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Land ForcesChina

Type YW-531H (Type 85)

Amphibious armored personnel carrierFielded 1988Pending verification
Land ForcesCHN
Identification silhouette. Not drawn to scale between entries.
Fact cardConfidence · Source
System
TypeAmphibious armored personnel carrier
Date of introduction1988
ProliferationAt least 6 countries
ManufacturerNorincoMed[1]
Crew2Med[1]
Automotive performance
EngineDeutz BF8L413FMed[1]
Engine power320 hpMed[1]
Suspensiontorsion barMed[1]
Cruising range500 km311 mi · 270 nmiMed[1]
Max road speed65 km/h40 mph · 35 ktMed[1]
Cross-country speed35 km/h22 mph · 19 ktMed[1]
Swim speed6 km/h4 mph · 3 ktMed[1]
Protection
Hull ArmorThe Type 85 is built from welded steel and protected against small arms fire, armor-piercing bullets, and shell fragments.Med[1]
NBC Protection SystemYesMed[1]
Smoke Equipment8 x Smoke Grenade Launchers (4 on each side)Med[1]
Variants
Type 85/YW 531HDomestic/export base model.[1]
YW703HCommand variant.[1]
Type 85 Armored Command Vehicle2-man crew, 6 staff, additional communications equipment, & fewer ammunition rounds; used at regimental or division level.[1]
Type 85 Recovery Vehicle1000 KG crane with 5-man crew. Has a slightly wider hull and is equipped with a 1-tonne crane, generator and welding equipment. Armed with a 12.7mm machine gun.[1]
Type 85 Maintenance Engineering VehicleSimilar to the WZ 751 (ambulance), but for engineering support.[1]
Type 85 Mortar Carriers82-mm & 120-mm variants similar to the YW 531.[1]
Summary

The Type YW-531H (also known as Type 85) is a Chinese Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) that serves as an enlarged successor to the Type 69. It has led to the development of various variants, including infantry fighting vehicles, command vehicles, mortar carriers, weapons carriers, and ambulances.

Draft entry. Values come from the cited public sources and are awaiting editor verification.
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Operators
BangladeshChinaSri LankaMyanmarThailandZimbabwe
Sources
  1. Type YW-531H (Type 85) Chinese Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)
    Published/updated 2026-03-20 · Tier 1 · checked 2026-10-10
Change log
  • 2026-10-10 Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import