Friday, July 31, 2020

ZBL08 8x8 AFV family pic

Note the recon variant.







Sunday, April 05, 2015

ZBL08/VN1 Vehicle Launched Bridge variant unveiled

Enabling PLA's own "stryker" brigades to enjoy organic engineering support.








Sunday, April 14, 2013


The first ZBL-08 Assault gun equipped unit unveiled

It is the 162nd light-mech infantry division, 54th Group Army, Jinan MR.  There is no need for "Drumroll, Please" as the 162nd already operates other ZBL-09 variants.  

It is interesting to note that this PLA daily is calling  ZBL-09 Assault gun  a "wheeled light tank"





http://jn.81.cn/content/2013-04/12/content_5297880.htm

中国军网记者频道济南(王卫东 武今鹏):今年3月初,某新型轮式坦克正式列装济南军区某装甲团,盼新装备盼红了眼的全团官兵,像喜迎新娘一样激动不已。
激动伴着欣喜,原因是听说新装备配备的火控系统大多只需按几个按钮,输入数据、参数即可完成射击准备,“一键式”智能射击方式还会使射击精度更高,像操作“傻瓜”相机一样简单容易。
然而,几天的新鲜劲头还没过,官兵们一个个像霜打的茄子——蔫了:战术互联网电台、数传单元、车长任务终端、北斗一体机等,这些信息化设备一时让官兵如坠云雾。
坦克三连上士车长张鹏,入伍第三年就考取通信特级证书,连续8年被评为通信能手,9次担任重大演习头车车长,被官兵誉为“动中通”。
第一次带领通信组训练,张鹏自信地给战士们动员:“不就是输入几组数据吗?有啥难的?看我的!”
说完,张鹏带领第一组乘员起步、登车,利利索索地钻进坦克,按照前段时间培训中掌握的程序,打开电源,初始化数据库……战士们瞪大眼等着给班长们鼓 掌,可坦克里的张鹏却憋得满脸通红:一番鼓捣,愣是联不通上级指挥中枢,本车其他3名成员也丁是丁,卯是卯,根本联不到一块……
“咋就玩不转呢?”张鹏钻出坦克,脸红得像关公。不仅张鹏这组人遭遇尴尬,团领导调研中发现,尽管接收新装备前后,团里通过邀请专家授课、外送骨干培训,官兵掌握了一些常识和技能,但真的使用起来,不是锣齐鼓不齐,就是训练、保障难题频频“冒泡”。
炮兵营四级军士长王虎,带着全班钻进某新型自行火炮操作室,每个人都傻了眼:新型火炮操作平台上,密密麻麻的按钮就有20多个,以前学的一些基本常 识在大脑里成了一团浆糊。炮长的专业变得更复杂,训练内容由过去的3个,变为现在5大专业涉及十几个学科内容。第一次训练,王虎带着全班对照说明书,小心 翼翼地一个按钮一个按钮碰,一个流程一个流程试。
新装备配备的信息显控平台、火控计算机,能把风速、气温、药温等几十个影响精度的因素瞬间完成精准计算。过去,大家比的是哪门炮、哪辆车射击准备中 最先占领阵地,计算修正量最精确等等,如今,拼的是信息共享、数据互通以及车内人与人、单车与单车、单车与整个指挥中枢之间的协同……
一时间,面对“撒手锏”,官兵们就像小娃娃放鞭炮——又爱又怕。从团领导到普通一兵逐步认识到,换装并不是单纯的“腾笼换鸟”那么简单,而是带来了训练方式、训练观念、保障手段等一系列冲击。
“装备能配发,但人的素质得靠自己积累提升,素质升级势在必行,我们不能等,也等不起。换装更需换脑!”党委议训会上,大家达成共识:老老实实从头学,扎扎实实起步练。
很快,全团上下都有股强烈的素质危机感。从头学,可不是吃大锅饭、磨洋工。政委谢天平的一句话通俗易懂:吃着碗里,盯着锅里的,不仅要完成大纲规定的训练任务,更要盯着信息化战场找差距、补齐短板。
训练场还是以前的训练场,教室还是原来的教室,但团党委“一班人”的目光看得更远了。他们邀请院校专家、教授和友邻单位技术骨干来到部队,共同研究制定官兵素质升级“路线图”,区分专业、区分层次,按岗位实施定向培训。
坦克七连官兵熟悉了新型坦克的基本操作使用,提出了遇有浓雾、烟尘怎么办?火控系统故障怎么办?通信系统遭敌袭扰等18个“怎么办”,围绕这些“怎么办”,全团掀起了轰轰烈烈的训练热潮。
(王卫东 武今鹏 王世鹏 李连军)

Friday, July 29, 2011


ZBL-09 Assault gun variant unveiled.

