Country China Size Brigade Garrison/HQ Jiuquan, Gansu | Type Armored Part of 21st Army | |
The 12th Tank Division (Chinese: 坦克第12师) was formed on October 12, 1969 from 12th Independent Tank Regiment, 264th Tank Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment of Academy of Armored Troops and 2nd Tank School Training Regiment. After its formation the division was soon moved to Jiuquan and Jiayuguan City in Gansu province.
As of December, 1969, the division was composed of:
In the early 1970s the division maintained as a reduced tank division, which consisted of 3 under-equipped tank regiments, under the command of 19th Army Corps.
Since May 1975 the division was put under direct command of Lanzhou Military Region.
Since 1978 the division maintained as a tank division, catalogue B. In December, 46th Tank Regiment exchanged its designation and positions with Tank Regiment, 19th Army Corps.
In July 1983 Artillery Regiment and Armored Infantry Regiment were activated.
By then the division was composed of:
Since September 1985, the division was attached to 21st Army. Its Armored Regiment absorbed 419th Regiment of 140th Army Division.
In 1998, the division was renamed as 12th Armored Division (Chinese: 装甲第12师). Armored Infantry Regiment was disbanded and absorbed into now armored regiments.
By then the division was composed of:
In late 2011 the division was split into two: the division itself became 12th Armored Brigade (Chinese: 装甲第12旅), while half of its battalions formed 62nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade.