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Vehicles of the PLA: Now with refreshing new topic title!


Khand-e

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Ah yes, I've actually heard that, being that it's an NLOS design with quite a large warhead that it may be used as more then just an ATGM in the future similar to the much larger CM-501G it's allegedly based on. Do you know of anything regarding this such as planned alternate warhead packages like the HJ-8 and HJ-10 have??

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So, basic introduction, to start off, we'll go with the latest backbone of the PLA Ground forces' Armored divisions, the ZTZ-96 G/A

 

Basic specs.

 

Crew: 3

 

Weight: 42-45 tonnes depending on equipment and addon armor/era.

 

Power plant: 1,000 hp liquid cooled Diesel engine

 

Speed: 65 km/h on roads 45 km/h off road

 

Range: 400km without external tanks

 

Armament: 125mm L/48 main gun with autoloader similar to the Soviet 2A46 (8 rounds per minute rof), ATGM capable, based on Russian Refleks-M missile, also has HEI-FRAG, HEAT, and APFSDS ammunition choices, W-85 12.7mm cupola machine gun (not pictured in this photo), 7.62mm coaxial machine gun.

 

2bax671.jpg

 

Wow, such sharp looking, very armor.

 

Capability wise, this tank was recently pitted against some modern T-72B variants in a Russian tank Biathalon, and while it was deemed better in Armor, Armament, and Electronics, it lost out in mobility due to the underpowered engine, this killed all 730 and 780 hp engines in other ZTZ-96 G/As for the 1,000 hp engine.

 

 

 

nothign to write home out, i would much rahter see a comparison between it and the T-90 being that they filled a similuar role and arent as wildly differing in numbers as the T-72b

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nothign to write home out, i would much rahter see a comparison between it and the T-90 being that they filled a similuar role and arent as wildly differing in numbers as the T-72b

 

It's significant because the T-96 is actually the more common tank of the PLA as opposed to the best.

 

Plus the fact that they didn't use standard T-72B3s in said biathlon, but a special variant purpose built just for the biathlon known as the T-72B3M.

 

Seen here in rather pretty colors. http://www.armyrecognition.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=28074&sid=019006a05e6fd1ed534711e3f7a37fe0

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Discussed this on TS3, might as well Share.

 

W8NZMzT.jpg

 

QL550 Armored Scout car armed with a 30x165mm autocannon and an HJ-73C/D light anti armor missile, I just have a thing for something that hauls ass and yet still has alot of firepower.

 

Note that I didn't intentionally cut off the Tiexue tag when re hosting it which you usually have to do with Tiexue, I always give Tiexue credit but their source marks vanished when uploading. *shrug*

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Discussed this on TS3, might as well Share.

 

W8NZMzT.jpg

 

QL550 Armored Scout car armed with a 30x165mm autocannon and an HJ-73 light anti armor missile, I just have a thing for something that hauls ass and yet still has alot of firepower.

 

Note that I didn't intentionally cut off the Tiexue tag when re hosting it which you usually have to do with Tiexue, I always give Tiehue credit but their source marks vanished when uploading. *shrug*

 

Sagger stronk!

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This lil'thing reminds me Vodnik - small but can be armed with serious toys. Is it in service?

 

Yeah it's in service, It's also reasonably fast for it's 7 ton weight at around 120-130km/h on roads. For reference, it has transparent alumina based windows and is designed to withstand 12.7mm AP on the front, sides and turret with 7.62mm AP and artillery shell fragments all around armor wise.

 

Have the Chinese ever considered exporting Type 96 MBTs?  It seems like an attractive option, now that Ukraine has basically proven it can't export meaningful quantities of T-84s.

 

If you want to be technical, they already have. Some countries listing it in service are in error and actually have the Al-Khalid/MBT-2000, but Sudan has genuine ZTZ-96As, they also got the first tank on tank kills with the ZTZ-96 when an unknown amount of Sudanese ZTZ-96As knocked out 4 South Sudanese T-72Bs. note that I don't consider this as definitive proof that the ZTZ-96A outclasses the T-72B as African crewman aren't exactly known for their tank crew prowess, anything could've happened really.

 

Sagger stronk!

 

The HJ-73C/D (heavily modernized variants of the Sagger) is actually still relatively popular for use on smaller bodied or smaller turreted vehicles such as the QL550 due to it's compact size and the fact it can still knock out anything short of modern MBTs.

