ZBD-04 Infantry Fighting Vehicle : China (CHN)
For a long time, China had been looking for new BVPs (infantry fighting vehicles) that could accompany main battle tanks, as thetype 63armored personnel carriers were only usable for attacking infantry. . .
For a long time, China had been looking for new BVPs (infantry fighting vehicles) that could accompany main battle tanks, as thetype 63armored personnel carriers were only usable for attacking infantry supported by their own infantry. However, the development of machines that would have relatively good characteristics, firepower and high mobility was delayed and did not achieve much success. By 1980, the situation had changed slightly, with the adoption of the BVPtype 86(WZ501, later designated ZBD-86), which was copied from the first-generation SovietBMP-1machines. The Chinese regard the "Type 86" BVP as an interim machine that will remain in service until their own BVP is developed. But with the new-generation BVP still not available, the Chinese military has had to make do with outdated machines that have been repeatedly upgraded. Together with the newly developed ones, they represented a mix of wheeled or tracked armored personnel carriers of national production. China turned to its "northern neighbor" - Russia. Initially, it was considered to buy a complete license for theBMP-3, but eventually in 1997 China bought the complex technology for the weapon system, fire control system and the PTRS - the 100mm cannon,30x165mm automatic cannon2A72and technology for barrel-fired anti-tank guided missiles. In the late 1990s, a new Chinese infantry fighting vehicle was developed, which unofficially came to be referred to in Western sources as the Type 97 (Type 97) or ZBD-97 (the vehicle's corporate designation was WZ502). According to contemporary Chinese sources, the vehicle was not introduced into service in its initial form, and therefore the military designation of the vehicle ZBD-97 is unofficial, although it is sometimes used in China. The final form of the vehicle was probably not inducted into service until 2004, and was given the official designation ZBD-04. During a military parade in Beijing on the 60th anniversary of the founding of thePeople's Republic of Chinaon October 1, 2009, the new BVP was shown to the public under the official designation ZBD-04. It was intended to replace the Type 86 and work with the new - third generation main battle tanksType 96andType 99. The ZBD-04 type was developed and produced byNORINCO (China North Industries Corp. ). The program was awarded the "State Prize for Advanced Scientific and Technological Achievement. " Jiangmin Wang was the general designer of the vehicle. The crane is made of a combination of steel and aluminum. During the construction of the tower, the shape of the tower and the construction material used were changed. The armour protection of the turret was increased and the ammunition magazine was redesigned - the horizontal placement of the ammunition was converted to vertical, allowing the use of grenades with longer lengths; the launching mechanism was changed; the safety was improved; the ejection mechanism was modified; the ventilation system was improved and the original 30 mm ammunition was replaced. Major changes affected the fire control system. The vehicle has been equipped with a new integrated digital fire control system and stabilized targeting system; the vehicle can fire while driving on land and while conducting amphibious operations. The BMP has an integrated electronic system that provides management, digital communication, redistribution of information inside the vehicle, map bases, etc. Unlike the Russian BMP-3, the Chinese machine has the engine in the front right section and the rear section is fully available for airdrop. In layout and appearance, they resemble thetype 85and type 89 vehicles. The upper part of the hull has a large slope. The front of the hull on the left is the driver's seat, which has its own hatch. Observations are made with three periscopes, the middle one being interchangeable with a passive-type IC instrument for night operations. Behind the driver is a compartment for the commander of the transported landing party. This compartment is also equipped with its own hatch. The commander of the airborne convoy uses only one viewport located in the left side of the hull for observation. The parachute is located at the rear of the hull. It is equipped with two hatches in the roof and a door at the rear. The firing ports for the airborne small arms are located on the sides of the hull (two on the left side and one on the right side) and one on the rear door. The commander's and gunner's turret is located in the center of the chassis. The commander has his place on the right side. For observation, it is equipped with a commander's fully rotatable turret with a built-in non-stabilized combined day-night IC passive observation instrument and a quadruplet of edge periscopes. In addition to the instruments in the turret, it has an additional optical sight. The gunner-operator seated on the left uses a stabilised combined day-night passive IC observation and targeting instrument with an integrated laser rangefinder and an anti-tank guided missile laser guidance system block. It is also equipped with a second optical sight and a single prismatic periscope. In the armoured recovery version, the turret is removed. This is replaced by a small turret for the vehicle commander. The armament in this variant consists of a 7. 