# XCB-01

XCB-01 (prefix XCB stands for Xe Chiến đấu Bộ binh, 'Infantry Fighting Vehicle - IFV') is a Vietnamese armored fighting vehicle platform and infantry fighting vehicle developed by Vietnam Defence Industry and assembled by Z189 Company. First launched in 2022, it is the first tracked armored vehicle researched and manufactured domestically by Vietnam. The vehicle is largely a resemblance of the Soviet BMP-1, however with revised hull designs and better defensive capabilities.

## Features
### Maneuverability

Thanks for its uprated engine, XCB-01 has a slightly-higher power-to-mass ratio nearly equivalent to the BMP-1 vehicle (23.1 hp/ton compared to 22.7 hp/ton). The XCB-01's suspension system is virtually the same as the BMP-1 with 6 drive wheels. Therefore, its maneuverability is supposedly comparable, if not better, to the BMP-1, despite featuring a bigger and heavier platform. The vehicle reaches a speed of about 65 km/h on flat roads and 45 km/h on bad terrain. The vehicle is capable of climbing steep slopes 0.7 m high, crossing ditches 2.5 m wide, slopes up to 30 degrees and can swim with speed of 7 km/h without prior preparation.

#### Protection

The vehicle can resist fire-piercing 12.7mm bullets on the front of the vehicle's body. The remaining sides of the vehicle are bulletproof according to STANAG 4569 lvl. 3 standards.
In addition to armor, the vehicle is also equipped with a 3-agent biological-chemical-radiological (NBC) protection system and a laser warning receiver (LWR), which can be used to activate smoke grenades in case the vehicle is targeted, or to obstruct enemies' observation.

#### Firepower

The vehicle is equipped with a main weapon system similar to the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle with main gun P-73-01 (HT-73-01) being a Vietnamese copy and modernization of the 2A28 Grom, which is used to destroy enemy vehicles, fortifications and manpower at a distance of up to 700 m. Compared to the original BMP-1, the XCB-01 is capable of detecting targets many times better in all weather conditions thanks to being equipped with the 1PN22VN1 multi-channel viewfinder combination developed by the Vietnamese Institute of Technology Application (Ministry of Science and Technology) that successfully designed and manufactured technology in 2020. This new generation multi-channel viewfinder includes 4 channels: day channel, laser rangefinder channel, infrared thermal imaging channel and CCD camera, providing the ability to detect targets from distance up to 2,000 m in all weather conditions.
Regarding secondary weapons, the vehicle is equipped with a 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun and, most prominently, a 12.7 mm NSV-type anti-aircraft machine gun mounted on the roof of the vehicle. This is a unique characteristic of the XCB-01 vehicle, unlike any infantry fighting vehicle previously manufactured by the Soviet Union or Russia. NSV and PKT machine guns are both locally manufactured by Z111 Factory.
The vehicle's weapon complex is mounted on a welded polygonal turret instead of the truncated conical turret on the BMP-1. In addition, soldiers in the troop compartment can use assault rifles and general-purpose machine guns to fire outwards through the battlements on both sides of the vehicle.
* The HT-73-01 turret and weapon station
* The gunner sight and smoke discharger of XCB-01
* Other sensors on the XCB-01

## Operational history

The XCB-01 is said to have been displayed for the first time within the framework of the 30th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM), held in November 2022 at the VPA Training Center in Mieu Mon, Hanoi. After that, images of the car testing its swimming ability were posted on Vietnamese social networks. In 2023, the XCB-01 vehicle appeared in a live-fire exercise codenamed "DT-23" conducted by the Army Corps 12 at TB1 Shooting Range on December 23.
It was publicly revealed in the Vietnam Defence Expo 2024.