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Analysis : Chinese-made armoured infantry fighting vehicles are based on Russian technologies TASS 12807161

Military Defense Industry Technology - Chinese IFV

Analysis : Chinese-made armoured infantry fighting vehicles are based on Russian technologies.

The newest armoured vehicles developed by the Chinese heavy machine-building industry still rely on the Soviet/Russian technologies and technological assets, a source in the Russian defense industry said. The comparison between the Russian and the Chinese armoured vehicles has become an urgent issue in light of the Army Games 2016 competitions organized by Russia`s Ministry of Defense (MoD). The rivalry between the Russian Federation and the PRC (People`s Republic of China) is supposed to be the fiercest one.

The Chinese-made WZ-501 is based on Russian IFV BMP-1

"Not only did the People`s Republic of China (PRC) choose the Russian armour units strategy, but also took the principal decision to integrate several Soviet/Russian developments with its main battle tanks (MBT), infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), armoured personnel carriers (APC), and light armoured vehicles. The newest Chinese armour incorporates many Soviet/Russian technologies, let alone the vehicles developed 10 or 20 years ago. It would be a blunder to suppose that China is only copying Russian vehicles, not evolving its indigenous industrial and development potential. However, the main design principles of the Chinese armoured vehicles extremely resemble those of the Russian ones. Had it not been for collaboration between Moscow and Beijing in this area, the Chinese motor rifle and armour units would be facing severe troubles in terms of rearmament, modernization and upgrade."

"Hence, the armoured vehicles developed by the PRC largely resemble their Russian analogues. Nevertheless, the Chinese design bureaus sometimes offer very interesting solutions. For instance, they have developed an advanced waterjet propulsion system that has increased the swimming speed of the ZBD-05 amphibious IFV to 45 km/h! However, the PRC has yet to whip away several thorny problems, pertaining primarily to the quality of the serial vehicles. It is not a secret that Chinese tanks and especially infantry carriers are not reliable. They fall short of the modern requirements to armoured vehicles in terms of reliability. However, their inexpensiveness has provided them a business segment at the global arms market," the source said.

The chinese-made ZBD-05 amphibious tracked armoured vehicle incorporates several Soviet/Russian-originated technologies and components.

China is reported to have dispatched a batch of ZBD-05 amphibious IFVs to Baltiysk to participate in the Naval Landing 2016 competition (a part of the Army Games). ZBD-05 seems to be an indigenous vehicle that incorporates several Soviet/Russian-originated technologies and components. The was developed by the Norinco Corporation in the early 2000s for the Marine Corps of the People`s Liberation Army`s (PLA) Navy. The PLA brought ZBD-05 into service in 2006. The IFV has a combat weight of 26 t, a crew of three tankers, a passenger capacity of eight mounted soldiers, an operational range of 500 km, and a road speed of 65 km/h. ZBD-05 features an extremely high swimming speed - about 45 km/h. The vehicle is powered by a diesel engine (550 h.p.). ZBD-05 is armed with single 30mm ZPT-99 automatic cannon (a non-licensed copy of the Russian 2A72 cannon) as the main weapon. The gun is complemented by HJ-73C (Red Arrow-73; a licensed copy of the Soviet 9M14-2M (Malyutka-2M/AT-3D Sagger D missile) or HJ-8 (Red Arrow-8) anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM). The secondary armament of the vehicle comprises a 12.7mm heavy machinegun or a 7.62mm machinegun mounted left to the main cannon. Hence, ZBD-05 retains Russian ballistic weaponry, let alone HJ-73C/Malyutka-M ATGMs.

Norinco has also developed a ZBD-05-based light amphibious tank designated as ZTD-05. It is armed with a 105mm rifled gun that can fire Chinese ATGMs through its barrel.

The motor rifle units of the PLA`s Land Forces have been receiving ZBD-86A IFVs to replace ageing WZ501 vehicles. The ZBD-86A IFV retains the hull of BMP-1 / BMP-2. The Chinese defense industry has developed a new manned turret to up-gun the vehicle. The turret incorporates a ZPT-99 automatic cannon, a 7.62mm coaxial machinegun and the launcher of the HJ-73C anti-tank missiles. According to unofficial information, ZBD-86A has a combat weight of 13.6 t, an operational range of 450 km, a crew of 3 tankers, and a passenger capacity of 8 mounted soldiers. It seems to have retained an extremely low armour protection of BMP-1/BMP-2 (Level 3 (K) STANAG 4569; all-round protection against 7.62mm hard steel/tungsten alloy armour-piercing bullets). ZBD-86A is powered by a diesel engine (310 h.p.). The vehicle has received digital fire control system (FCS) and advanced multichannel sight.

