The Type 59 single-100mm anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) gun is a Chinese copy of the Soviet KS-19, which was originally introduced in the late 1940s as the replacement for the wartime 85mm AAA guns. Although the KS-19 has already been replaced by the surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems in the Soviet Army since the 1980s, the Type 59 is still held in some AAA units in the PLA Air Force to provide medium-range air defence for high-value targets. The weapon is likely to be replaced by the SAM systems in the future.

The Type 59 has a semi-automatic horizontal sliding wedge breechblock, a power rammer, an automatic fuse setter, and is fitted with a long multi-baffle muzzle brake. The anti-aircraft fire-control system includes a Type 59-01 director (maximum detection range 31.62km) and a Miao-5 fire control radar (maximum range 80km against airborne targets). The weapon can also be used against ground targets such as tanks, armoured vehicles, fortifications, bunkers and surface ships.