New Chinese airborne vehicle XLW 2040I unveiled at technology fair in Fuzhou.

The XLW 2040I, a new domestically-developed, weapons-integrated 4x4 vehicle specially designed for airdrop missions made its public debut at the opening of the 17th China Cross-Straits Technology and Projects Fair in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian Province, on Tuesday, June 18, Deng Xiaoci reports in the Global Times.

XLW 2040I in air defense variant on display at the 17th China Cross-Straits Technology and Projects Fair in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, June 18 (Picture source: Global Times/Deng Xiaoci)

The vehicle's main mission is to intercept and destroy enemy weapons including low altitude jets and cruise missiles. Its development was approved by authorities in 2016 and jointly designed by the Nanjing University of Science and Technology and Xiaolong Auto.

The XLW 2040I is capable of traversing obstacles just over 50cm, passing ditches 75 cm deep and climbing 45-degree slopes. The top speed of the vehicle is 135 km/h, according to its developer Xiaolong Auto based in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province. "The general performance of the vehicle surpasses that of the US HUMVEE, an employee surnamed Bai, told the Global Times on Tuesday. The new vehicle codenamed XLW 2040I is lighter than similar military vehicles, so that it can meet requirements for airdrop missions, said Bai.

"It is a very good choice for the country's airborne troops, as it offers great mobility after they are dropped to the battlefield. Such a vehicle will be compatible with the country's Y-8 and Y-9 transport aircraft that are already in service. The future Y-20 can even carry several of them at the same time," Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The XLW 2040I on display at the event was equipped with a double barrel 25mm artillery gun. The company said the vehicle can be armed with 10 different types of weapons, including a 35mm gun and an anti-tank missile launcher. The vehicle on display can carry as many as 480 shells for the gun which can be fired at a rate of 15 rounds/minute. These munitions have a range of 4 kilometers.

The prototypes have satisfied all the military and mobility tests, which means the serial vehicle could be delivered to the army in the near future, Bai said.

The company said it will explore the vehicle's export potential in the Middle East and in Africa once it is permitted by the relevant authorities.

XLW 2040I in mortar carrier variant on display at the 17th China Cross-Straits Technology and Projects Fair in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, June 18 (Picture source: Global Times/Deng Xiaoci)