Chinese infantry fighting vehicles

ZBD-04 firing gun-launched ATGMs...

(2048 x 1341)


(2048 x 1391)

Some high-resolution photos from a recent exercise. IFVs + mortar carriers...

PLA peacekeepers in South Sudan has been equipped with the ZSL-92 upgraded with slat armor:

Some photos of the Mengshi vehicle with slat armor and remote weapons station mount:



Slat armor undergoing field penetration testing:




Video link:

Looks neat!

Looks like the army is testing some improved 8x8 variants. The assault gun variant features a new ramp door, significantly upgraded appliqué armor all around the chassis and turret, revised propeller shrouds. Another variant (4th photo) features a RWS/unmanned turret, but the chassis remains unchanged.







This last photo is blurry, but it appears to show a 6x6 and an 8x8 chassis, with both possibly being command and control variants. It's difficult to judge if they are based on the same 8x8 IFV chassis (shown in the first four photos), or if they are based on the smaller Brave Warrior (Humvee-sized) platform.

by78 said:

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The unmanned turret on that ZBL08 looks like it may be an adaption of the one shown on a VN1 at Zhuhai.





The assault gun 8x8 seems like it is a new chassis as well different from ZBL09 but also different to some other export 8x8s like VP10. Not sure what to make of it.

I'm also not exactly sure if the new turret is 105mm or 125mm, but the size of the turret makes it seem like it may have a bustle autoloader. It's pretty big

We know that the PLA has some beef against the use of ramp doors on AFVs...although they have it come standard on their export products.That 8x8 assault gun seems to have ramp door though.
Think I better see what that show is after work...hunch is that they pulled an export vehicle for the show.

MwRYum said:

We know that the PLA has some beef against the use of ramp doors on AFVs...although they have it come standard on their export products.That 8x8 assault gun seems to have ramp door though.
Think I better see what that show is after work...hunch is that they pulled an export vehicle for the show.

Click to expand...

Early prototypes for what would become the ZBL08 IFV had ramp doors as well but it was removed for the in service variant.

The assault gun could be using an export chassis, but it could just as easily be one of the trial vehicles and that the in service variant may end up looking slightly different.

by78 said:

This last photo is blurry, but it appears to show a 6x6 and an 8x8 chassis, with both possibly being command and control variants. It's difficult to judge if they are based on the same 8x8 IFV chassis (shown in the first four photos), or if they are based on the smaller Brave Warrior (Humvee-sized) platform.

Click to expand...

I think I might have found the vehicles in question... These have been around for several years. Does anyone have a name?

MwRYum said:

We know that the PLA has some beef against the use of ramp doors on AFVs...although they have it come standard on their export products.That 8x8 assault gun seems to have ramp door though.

Click to expand...

Finnish army doesn't use ramp in Patria AMV (despite foreign customers doing so) because cost issues and i'm guessing PLA had/has same reasoning.