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I guess since we briefly talked about it in TS (including my desire to drive one on an American road similar to those who pimp out BDRM-2s as road vehicles), here's a few better pictures, courtesy of Bamil.Chosun.

 

p3UMrfh.jpg

 

Simply a higher resolution photo of the variant posted earlier.

 

cioAnat.jpg

 

4 doored variant, usually armed with a 12.7mm or 14.5mm HMG (12.7mm in this case)

 

8Ikc3Vn.jpg

 

VN3/VN4 using the old style windshield/hood design and armed with both a 12.7mm HMG and a heavier HJ-8H ATGM, not that, due to the fact this has an export designation, I'm not sure this variant is even in service.

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Since rockets/missiles are cool and all and so are MLRS systems, this would be the pinnacle of PLA MLRS systems power/capability wise.

 

The SY400

 

1195842643_0af807e42a65000961c26db870806

 

SY-400-TEL.jpg

 

You may recognize the missile as something I've posted before in the PLAAF thread, that would be because the very large anti ship missile, the CM-400AKG is based on the missile this uses, the SY400 is an evolution of the older SY300, which in turn was an evolution of the older WS-2. It fires GPS guided missiles 400mm in diameter and over 5 meters long to ranges in excess of 400km at speeds of mach 5-6. Warhead options, like the AKG are Blast-fragmentation or Semi armor piercing, however, it also features a Thermobaric variant, a dual purpose submunitions variant like you'd expect from an MLRS system and even an EMP payload option.

 

Much like other Chinese MLRS systems, the pods are designed to be quick changed very easily and quickly for a weapon of it's size by it's supporting logistics teams and equipment.

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I can understand why arabs like this turret but why PLA use it?

 

 

They found it was surprisingly effective when used as either an anti personnel or fortification/building demolition weapon, or as a standoff weapon against many types of armor when using the Bastion, Kan, or Arkan series of missiles for it, and it just stuck. The fact it uses a turret as opposed to externally mounted IFV missiles seen on many western platforms was also a big plus.

 

the ZBD08 as an IFV design can basically be summed up as "Hey, what would happen if someone made a BMP-3M with actual armor and lots of ammunition storage for some reason?" (It's actually slower amphibiously despite powerpack upgrades compared to older versions because of said features.)

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They found it was surprisingly effective when used as either an anti personnel or fortification/building weapon, or as a standoff weapon against many types of armor when using the Bastion, Kan, or Arkan series of missiles for it, and it just stuck.

 

the ZBD08 as an IFV design can basically be summed up as "Hey, what would happen if someone made a BMP-3M with actual armor and lots of ammunition storage for some reason?" (It's actually slower amphibiously despite powerpack upgrades compared to older versions because of said features.)

 

dosent have nearly as much armor as the new aramta IFVs  :P

 

seriously, i could really give 2 hoots about the T-14, pretty much everything else (besides the SPG) seems to be a radically new steep ahead of most AFV development 

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Fixed since I accidently quoted the wrong post from Looser there.

 

dosent have nearly as much armor as the new aramta IFVs  :P

 

seriously, i could really give 2 hoots about the T-14, pretty much everything else (besides the SPG) seems to be a radically new steep ahead of most AFV development 

 

To be fair, the ZBD08 came out 7 years prior, and was based on the ZBD04, which was based on the ZBD97, you can probably tell what those mean.

 

But aside from increased armor and ammunition storage, it does have some neat perks, like the fact China has full on long rod APFSDS-T rounds and improved HEI-FRAG-T shells for their 30x165mm platforms loaded to higher pressures, some with proxy fuzing for higher effectiveness. This was partially triggered by testing Russian 30x165mm rounds vs US 25x137mm rounds and the testers being shocked by the fact the M242 and it's ammunition (they obtained some M242s from the US a while back) actually beat the shit out of then current issue Russian 30x165mm rounds, such as penetration, after armor effects and accuracy at all distances from M919 and even M791 and near identical performance of US 25mm HEI despite the smaller shell size. (US autocannon rounds are dominate, and the PLA wants to try and replicate their success in that area is the moral of the story here I guess.)

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So, being inspired by the Bulgaria thread, I took the painstaking effort to show the gravity of just how far China's export marketing campaign is reaching.

 

The countries marked have had significant sales from either the respective governments or warring factions. (Note, China has actually exported for quite some time, but as of the last 20 years or so, they're really kicking it into full gear.)

 

3drg1W7.png

 

Very good reason China is considered the kings of Africa at the moment, though there's some other places people don't expect.

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