With the continuous emergence of China's navy and air force weapons and the ever-increasing strength, the Chinese army's weapons are gradually marginalized in the hearts of military fans. Even in the selection of the topic of the Great Ivan's article, the proportion of the army weapon article is still in a relatively low state (the amount of reading often rushes to the street).
However, the development of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army still has a lot to say. Today, let’s talk about the ZBD-04A crawler infantry fighting vehicle, which is currently the main ground assault force of the Chinese Army’s armored infantry.
Relatives of the ZBD-04A tank: BMP-3
When it comes to the ZBD-04A tank, we have to talk about its Russian "distant relative", also after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle was "partially introduced" and "partially borrowed".
As the third-generation main infantry fighting vehicle of the Soviet Army’s motorized infantry equipment, BMP-3 is aimed at the lack of BMP-1 anti-infantry capabilities and BMP-2 anti-tank capabilities. With the design choice of "both in it", we achieved "one enhancement of anti-tank capability, two enhancement of anti-infantry capability":
Let’s first talk about "enhancing anti-tank capability", BMP-3 The 2A70 100mm low-pressure smoothbore gun equipped with the type infantry fighting vehicle can launch 9M116-3 laser beam guided gun to fire anti-tank missiles. The maximum range can reach about 5000 meters, and the theoretical penetration depth can reach 600 to 700 mm RHA. The maximum carrying capacity can reach 8 rounds.
Let’s talk about “enhanced anti-infantry capability”. The 2A70 100mm low-pressure smoothbore gun equipped with the BMP-3 tank can fire anti-tank missiles and is also equipped with two different types of anti-explosive bombs. Although the initial velocity of one of the short-cartridge-type anti-explosive bombs is only about 250 m/s, the internal charge of the warhead is as high as 1.69 kg. The area of damage to exposed light-protected live targets can reach 168 square meters, which is more than The D-10T tank gun on the Su T-55 tank.
BMP-3’s turret structure
At the same time, the BMP-3 tank is also equipped with a synchronized 30mm 2A72 machine gun on the side of the 2A70 smoothbore gun. The muzzle velocity is about 970 meters per second, and the range can reach about 2000 meters when dealing with lightly armored targets on the ground. The whole gun has fewer parts, reliable action, and strong power. It has a total of 500 rounds of ammunition, which is quite powerful for infantry targets that rely on protection. The lethality.
BMP-3 heading machine gun
In addition, BMP-3 is also very special equipped with a PKT type 7.62 mm heading machine gun on the left and right sides of the front of the car body. The ammunition is up to 1000 rounds each, and is controlled by the two RPK machine gunners of the vehicle-mounted motorcycle squad. The vehicle-mounted firepower is composed of one 100mm smoothbore gun, one 30mm parallel machine gun, and two 7.62mm heading machine guns. It is one of the most powerful infantry fighting vehicles of major military powers.
The performance of China’s ZBD-04A
Compared with the original Soviet BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s ZBD-04 and ZBD-04A infantry fighting vehicles have adopted the The R&D, turret reference design" R&D route is based on the BMP-3 vehicle firepower system, and incorporates a considerable part of our own scientific research results, and makes the "ultimate version" ZBD-04A of this type of tank in the overall performance Basically overwhelming the BMP-3 type used by the Russian military. Simply put, our ZBD-04A has achieved a catch-up with the Russian-made BMP-3 in terms of protection, power, and fire control.
ZBD-04A
First, let’s talk about the protection. Compared with the old ZBD-04, it relies on the body base armor to resist the opponent’s anti-armor weapons and the protective performance of various types of armor-piercing projectiles. Limited status, ZBD-04A type continues ZBD-04 On the basis of the protective base armor, dozens of additional composite ceramic steel armors are bolted on the lower part of the car body, on both sides of the car body, and the front of the turret. Through enhanced protection, the front of the car body can be 1000 meters It can resist the direct fire of Su 30mm armor-piercing incendiary at a distance of 200 meters.
Old ZBD-04
Let’s talk about the powertrain of ZBD-04A. Compared with BMP-3, UTD-29M four-stroke diesel engine with output power of about 370Kw, ZBD- 04A uses a 6-cylinder 150 series turbocharged diesel engine with an output of about 440Kw and a CH400 hydraulic integrated transmission system, ensuring that the unit power is basically the same when the vehicle's combat weight is several tons heavier than the BMP-3M.
UTD-29M four-stroke diesel engine
In the gun control system, ZBD-04A follows the BMP-3 "100mm low-pressure smoothbore gun + 30mm machine gun" combination , The automatic loading device for gun-launched missiles was added to the smoothbore gun, and the shell ejection mechanism of the 100mm main gun and the bomb supply system of the 30mm parallel cannon were improved. The system reliability is slightly higher than that of the original BMP-3.
04A’s turret internal structure
Finally, in the fire control system, ZBD-04A adopts an advanced gunner’s upper anti-image stabilization aiming and guiding scope, equipped with Automatic tracking module, and the vehicle and gun commander are equipped with independent thermal imager channels. The integrated tactical situation display in front of the commander and the communication station in the background also have multiple functions such as battlefield situation management and inter-vehicle and upward tactical communication. In contrast, although BMP-3 also uses image stabilization fire control device, but because some of its electronic components are relatively backward, the overall hit rate is much lower than that of ZBD-04A, not to mention that BMP-3 is still there. The old-fashioned infrared night vision observation mirror was used, and it was not until the latest improved model BMP-3M that the gunner thermal imager channel was popularized.
