New vehicle Photo

renmin said:

This is what I dont understand, if it is a new vehicle, why place it in front of a government building where everyone can see it? But indeed I never seen such a vehicle. It looks alot like the M2 bradly layout but with a different front, I guess a amphibious type but that cant be prooved until we check the back for propellers.

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Actually that was a point i was thinking of when i first saw the pictures, whats with the showing it to the public nonsense?

renmin said:

This is what I dont understand, if it is a new vehicle, why place it in front of a government building where everyone can see it? But indeed I never seen such a vehicle. It looks alot like the M2 bradly layout but with a different front, I guess a amphibious type but that cant be prooved until we check the back for propellers.

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It is definately an amphibian, as it has a big two piece hinged trim vane at the front and, apparently, buoyant roadwheels. The size and configuration of the trim vane seems to have been inspired by the american EFV (ex-AAAV), possibly hinting at an attempt to attain higher than usual speeds in the water. Suspension could be hydropneumatically adjustable, as the track looks rather slack, so as to improve streamlining while swimming. It is also possible that it may have extendable waterjet outlets (again like the EFV) to increase vehicle length for better hydrodynamics still in the quest for higher water speed.

Costas 240GD said:

It is definately an amphibian, as it has a big two piece hinged trim vane at the front and, apparently, buoyant roadwheels. The size and configuration of the trim vane seems to have been inspired by the american EFV (ex-AAAV), possibly hinting at an attempt to attain higher than usual speeds in the water. Suspension could be hydropneumatically adjustable, as the track looks rather slack, so as to improve streamlining while swimming. It is also possible that it may have extendable waterjet outlets (again like the EFV) to increase vehicle length for better hydrodynamics still in the quest for higher water speed.

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That's almost exactly what I was thinking - the huge low mounted bow plane implies a high waterborne speed - like a speed boat - like the EFV.

Gollevainen said:

Becouse the Type 63 chassis orginates form the orginal soivet PT-76 amphious tank which dates back to the post WWII era...

Also If you have noticed the Type 63 chassis has a rear mounted engine which effectly unables it's usage as a IFV. (tough BTR-50 used the same hull, but the troop comparament was in place of the turret and had nothing to do with modern requiremenst of troop protection)
Type 97 chassis in other hand has a front mounted engine and is about 50 years more modern than the previous one. Aslo as it's commonly refered as a "universal chassis" it means that PLA is trying to standardise it as the main hull for all amoured vehicles. This means easier maintence as all hulls have the same automotive parts.

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Yea, but this vehicle obviously doesn't have a troop compartment, given that its turret is all the way back, so why bother? Doesn't mean sense to me. (Especially when the Type 63A/99 has just been inducted not long ago.) It would make sense if the Type 63A is old.........
Also, if this is a tank, it wouldn't make sense to have a rear door, since that makes the tank's rear side much weaker. (But who knows here, armour these days are weak even if strengthened....)

BTW, how does is the EFV doing in water? The Type 63A is said to be able to do 28 km/h which means 15 knots.

As for the armoured wheelies, they look like a 8x8 version of the newly IDed 6x6 vehicle on sinodefence rather than Type 92. (Even though The Type 92 is claimed to have a 8x8 version, we've never seen it. )
Can't say at all if they are new or not, since we use to have seen a lot of pictures of different armoured wheeled vehicles armed with 105, 120, and 122mm guns, and any of these can be them.

Yea, but this vehicle obviously doesn't have a troop compartment, given that its turret is all the way back, so why bother? Doesn't mean sense to me. (Especially when the Type 63A/99 has just been inducted not long ago.) It would make sense if the Type 63A is old.........
Also, if this is a tank, it wouldn't make sense to have a rear door, since that makes the tank's rear side much weaker. (But who knows here, armour these days are weak even if strengthened....)

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None said it's a IFV. There is no rear door, or least we cannot say for certain as we haven't seen other than pics from the frontside of the vehicle...

And why bother to make a new amphibious tanks when you got Type 63??? well like I said type 63 (apart what is changed to this new systme) is based on 50's technology, no matter how little time ago it was build. I also mentioned other reasons so I don't want to repeat myself.

Something more.

I found those on a Chinese Site. It says this is the Next Generation Universal Turret.

C'mon guys,

lets not get too twitchy over this tank.

Look at where this photo is taken. Outside some admin building? Well, it might be just a mock up for display...doesn't mean its real. Commonly, you know how militaries around the world would just make 1/1 scale models of things that look cool but don't really exist as real hardware.
To me, its just a suped-up Type-85 hull with a smaller scale of the Type 63A turret. Just for display really, you wouldn't find such new projects on display publicly so soon.

Or...it was once an old project, possibly one of the four variants we saw using a similar turret in an effort to replace Type 62, one of them had a new hull. This could be it, but its a failed project, so whats used for the prototype? For display.


But bout those 8x8 vehicles. I mean, damn, every year China is developing new families of vehicles. Quite impressive really. This 8x8 looks more robust, possibly learnt from lessons of the 6x6 being too small to take on the recoil of heavy guns. 8x8 looks like painted in PLA scheme, so I think there is good hope this vehicle will enter service for the PLA, serving in artillery and SPAT roles...IFV though...hmm interesting, could be recon vehicle.

It may have a small troops compartment like the Merkava series. Although the turret is right at th back,it doesn't stop the Merkava to have a troops compartment for 3 soldier. Btw,comfirm the chasis is the newly developed for PLA new IFV combines together with Type63A turret.

If China is to get a 8x8 vehicle, wouldn't it make sense for China to get a 8x8 version of the Type 92? (Haven't seen that though... other than maybe a 122mm gun if I remember right...)