62 mm machine gun. The 100 mm 2A70 gun is designed to fire the 3UOF17 high explosive fragmentation ammunition (HE-FRAG) with a low initial velocity (about 250 m/s) and to fire the3UBK10round, which includes an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) with semi-active laser guidance9M117(AT-10 Stabber) of theBastionsystem. The effective range of the HE-FRAG is estimated to be 4,000 m. The 3UBK10 can be used to destroy armored vehicles and fortifications, as well as to destroy low-flying helicopters. It has a firing range of up to 5,000 m. It has a hit probability of 80% and a penetration of 600 mm of steel armour. At the rear of the turret roof is an ejection mechanism for ejecting the shell from the gun's chamber. 100 mm shells are located under the floor for the crew. In one of the possible configurations, 22 shells can be carried in a casemate magazine and the firing diameter can be supplemented by up to 8 PTRS fired from the barrel, 3 of which are located in the feeder. The automatic reloading device allows firing at a rate of up to 10 rounds per minute and can be rotated electromechanically or manually in an emergency. The rate of fire of the2A72rapid-fire cannon is around 330 rounds per minute. It is equipped with a double magazine with a total capacity of 500 rounds (305 triple burst, 195 armour piercing). There are 2,000 rounds of ammunition ready for the Type 86 linked machine gun (the Chinese version of the Soviet 7. 62 mm machine gunPKT) in standby. The weapon set's aiming range is from -5o to +60°. According to some sources, the 30mm 2A72 gun was simplified, but the resulting version is no less capable. The 30mm gun has two separate ammunition type feeders, the control is electromechanical or manual. The laser rangefinder allows measuring distances between 500 and 4000 m, the accuracy is 10 meters. The shooter has a combined sight : day - night, passive - active, with independent stabilization of the field of view in two planes. The device combines the functions of a homing device and targeting of anti-tank and artillery fire. Guidance of the missile to the target is carried out by a laser beam. The armour protection of the hull and turret of the vehicle consists of flat welded armour on the basis of steel and composite. However, some sources state that the hull is made up of welded aluminium alloy armour, which is reinforced with steel or composite at exposed points. In addition, the front of the turret is fitted with imaginary passive armour. According to Chinese sources, the vehicle is designed to withstand 30 mm ammunition at a distance of 1,000 m (front of the hull and turret),14. 5 mm ammunitionat a distance of 200 m (sides of the hull), and 7. 62 mm ammunition and artillery shells (rear of the hull and turret). TheZBD-04 is equipped with an automatic collective protection system with air filter against NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) agents located behind the turret on the right side and most likely an automatic fire suppression system. The vehicle is also equipped with a laser radiation detection system that works with six smoke grenade launchers, which are located in threes on either side of the front of the turret. The vehicle has six unevenly spaced running wheels, with three support pulleys, front drive wheels and rear tension wheels. Torsion bars are used for the suspension, and hydraulic shock absorbers are mounted on the 1st, 2nd and 6th running wheels. The metal tracks are fitted with removable rubber feet to improve comfort for the crew. The ZBD-04 is powered by a Chinese BF8M1015CP turbocharged eight-cylinder engine with a power output of 440 kW at 2100 rpm from Hebei Huabei Diesel Motor Co. Ltd. The engine power is transmitted through a manually shifted hydromechanical transmission with four forward and one reverse gear to the front drive wheels of the tracks. Instead of the tracks, the engine can drive two water meters in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle can cope with waves of 2 to 3 Douglas scale (waves up to 1. 25 m high) during landing operations. A hydraulically operated breakwater is located at the front. Options:- armored recovery version on ZBD-04 chassis (similar to the Russian BREM-L vehicle onBMP-3 chassis)-ZBD-04A(company designation WZ502G) - redesigned version of the basic variant (in Western sources it is usually incorrectly marked as ZBD-08) - increased armor protection, redesigned propulsion system, increased combat weight, increased vehicle range, removed water cannons, new fire control system- VN11 - export variant of ZBD-04- VN12 - export variant of ZBD-04A, armament consists of 30 mm cannonThe modified chassis of the ZBD-04 also serves as a platform for several types of special vehicles of the Chinese Army. Resources : Contains many photos of this BVPwww. otvaga2004. narod. ruhttp://www. armyrecognition. comhttp://tekhnogun. com/brm001/china_16. htmlwww. army-technology. comVisingr, Lukáš: Chinese Infantry Fighting Vehicles ZBD-04 Series,ATM 2016/03Period-TypeBojové vozidlo pěchoty ZBD-04Camouflage-CountryProduction No. -Poznávací značka / evidenční číslo-Tactical marking-Name-Unit-Date (DD. MM. RRRR)DD. MM. RRRRAuthor-Print size / 300 DPI-Published with authors permit-Author Website-Period-TypeBojové vozidlo pěchoty ZBD-04Camouflage-Country-Production No. -Poznávací značka / evidenční číslo-Tactical marking-Name-Unit-Date (DD. MM. RRRR)DD. MM. RRRRAuthor-Print size / 300 DPI-Published with authors permit-Author Website-URL : https://www. valka. cz/Bojove-vozidlo-pechoty-ZBD-04-t42751#405263Version : 0