T86

T86 is a designation used for several different products and projects, most notably a family of Chinese armored vehicles known as the Type 86 (ZTZ-86). In other contexts, T86 may refer to unrelated models or designations, and the exact referent depends on the field and country.

The Type 86 family originated in China during the 1960s and 1970s as a modernization of earlier Soviet-inspired designs. It entered PLA service and was produced through the 1980s, with multiple upgrades to armor, mobility, and fire-control systems over time. A number of export variants were developed for foreign customers. The Type 86 class has seen derivatives and modernization programs that adapt the design to changing battlefield requirements, but it generally remains a mid-20th-century-era tank compared with later generations.

In other fields, the T86 designation is used for separate products or projects and is not related to the Type 86 tank family. As such, proper identification requires context, including the country of origin and the industry.