Friday, January 10, 2025
What's new

Details emerge of new Chinese armoured fighting vehicles

fatman17

PDF THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
32,563
Reaction score
98
Country
Pakistan
Location
Pakistan
Details emerge of new Chinese armoured fighting vehicles

Christopher F Foss Jane's Land Consultant-London

Key Points
China is developing a new family of 8 x 8 armoured fighting vehicles

A number of versions will be developed for the export market

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is expected to field a complete family of new 8 x 8 armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) with significant improvements in comparison to currently deployed vehicles following the publication of pictures on the Chinese Internet.

It is understood that the first version to enter service will be an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) - designated the WZ 0001 - armed with a 35 mm cannon.

More specialised versions are understood to include:

- a repair and recovery vehicle (WZ 4006);

- a 122 mm self-propelled howitzer (SPH) (WZ 9003);

- a 35 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) (BK 1060); and

- a command post vehicle (WZ 7007).

In addition, a number of versions will be developed for the potentially valuable export market including an IFV (BK 1050).

The overall layout of the new family of vehicles is conventional, with the driver and powerpack located at the front and the remainder of the vehicle left free for its dedicated role.

While no specific details of the 35 mm cannon used for these vehicles has been released for some years, China has been manufacturing an early version of the Oerlikon Contraves twin 35 mm GDF series towed air defence weapon.

China is known to have developed a twin 35 mm SPAAG on a tracked chassis and it is possible that a single-barrel version with a different feed system is used in the new 8 x 8 IFV (Japan, for example, uses a locally produced Oerlikon Contraves 35 mm KDE cannon for its tracked Type 89 IFV).

The 122 mm SPH will probably use the same 122 mm ordnance that is used in a number of Chinese tracked and wheeled artillery systems.

The Chinese weapon is based on the widely deployed Russian 122 mm D-30 field gun, which has been produced in China for the home and export market for many years. This has a maximum range of 18 km, although it can be increased to 22 km using enhanced ammunition.

Until now the most widely used wheeled vehicle in the PLA is the NORINCO (China North Industries Corporation) WZ 551 6 x 6 series of amphibious armoured personnel carriers (APCs), which first entered service about 20 years ago.

In addition to the baseline APC, a family of more specialised versions has been developed, including air defence, armoured recovery, command post and 120 mm turret-mounted mortar.

The most recent version - called Assaulter - is based on a modified WZ 551 6 x 6 chassis. It is fitted with a new three-man turret armed with a 105 mm rifled gun that can fire standard NATO ammunition.

When compared to the WZ 551, the new 8 x 8 vehicles will offer the user a significant increase in payload and cross-country mobility as well as being available for a wider range of missions.

China is known to have developed prototypes of at least two types of 120 mm tank destroyer and the new 8 x 8 IFV could well be related to one of these vehicles.

It is believed that China is planning to bring some of its new vehicles into service in time to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2009.

COMMENT

The PLA is now moving to a more balanced fleet of tracked and wheeled AFVs, with the latter offering a number of significant advantages, including greater strategic mobility and lower operating costs.

Many armies around the world are now supplementing or replacing their 6 x 6 APCs with 8 x 8 models, which as well as having increased payloads can also undertake more roles.

While China has exported some WZ 551 6 x 6 series APCs in the past, the potential export market for an 8 x 8 vehicle could well be greater as more and more overseas competitions are for 8 x 8s.
 
.
Details emerge of new Chinese armoured fighting vehicles

Christopher F Foss Jane's Land Consultant-London

Key Points
China is developing a new family of 8 x 8 armoured fighting vehicles

A number of versions will be developed for the export market

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is expected to field a complete family of new 8 x 8 armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) with significant improvements in comparison to currently deployed vehicles following the publication of pictures on the Chinese Internet.

It is understood that the first version to enter service will be an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) - designated the WZ 0001 - armed with a 35 mm cannon.

More specialised versions are understood to include:

- a repair and recovery vehicle (WZ 4006);

- a 122 mm self-propelled howitzer (SPH) (WZ 9003);

- a 35 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) (BK 1060); and

- a command post vehicle (WZ 7007).

In addition, a number of versions will be developed for the potentially valuable export market including an IFV (BK 1050).

The overall layout of the new family of vehicles is conventional, with the driver and powerpack located at the front and the remainder of the vehicle left free for its dedicated role.

While no specific details of the 35 mm cannon used for these vehicles has been released for some years, China has been manufacturing an early version of the Oerlikon Contraves twin 35 mm GDF series towed air defence weapon.

China is known to have developed a twin 35 mm SPAAG on a tracked chassis and it is possible that a single-barrel version with a different feed system is used in the new 8 x 8 IFV (Japan, for example, uses a locally produced Oerlikon Contraves 35 mm KDE cannon for its tracked Type 89 IFV).

The 122 mm SPH will probably use the same 122 mm ordnance that is used in a number of Chinese tracked and wheeled artillery systems.

The Chinese weapon is based on the widely deployed Russian 122 mm D-30 field gun, which has been produced in China for the home and export market for many years. This has a maximum range of 18 km, although it can be increased to 22 km using enhanced ammunition.

Until now the most widely used wheeled vehicle in the PLA is the NORINCO (China North Industries Corporation) WZ 551 6 x 6 series of amphibious armoured personnel carriers (APCs), which first entered service about 20 years ago.

In addition to the baseline APC, a family of more specialised versions has been developed, including air defence, armoured recovery, command post and 120 mm turret-mounted mortar.

The most recent version - called Assaulter - is based on a modified WZ 551 6 x 6 chassis. It is fitted with a new three-man turret armed with a 105 mm rifled gun that can fire standard NATO ammunition.

When compared to the WZ 551, the new 8 x 8 vehicles will offer the user a significant increase in payload and cross-country mobility as well as being available for a wider range of missions.

China is known to have developed prototypes of at least two types of 120 mm tank destroyer and the new 8 x 8 IFV could well be related to one of these vehicles.

It is believed that China is planning to bring some of its new vehicles into service in time to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2009.

COMMENT

The PLA is now moving to a more balanced fleet of tracked and wheeled AFVs, with the latter offering a number of significant advantages, including greater strategic mobility and lower operating costs.

Many armies around the world are now supplementing or replacing their 6 x 6 APCs with 8 x 8 models, which as well as having increased payloads can also undertake more roles.

While China has exported some WZ 551 6 x 6 series APCs in the past, the potential export market for an 8 x 8 vehicle could well be greater as more and more overseas competitions are for 8 x 8s.

Do you know the designation of this new 8x8?
 
.


DONOT POST GRAPHIC/BLOODY/DEAD pictures or videos. Will result in an immediate ban.

Write your reply...
Back
Top Bottom