Tank origin

Following the Sino-Soviet border conflict of 1969, China revised its armored vehicle doctrine to account for the possibility of a Soviet incursion. In 1976, it began developing a lightweight anti-tank vehicle that could be air-dropped behind enemy lines, which it designated the WZ-141. The first prototype featured two 105mm recoilless rifles mounted on either side of the turret, with ATGM rails added later. The second prototype saw the rifles positioned more closely together. Despite the WZ-141’s potential, changes in China’s political environment led to the project’s official cancellation in 1985.