21 August 2020
Images emerge of Chinese tracked amphibious bridging system
by Samuel Cranny-Evans
Chinese state-owned media have released video footage showing what appears to be a new tracked amphibious ferry and bridging system for use by the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF).
The footage, which was released on 20 August on the Weibo social media page of the js7tv.cn website, shows two of the tracked vehicles deploying their pontoons before entering the water.
Chinese state-owned media have released video footage showing what appears to be a new tracked amphibious ferry and bridging system. (CCTV 7 via js7tv.cn)
It appears that the platform can provide both a ferry and bridging capability across rivers and other water obstacles. However, the video provided no further details about the system, including its designation and whether it is already in PLA service.
This is the second such system Chinese state-owned media has shown about in a little over a week. On 12 August the state-owned China Central Television 7 (CCTV 7) channel reported about a 4×4 amphibious ferry and bridging system operated by a brigade within the 78th Group Army of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The CCTV 7 report showed the wheeled system deploying its pontoons before entering the water and ferrying what appeared to be a 21-tonne ZBL-09 armoured fighting vehicle. Later on, the system was also shown in the water being attached to a similar platform to form a pontoon bridge and provide a bridging capability, although CCTV 7 did not reveal the system’s carrying capacity.
The media outlet revealed that the wheeled vehicle can deploy its pontoons within three minutes, with the platform then becoming 13 m long and 20 m wide.
Already a Janes subscriber? Read the full article via the
Client Login
Interested in subscribing, see What we do
Share
Chinese state-owned media have released video footage showing what appears to be a new tracked amphi...
Details