D
Land ForcesChina

YW-531 (Type 63)

Armored personnel carrierFielded 1964Pending verification
Land ForcesCHN
YW-531 (Type 63)
Photo: Sprt98 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fact cardConfidence · Source
System
TypeArmored personnel carrier
Date of introduction1964
ProliferationAt least 13 countries
ManufacturerNORINCOMed[1]
Crew2Med[1]
Dimensions and weight
Length5.48 m18 ftMed[1]
Width2.98 m10 ftMed[1]
Height2.58 m8 ftMed[1]
Combat weight12.6 tMed[1]
Automotive performance
EngineKHD BF8L 413FMed[1]
Engine power320 hpMed[1]
Cruising range500 km311 mi · 270 nmiMed[1]
Max road speed65 km/h40 mph · 35 ktMed[1]
Suspensiontorsion barMed[1]
Fording depthAmphibiousMed[1]
Protection
Hull Armor14mm maximum, welded steelMed[1]
Turret Armor14mm maximum, welded steelMed[1]
NBC ProtectionYesMed[1]
Fire control
Thermal Sight Vehicle CommanderYes, the Commander has a periscope at the top surface that can rotate 360 degMed[1]
Thermal Sight GunnerYes, two day periscopes which cover the front and right of the vehicle. One of the drivers periscopes can be replaced by a night vision device.Med[1]
Variants
Type 531 (1963)Basic version with Type 56 7.62 mm machine gun, not mass-produced.[1]
ype A531 or Type 63 (1968)Production variant with 12.7 mm machine gun Type 54, uprated engine and different transmission. Also known as Type 531A.[1]
VTT-323North Korean version of the Type A531.[1]
Type B531 or Type 63-I (1981)Improved version with stronger suspension, additional firing ports and two additional roof hatches.[1]
Type 63CPLA version of the YW531C.[1]
Type 63CAPLA version of the YW531E.[1]
Summary

The YW-531 (Type 63) Chinese Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) is a Chinese armored personnel carrier that entered service in the late 1960s. It was the first armored vehicle designed in China without Soviet assistance.

Draft entry. Values come from the cited public sources and are awaiting editor verification.
CompareJSON
Operators
AlbaniaBangladeshChinaRepublic of the CongoIraqCambodiaSri LankaMyanmarPakistanNorth KoreaVietnamZimbabwe
Sources
  1. YW-531 (Type 63) Chinese 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
  • 2026-10-10 Added photo (CC BY-SA 4.0)