Friday, August 28, 2020

Photos Of The Day: Improved 8x8 wheeled AFV in service

 




Thursday, July 23, 2020

More photos of the improved 8x8 wheeled AFV surfaced











Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Another 2 photos of China's improved 8x8 wheeled IFV

Could be a 30mm IFV variant







Sunday, June 07, 2020

Detail CGI rendering of the new Chinese 8x8 wheeled Assault Gun


What do we know so far:
  • It uses the same long barrel variant of the ZTP-94 105mm tank gun and autoloader just like the new Type 15 light MBT
  • The chassis is an improved ZBL-08 with a rear ram and big vision block for the driver's hatch
  • Remote controlled turret with minimum hulk penetration
  • Remote weapon station for the 12.7mm HMG
  • Odd layout of its smoke grenade launchers with 6x on the right and 4x on the left
  • Laser warning receivers and digital camera all around
   New finds:
  • There will be a IFV version with a smaller remote control turret; assuming 30mm autocanon and HJ-11 or HJ-12 ATGM launch tubes
  • The new TC panoramic sight features thermal imaging sight, laser range finder and external stabilization.
  • The bolt-on armor plates are compose of HHS, ceramic and polymer+RHA backing. It's capable of stopping 40mm caliber autocanon. Optional ERA.
  • The most interesting is the hatch opening behind the TC panoramic. 
    • My take on it: 
    • It's fairly small so it's not for quick entrance or exist. It's a pass-through design.  
    • It look heavy, so it probably has a mechanical opening system
    • So, it's likely just made for letting the commander stand up and out of the top of the turret. Which it seems like a lot of wasted space.   

Monday, August 24, 2020

Photos of the day: Prep-ing Lynx all-terrain vehicle for an airdrop

 






Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Photos of the day: Airdropping Lynx

Noted that 15th Airborne's Lynx are being carried by Y-8, Y-9 and Il-76








Saturday, August 22, 2020

CCTV capture of the day: A new China Navy nuclear submarine enters service

This new Shang SSN - Long-March 15 - features an improved teardrop hull and according the same CCTV report capable of firing the latest generation of "torpedo".    Folks from China are calling this new Long-March 15 Shang member of the new 093G class. 







"Navy Long-March 15 Ship"





Friday, August 21, 2020

Multi-type Army helicopters conduct deck-landing training on civilian semi-submersible vessel

 another STUFT (Ships Taken Up From Trade) example

http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2020-08/21/content_9887106.htm




BEIJING, Aug. 21 -- Recently, an army aviation brigade under the PLA 71st Group Army organized multi-type helicopters to conduct deck-landing training, fuel and ammunition replenishment and emergency repair on a civilian semi-submersible vessel, in a bid to test support capabilities.

According to the training scenario, after the multi-type helicopters flied to the target island, the transport helicopter selected a site for landing with the attack helicopter on alert overhead. Then the transport helicopter carried the mocked wounded soldiers to a civilian semi-submersible vessel for a replenishment-at-sea.

During the training, the multi-type helicopters landed precisely on the deck of civilian semi-submersible vessel and quickly received fuel and ammunition supplies.
There are three helipads in the middle area of the semi-submersible vessel’s deck.

Colonel Xu Yifeng, deputy commander of the army aviation brigade under the PLA 71st Group Army, said that this training has effectively improved the pilots’ deck-landing ability on the offshore platforms and also the maintenance personnel’s comprehensive support capacity, laying a solid foundation for the cross-sea operations of the PLA Army’s helicopters.

It is learnt that the civilian semi-submersible vessel participating in the training is manufactured by the Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. The middle area of the vessel’s deck is equipped with 3 helipads, which can carry and support multiple types of helicopters in active service to conduct cross-sea operations, such as the WZ-10, WZ-19, and Z-8 helicopters. China has so far dozens of dual-use semi-submersible vessels.

Chinese military expert Li Jie said on August 20 that the large semi-submersible ship can take advantage of its large deck and better stability to temporarily serve as a platform to carry helicopters, an offshore parking apron, and a replenishment and repair center when performing some tasks in offshore areas, especially those with air domination. If missions are performed around large islands or reefs, a large semi-submersible ship can also be deployed at each end of the islands or reefs as maritime relay platforms to further enhance the cross-sea combat capability of the helicopters and to increase the helicopters’ combat radius.
Maintenance crew members arm a WZ-19 helicopter with an AKD-9, an air-to-surface missile.

Li also believed that with the improvement of China's shipbuilding technology, the current large-tonnage civilian semi-submersible vessels with relatively advanced technology have great potential for military-civilian integration.

Disclaimer: This article is originally published on globaltimes.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.

Refueling at sea with the Type 63A amphibious light tank.

 

Running a static line to pull to fuel hose over, just like how you do it on ship.


This is one of the few Type 63A amphibious light tank still in service.

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

LN36 - 123rd Heavy Armor Combined Arms Brigade, Southern Theater Command

 Showing off its ZTQ15 105mm Light Tank in a drill.

Source (here)








Saturday, November 24, 2018

Non-news of the day: The first PLA operator of Norinco's ZTQ-15 105mm light tank is

the 123rd Combined Arms Brigade (合成第123旅), 75th Group Army, Southern Theater Command.

The 123rd is one of PLA's elite units guarding China's southern flank and considered to be one of Army's major amphibious units.   With that in mind, it is not unreasonable to assume that the 123rd is part of an contingency plan for an island 110 miles east of Fujian province.   Having this new light tank could come in handy, not just for amphibious landing east Fujian but several other scenarios around Southern China as well.


123rd Combined Arms Brigade was expended from the 369th Mechanized Infantry Regiment, 123rd Heavy Amphibious Mechanized Infantry Division, 41st Group Army, Guangzhou Military Region during the last round of PLA or-org an year and half ago.


 ZTQ-15 of the 123th

Saturday, August 15, 2020

PR Photos Of The Day: Males and females tank crews working side by side

Unit:  2nd Tank Company,  Combined-Arms Regiment, 8th Combined arms Division, Xinjiang MD 

 Source (here) and (here)

ZTZ88A MBT.  And, no, they are not in high school.