The ZBD-86A is an improved variant of the WZ-501 fitted with a new turret armed with a 30mm cannon.

In 2015, the Chinese crews were driving ZBD-86A vehicles at the Suvorovsky Rush competition (a part of the Army Games). Despite a number of enhancements, ZBD-86As revealed no advantages over ageing BMP-2 IFVs of Russian Armed Forces in terms of mobility and firepower. However, the Chinese team won the second prize.

Even the latest IFV developed by the PRC, namely ZBD-04/04A incorporates a number of Russian technologies. The vehicle features new aluminum hull supposedly armoured at Level 3 (K) STANAG 4569. It has received a manned turret armed with a 100mm 2A72 gun-launcher, a 30mm 2A72 automatic cannon, and a 7.62mm machinegun. The turret extremely resembles the Bakhcha-U combat module developed by Russia`s Instrument Design Bureau (Russian acronym: KBP, a subsidiary of the High-Precision Weapons holding). The PRC is also reported to have acquired a batch of 9M117 Bastion (NATO reporting name: AT-12 Swinger) ATGMs for the 2A70 guns.

"Do not delude into thinking that China will continue to order Bastion missiles from Russia. The Chinese defense industry will copy it, probably on non-licensed basis, as ZBD-04/04A is going to be the new organic vehicle of the PLA`s Land Forces," the source added. According to unofficial information, ZBD-04A has a combat weight of 20 t, a road speed of 65 km/h, a swimming speed of 20 km/h, an operational range of 500 km, a crew of 3 tankers, and a passenger capacity of 7 mounted soldiers. The Chinese defense industry has already started the massive deliveries of the vehicles to the PLA.

The ZBD-04 is an armoured infantry fighting vehicle using an armament similar to the Russian BMP-3

The PRC is the second country in the world to have airborne infantry fighting vehicles (AIFV) in its arsenal. Since 2003, the Chinese airborne troops have been receiving the WZ506/ZLC2000 AIFVs. The vehicle is reported to incorporate several Russian technologies that were used during the development of the BMD-3 AIFV. WZ506 has a combat weight of 8 t, a road speed of 68 km/h, a swimming speed of 8 km/h, an operational range of 600 km, a crew of 3 tankers and a passenger capacity of 4 mounted soldiers. It has received a manned turret armed with an indigenous 25mm chain gun, a 5.8mm coaxial machinegun, and the launcher of HJ-73C ATGMs. The vehicle is powered by a diesel engine. One IL-76MD (Candid) heavy military transport aircraft can carry up to three WZ506 AIFVs. Unlikely its Russian counterparts (namely, BMD-2 and BMD-4M AIFVs), the vehicle is airdropped without the crew and mounted soldiers inside.

However, the Chinese wheeled APCs seem to be fully developed by the local defense industry. For instance, the ZBL-09 and WZ551 armoured personnel carriers have received only one Russian-originated component, namely ZPT-99/2A72 automatic cannon.

Hence, the PRC is integrating the Soviet/Russian technologies with its tracked armoured vehicles intended for the infantry units of the PLA. Such process is supposed to be continuing in the nearest future. However, one could notice the positive results achieved by the Chinese heavy machine-building area in this field. The PRC seems to have switched to its own tracked chassis. At present, ZBD-86 IFV is the only serially produced vehicles that incorporates a Soviet/Russian-originated hull. At the same time, China is actively using ZPT-99/2A72 automatic cannons chambered for Russian 30x165mm cartridge. Beijing is also supposed to establish the manufacturing (probably, a non-licensed one) of the 2A70 guns intended for the ZBD-04A IFVs.

China seems to lag behind Russia in terms of the tracked IFVs design. While Russia is developing such innovative vehicles as Kurganets-25 or T-15 Armata, the PRC is taking pains to upgrade previously designed IFVs. It is noteworthy that Beijing pays no attention to the development of a heavy tracked IFV. Hence, China cannot be described as a world leader in the area of the tracked IFV design.

Chinese airborne IFV WZ506/ZLC2000 incorporates several Russian technologies that were used during the development of the BMD-3 AIFV.