Perhaps this latest unveiling would add more credence to the rumor of PLA's own Stryker Brigade, perhaps not. At any rate, it is no secret that the PLA high command is a huge fan of FM 3-0 and don't be surprise to see a more "full spectrum" focused than pure firepower approach to war fighting down the road  




SAT-Comm variant



Sunday, May 15, 2011


PLA's ZBL09 IFV (VN1 Export) 8x8 family

The rate it is going, they might have their own Stryker Combat Brigade soon.
http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2011/05/plas-zbl09-ifv-vn1-export-8x8-family.html


Photo taken from the 2009 October 1st Military Parade



Engineering variant


122mm howitzer variant


120mm mortar variant
 
Recon variant
Command variant 








Wednesday, July 29, 2020

PLAN carrier-based fighters complete nighttime buddy refueling in flight



PLAN carrier-based fighters complete nighttime buddy refueling in flight
来源:China Military Online责任编辑:Chen Lufan
2020-07-29 19:420
J-15 practices nighttime air-to-air refueling. (Photo By Li Chun)

http://81.cn/jwywpd/2020-07/29/content_9868936.htm








By Liu Shaowei and Zhang Fuhua

HULUDAO, July 29 -- Recently, two J-15 carrier-based fighter jets attached to a ship-borne aviation unit under the PLA Navy (PLAN) have successfully completed the nighttime buddy refueling training in air space, marking a new breakthrough in their all-weather long-range combat capability.

Aerial refueling, also known as centimeter-level flight, is universally recognized as one of the most challenging flight events, as it is extremely easy for the aircraft to scratch or even collude in the dim light against a dark background. This time's nighttime buddy refueling training was conducted between two carrier-based J-15 fighters, which are only about 10 meters separated during the aerial refueling process. This placed extremely high requirements on the pilots' operational skills, physiological and psychological conditions, and cooperation capabilities.

According to Zhang Ye, commander in charge of the training, up to now, a series of subjects with superior difficulties, such as day-and-night carrier landings, aerial refueling in daytime and nighttime, etc., have been completed by the PLAN ship-borne aviation units.

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Boring Logistics Photos Of The Day: China's new HMV3 Heavy Military Truck

Now entering service in large numbers, including Tibet MD.

HMV3 = Third Generation Heavy Military Vehicle












Monday, July 27, 2020

Photos Of The Day: 30mm variant, VN3/QL550 wheeled armored vehicle










Friday, May 08, 2020

Different VN3/QL550 weapon combos

VN3/QL550 w/ ZBD03's turret, 30mm auto cannon + 7.62mm coaxial mg


Sunday, November 04, 2018


Airborne's new toy

The Chinese Airborne Corps is using this year's Zhuhai Airshow to show off three of its in-service IFVs (if you can call those thin-skinned vehicle that)


Sino-BMD-4:  Noted the 100mm low-pressure gun together with a 30mm coaxial auto-cannon and 7.62 coaxial mg, almost identical to a standard Bakhcha-U turret.  The 2x3 smoke grenade discharges are missing but I am sure they can be retrofitted.


Next up:  Replace the Bakhcha-U turret with a 120mm Gun-Mortar found on a PPZ10.  And, you have instant in-direct fire support rolling off a Y-20

Updated  QL550 4x4 Recon AFV already in army service.

Friday, May 08, 2020

PLAAF finally adopted the domestic/improved version of the VN3/QL550 wheeled armored vehicle into airborne service

With increasing number of better airlifters (Y-9. Y-20) entering service with the PLAAF 15th Airborne.  They can now able to offer better armor protection for their  troops.  Protection against 7.62mm is better than nothing, I suppose.

Photo from 2008, noted the earlier variant had only two front-doors 



Magazine scan form Dec 2007


 Photo source (link)