Chinese infantry fighting vehicles

bsdnf said:

Considering the current variety of top attack munition and the fragments that may be produced by APS intercepting them, this can an additional protection for VLS units. This is something that the Navy VLS does not have to face.

If this is just the access panel hatch, then we have to ask why only the Type 100 support vehicle has this hatch design that is both upward and inward facing. Compared to pure armor plate, this is a clear structural disadvantage in terms of protection.

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I will agree with you, that we do need to ask why the access lid opens in this fashion. There is a design purpose and I don't think it is connected to a VLS system and more like an access panel to the back side of the thermal management system or just tool storage. This hatch/access panel appears to be manually operated versus a actuator operated fashion.

Where is the information that this is VLS system, I must have missed the forum post that the PLA or Norinco was working on a vehicle mounted VLS system.
Bottom line is that I think this is not a VLS system, but I can be wrong and you can be right. At the moment the indicators of this hatch/access panel do not suggest a VLS system.

Could be a loot boot. It's about washing machine sized.

The access panel has bugged me as if I had seen something like this before. I think I have found something that leads me to believe it is an access panel to the air filters for the thermal management systems.
When BY78 posted this image Chinese infantry fighting vehicles
It looks like the seals and tie down bolts

Cope cages on Type 08 IFVs.

by78 said:

Cope cages on Type 08 IFVs.

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Not enough cope. There should be cages all around it considering the examples we have seen in Ukraine war. ZBL-08 already have a very weak armor. They will have hard time surviving ATGMs and loitering drones.