More photos on the 134th Combined-Arms Mechanized Airborne Brigade's repid deployment to Tibet via civilian assets

The airborne on the move

Saturday, May 23, 2020

China Airforce's 134th Combined-Arms Mechanized Airborne Brigade's ZBD03 is now desert camo-ed

The 134th won its fame and fortune as the 45th Infantry Division 15th Army during Battle of Triangle Hill, or Battle of Shangganling of Chinese lexicon of the Korea War.   During that battle, the 45th Division suffered over 4,000 casualties in just ten days of fighting.

Story source (here)

 

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.    

Poor J-7, now a ground target for J-10C

Unit: 131st Aviation Brigade, Southern Theater Command Air Force HQ
Source (here)

 Note the ECM / Electronic warfare pod on the J-10C

Not too big not too small just right

Impressive pictures aside, the following set of PR photos depicting a "standard"  Artillery Battalion of a  "mid size" "everyday" "back in the days" "Joe six pack" "vanilla" "boring" "khakis pants" China Army Combined-Arms Brigade can serve as a good TOE reference.  PLL09 122mm 8x8 Self-Propelled Howitzer,  PL96 122mm Towed Howitzer, PHL81 122mm MRL, oh my.

Unit:  149th Combined-Arms Brigade, 76th Group Army, Western Theater Command
Source (here)

Photo Of The Day: Y-20 aerial refueling variant

Source (here) and many many sites inside of China.

A Y-20 aerial refueling variant has been part of the overall Y-20 program from day-one. As such, it is just a matter of time a picture of it surfaces online.  No surprise there. Checkbox, check.

Until the new Y-20 Tanker is commissioned with sufficient numbers, the China Airforce has to solider on with a much less capable H-6U fleet and three refurbished Il-78 tankers from the old Ukrainian AF

Flamethrower, an elegant weapon... for a more civilized age.

Unit: A Combined-Arms Brigade,  75th Group Army

The Chinese is fond of flamethrower and it is equipped to all military service branches.  For new China Army's TOE,  flamethrowers are organic to a Combined-Arms Brigade's Combat Support Battalion, Combat Engineering Company.


Source (here)

 

14.5 mm QJG 02, China's standard second-line dual-purpose HMG

14.5x115mm, 500 rounds per minute.

A quintessential Chinese infantry weapon of the early 2000s:  Man-portable (a 5-man crew), can fire either Chinese/Soviet ammo and build on top of a mixture of Soviet lineage and local mod/improvement.   Also, found in the Middle East.

 

Norinco QJG02 14.5mm AAA in Iraq

China Rocket Force PR.

New school vs ole-school PR

Source (here)

PR Photos Of The Day: Old PLA never die, they simple fade as PAP

Unit:  4th PAP Mobile Division, 5th PAP Mobile Corps.

This is the old PLA, 100% foot mobility riding on number "11 Bus". Yup, nothing says ole-school PLA than those photos below: