NORINCO VN1 APC / ZBL09 IFV / PLL09 / ZTL09 Type 09 8 x 8 Family

Following in the foot steps of the worldwide trend away from 6 x 6 wheeled vehicles and towards larger vehicles such as the Stryker or Piranha, China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) developed its own wheeled 8 x 8 chassis, the Type 09. The new vehicles are expected to replace the 6 x 6 ZSL92 / WZ551 series.

The crew consists of a driver, the commander to his right and the gunner. There is room for up to seven infantry, which leave the vehicle through roof hatches or through the rear exit. The Type 09 is fully amphibious and comes with 2 water propellers at the rear.

The standard hull armor provides:

• protection at the front against 12.7 mm AP rounds up to 100 m
• protection at the sides against 7.62 mm AP rounds up to 100 m
• protection at the rear against 7.62 mm rounds

Additional armor can be bolted on as needed to increase protection. 
The first Type 09 variant to enter service in China was as an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) with the designation ZBL09. The Type 09 chassis has since been used on a wide range of combat vehicles.

• the basic ZSL09 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC)
• the ZBL09 IFV version with a turret armed with a 30x165 mm gun, coaxial 7.62x54R mm gun and HJ-73 / HJ-8 anti-tank missiles
• the PLL09 Self-Propelled Gun Howitzer version armed with a 122 mm howitzer
• the ZTL09 Assault Gun version armed with a 105 mm gun

Other special variants include communications, command and engineering types such as bridge laying and mine clearing. The Type 09 chassis family continues to be developed into new variants, such as an air defense version with a 35 mm gun and another with a breech-loading 120 mm mortar.

The APC variant is marketed for export as the VN1 with the following specifications:
Crew: 3 + 7
Weight: 21 tons
Length: 8 m
Width: 3 m
Height: 2.1 m
Ground clearance: 0.45 m
Maximum road speed: 100 km/hr
Maximum water speed: 8 km/hr
Range: 800 km

Credit original poster, via Chinese Internet