VN17 latest generation of Chinese-made tracked armored infantry fighting vehicle.

The Chinese Company NORINCO North Industries Group Corporation presents the VN17, latest generation of Chinese-made tracked armored infantry fighting vehicle at DSA 2018, the International Defense and Security Exhibition in Malaysia.

Chinese-made VN17 tracked IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Picture source NORINCO)

The Chinese-made VN17 tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) was developed to meet the requirements of modern infantry unit. It offers high level of fire power, protection, mobility and communication systems for multi¬purpose operations. The performance of the VN17 is comparable to the German PUMA, the Swedish CV90 and other modern foreign tracked IFVs.

The main armament of the VN17 tracked IFV consists of one a 30mm automatic gun, one coaxial 7.62 machine gun, Red Arrow 12 ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) launchers mounted on each side of the turret. This missile offers effective killing capability against ground targets at a maximum range of 2,500 m and against aerial threats up to a range of 4,000 m. The advanced electrical-driven unmanned gun turret assures highest safety of personnel during the combat. The VN17 is also equipped with image-stabilized fire control system with automatic tracking capability.

The VN17 is motorized with a 4-stroke water-cooled turbo-charged diesel engine developing 883 hp. The power-to weight ratio is 21kW/t, offering a maximum road speed of 70 km/h. The hydrostatic mechanical gearbox has 6 forward gear/2 backward gears. The high-strength torsion bar suspension with resilient damper offers high maneuverability and comfort during combat operations.

The VN17 armour provides all-around protection against firing of small arms and shell splinters. The turret and vehicle hull offer same level of protection and can be upgraded to NATO STANAG level-6 protection capability. The bottom part of the chassis can be fitted with anti-mine module, offering protection against blast explosion of 6 to 8 kg of TNT.

The integrated information management system on VN17 tracked IFV performs internal and external information acquisition, processing, display and command tasks.