counterparts still use the Type 59 tank.
SteelBird
Colonel
I had the same question when Cambodia decided to import Chinese type 56 some year ago. However, I answered my own question; Cambodia (Iraq or Afghanistan) get used to with Russian made AK-47 and the type 56 is a direct copy of it though the type 56-1 has some modification, it is basically still an AK-47. So, this saves a lot including logistic and training. This reason alone is enough to choose the 56 over 81.
plawolf
Lieutenant General
Probably newly made export models.
The choice of 56 was party down to cheaper cost, partly down to logistics and partly down to politics.
The first two points are easy enough to understand, so I won't bother to elaborate too much.
Most people with basic weapons knowledge can tell a '81 apart from an AK, a '56 would be much harder to differentiate, even upon close inspection.
As such, it has a huge advantage over more distinctly Chinese models as far as American buyers are concerned.
If it became common knowledge that American money paid for Chinese guns, it would be a massive scandal in Washington, such is the strength of the anti-China sentiment in American politics.
antiterror13
Brigadier
I am surprised China still producing Type 56. There are millions and millions of used/new AK-47 out there, even it could be as cheap as $20. A few developing countries still producing cheap AK-4, wondering why Chinese Type 56. Perhaps due to much higher quality of Chinese Type 56 than others?
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Its the rearmament road map. Since both Iraq and Afghanistan had AKs before the start of the rebuilding The Us government at the time paid for AKs as a interim buying them right from the state owned Russian maker, as well as having large numbers of serviceable weapons rebuilt to spec. Then as the local army expanded in numbers they would transition to M16A2/A4 with elites getting M4.
For Iraq it would have worked to except the Iraq US forces agreement was botched and the US pulled out leaving the Iraqi Army more or less still born.
In Afghanistan I think it is a flawed plan of action. Due to terrain the better option in my view would have been to emulate the Turkish Army in small arms and issue a 7.62x51mm battle rifle to the Afgan army.
In any event. Yes there are units still in both especially in security services who use Chinese made Type56 along with Russsian Aks, as well as polish, Czech, Serbian an more AK derivative and 7.62x39mm weapons. As well as others.
For historical notation during the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, the US government through Pakistani Intelligence services supplied the Mujahidin with Egyptian and captured arms from Israel. The Chinese government sided with the US in aiding the Mujahidin but they gave them CQ311 rifles mistakenly believing that the US would supply M16 rifles.
The CQ series as we should all know is a Ar15/M16A1/M16A2/M4 clone and is a hot export to nations who for what ever reason have been burned from M16 exports but prefer the accuracy of the M16 rifles.
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TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
They were giving CQ to mountain men, I doubt that marketing had much to do with it. Besides it was not the first CQ export.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Heads up: the MBT-3000 had just failed evaluation trials in Pakistan; the Pakistani Army selected the T-84 Oplot-M instead.
JayBird
Junior Member
You would think the Pakistani Army would've select MBT-3000 if both tanks capability are close considered the relationship between China and Pakistan. Ukrainian can't possibly sell their tanks cheaper than China with similar specs right? So, maybe T-84 Oplot-M simply is better than MBT-3000 to the Pakistani Army.
I'm kind of disappointed with this news. Did the Ukrainian army using any T-84 Oplot-M tanks in the war in Eastern Ukraine?