Chinese Amphibious Type 05 / ZBD05 / ZTD05 Family of IFV / AAV

The Type 05 family of tracked Amphibious Assault vehicles (AAV) are similar in design to the now cancelled Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) of the United States. The vehicles are launched at sea from amphibious assault ships and swim at high speed to shore.

To accomplish its mission, the specially designed planing hull in the shape of a boat reduces hydrodynamic drag and is propelled by 2 water jets mounted at the rear of the vehicle. The diesel engine is located at the front with the crew behind, which can enter or exit through a rear door.

The Type 05 family comprise several versions:

• the ZBD05 or ZBD2000 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)
• the ZTD05 Light Tank replaces the ZTS63A amphibious tank
• command vehicle, recovery vehicle and other specialized variants

The ZBD05 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) variant carries a turret armed with a 30x165 mm gun, coaxial 7.62x54R mm gun, side-mounted HJ-73 / HJ-8 anti-tank missiles and smoke grenade launchers. Crew consists of a driver, commander and gunner and the vehicle can carry a squad of 9 marines in the crew compartment.

The standard hull armor provides:

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

The ZTD05 Light Tank variant carries a crew of 4 with the addition of a loader and a turret armed with a fully stabilized 105 mm gun, which can engage targets while still at sea. It can fire several types of rounds:

• Armor Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot (APFSDS)
• High Explosive (HE)
• High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)
• laser Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) based on the Russian 9M117 Bastion 

Secondary armament consists of a roof-mounted 12.7x108 mm anti-aircraft machine gun, coaxial 7.62x54R mm gun and smoke grenade launchers.

Credit original poster, via Chinese Internet