04A’s sighting system
Therefore, in this sense, our self-developed ZBD-04A infantry fighting vehicle has completely achieved "blue out of blue and better than blue". Throwing its Russian relatives down half a bit.
The difference between ZBD-04A and BMP-3
However, even if the combat effectiveness of ZBD-04A and BMP-3 are relatively close, the weapon system is quite similar, but we only need to analyze it carefully to find out. These two infantry fighting vehicles actually represent the tactics used by the two armored infantry/motorized infantry. The biggest difference lies in the hulls of these two fighting vehicles:
Russia The Army’s BMP-3 adopts a very unique rear layout of the power cabin. The crew cabin is quite strangely located around the turret. There are three people in the front of the car (one driver and two machine gunners responsible for controlling the machine gun), and two turrets. People, five people behind the turret. If you want to get out of the car for battle, the two people in the turret and the driver generally don’t get out of the car. The five motorcycle infantry behind the turret need to get off the two hatches on both sides of the car, and then wait for the two machine gunners to get out of the front of the car. Get off at the top of the army and adopt this very special multi-way getting off mode that easily exposes your own soldiers to enemy fire.
and our own ZBD-04A infantry fighting vehicle does not have so many turns and turns. It adopts the front layout of the power pack similar to some main battle tanks, and the driver is located in the car body. On the left side of the front, inside the turret are the commander and the gunner. The rest of the combatants sit in the large crew compartment at the rear of the car.
Using Soviet tactics
Of course, no one would want to do the death-deal business. Combining the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle with very special two heading machine guns, we can draw a conclusion that the Soviet army hopes that the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle has stronger combat capability. Traditional Soviet ArmyMotorized infantry will only use the tactics of riding in a vehicle when the situation is more ideal. In most cases, the motorized infantry is required to disembark about 400 meters away from the vehicle and then attack on foot with the support of the infantry fighting vehicle. After all, in the era of BMP-1, if the motorcycle squad does not get off the car, not only will it not be able to exert firepower, but it will also be easily destroyed by the enemy's anti-tank weapons.
BMP-1
But the situation is completely different when it comes to BMP-3. If the two machine gunners of the motor rifle team stay on the BMP-3, then they are controlling The two PKT parallel machine guns that fired 7.62×54R machine gun shells are not comparable to the two RPK-74 squad light machine guns. At the same time, the increase in the firepower of the NATO national army's infantry also made the Soviet army believe that if the Moroccan infantry got off the vehicle and impacted on foot, it was likely to suffer greater losses. Only by using powerful vehicle firepower to suppress the enemy and quickly rush into the enemy position can it reduce its own casualties.
To put it simply, this is a "quick breakthrough" tactic. It pays to use the impact of the gear to quickly open the gap in the enemy's frontier defense system and race against time during large-scale field attacks. The implementation of a deep attack on the ground creates conditions for our troops to complete outflank.
Our Army’s Tactical Application
Relatively speaking, the PLA Army’s requirements for the ZBD-04 infantry fighting vehicle are much simpler, just a new generation of infantry fighting vehicles, without additional requirements. In the view of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the two heading machine guns are meaningless and affect vehicle protection. The rear-mounted power has severely affected infantry boarding and disembarking, and it cannot adapt to the PLA’s positioning of infantry fighting vehicles.
In other words, the PLA Army believes that the infantry fighting vehicle is still a vehicle during infantry operations. The real main force is the dismounted infantry, and the infantry fighting vehicle only provides support firepower for it. From this perspective, the Chinese Army’s infantry squad tactics are closer to that of the US Army, but are quite different from the Russian Army, which emphasizes fighting in vehicles.
As for which tactic is better, there is no absolute standard for this. For the Russian army, as long as the suppression of firepower is strong enough, it can indeed ensure that the motorcycle infantry is safer in the impact of the vehicle. After all, actual combat is not a game, and there are definitely a few "warriors" who dare to shoot out of bullets. But this kind of safety is also relative. As long as an anti-tank weapon hits, the entire class may be reimbursed.
The Chinese and American infantry squad emphasizes getting off the vehicle for combat, which is to consider the serious proliferation of modern anti-tank weapons, and it is difficult to reliably suppress the enemy with fortifications. The observation capability of infantry fighting vehicles After all, it is limited, far inferior to the broad view of the infantry after getting off the vehicle, and the infantry squad after dispersing is not easy to be killed in one go, which is also conducive to the development of firepower by the infantry. But this tactic also has risks. Compared with infantry fighting vehicles, the protection of infantry is too poor and weak. Once it is fired by enemy rifle machine guns, heavy casualties may also occur.
However, no matter what kind of tactics, you need to have enough suppressing firepower. The more the better, the army in this world does not feel that they have enough firepower. Don't talk about the firepower of the Chinese army. Insufficient phobia, both the Soviet army and the US army can use heavy bombers like Tu-22 and B-52 as infantry support firepower. Does anyone think the firepower is enough? Of course not enough! When the Chinese Air Force's H-6 can drop various guided and non-guided munitions on the enemy, it is time to end this discussion.
