Type 08

The Type 08 (Chinese: 08式轮式装甲车族; pinyin: Líng bā Shì lúnshì zhuāngjiǎchē zú; lit. 'Type 08 wheeled armored vehicle family') is a Chinese family of modern eight-wheeled, amphibious, modular armored vehicles developed by Norinco for infantry fire support, battlefield logistics, and quick reaction operations. Developed in the early 2000s, the vehicle family were produced for more than 6,000 hulls and widely deployed by the People's Liberation Army Ground Force and People's Liberation Army Marine Corps.
ZBL-08 is the designation for the infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) variant in the Type 08 vehicle family. The modular design offers a plethora of different configurations, including an armored personnel carrier (APC) variant, an assault gun variant, combat engineering variants, mine clearance variants, CBRN defense variants, 122 mm/155 mm self propelled howitzer (SPH) variants, air defense variants, self-propelled mortar variants, reconnaissance vehicle variants, command vehicle variants, and much more.
The development of the Type 08 vehicle family starts in the 1990s as the successor to other aging Chinese wheeled vehicles. Type 08 was first seen in 2006, undergoing road tests.
The Type 08 has modular design that allows customization of the vehicle based on mission. The vehicle consists of six modules: engine module, transmission module, control module, suspension module, hull module, and weapon station module. The vehicle is fitted with a digital battlefield management system, satellite navigation system, NBC protection, and automatic fire suppression system. It is able to datalink and communicate with other vehicles as well as the command posts.
The vehicle chassis and turret is made of all-welded steel with mounted alumina ceramic composite plates, providing protection against shell splinters, 12.7 mm armor-piercing incendiary rounds at 100 metres (330 ft) and 25 mm projectiles over the frontal arc at 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). The vehicle is fitted with smoke dischargers and laser warning receivers to improve survivability. The vehicle is capable of all weather operation. The driver is equipped with a helmet-mounted night vision system fed from the CCD-based sensors fitted on the vehicle chassis.
ZBL-08 infantry fighting vehicle, the standard variant of the Type 08 family, is equipped with ZPT-99 30 mm autocannon and Type 86 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. Two HJ-73C ATGM rail launchers are mounted on both sides of the turret. The gunner is equipped with a computerized fire control system, gun stabilization with automatic tracking, laser rangefinder, and thermal imagining devices.
ZSL-10 armored personnel carrier is equipped with an open-top armor-protected QJC-88 heavy machine gun and smoke discargers.
ZTL-11 assault vehicle is fitted with ZPL-98A 105 mm rifled gun with capability of launching armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS), high explosive (HE), and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) ammunitions, as well as the indigenous GP105 105 mm gun-fired laser beam riding guided anti-tank missile (ATGM). Secondary weapons include QJT-88 5.8 mm coaxial machine gun and QJC-88 12.7 mm roof-mounted heavy machine gun. The turret of ZTL-11 is derived from the Type 05 amphibious tank, but with more smoke dischargers. The assault vehicle is also fitted with ST-16 millimeter wave radar suite, similar to the one mounted on Type 99A tank. The radar is designed for target identification (IFF), acquisition, and tracking.
Type 08 family is powered by the Deutz BF6M1015C water-cooled V-type 6-cylinder diesel engine, developing 330 kW (440 hp). The vehicle is equipped with automated manual transmission. The front four wheels are capable of power steering. The maximum speed is 100 km/h (62 mph) with a 800 km (500 mi) range on paved roads. The vehicle is fully amphibious, with hydraulically controlled water jets mounted to the rear. The vehicle is fitted with computer-controlled central tire inflation system and steel-reinforced radial tires to improve mobility under off-road and emergency situation.
In September 2024, it was reported that India's Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP), produced by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) defeated China’s Type-08 armoured vehicle to produce up to 100 IFVs for the Morocco’s National Defence Administration.