XCB-01 (prefix XCB stands for ) is a Vietnamese armored fighting vehicle platform and

infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle and armoured personnel carrier used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct fire, direct-fire suppo ...

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 The BMP-1 is a Soviet Union, Soviet Amphibious vehicle, amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle that has been in service from 1966 to the present. BMP stands for ''Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty 1'' (), meaning "infantry fighting vehicle, 1st ...

, however with revised hull designs and better defensive capabilities.

Features

Maneuverability

Some of the first prototype were equipped with a Doosan DL08 engine. Due to its larger size, the engine bay have extend upward. This led to the limitation of shooting angle of the main cannon. This engine was later abandoned. Thanks for its upgraded 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 armor-piercing 12.7mm bullets on the front of the vehicle's body. The remaining sides of the vehicle are bulletproof according to

STANAG 4569 NATO AEP-55 STANAG 4569 is a NATO Standardization Agreement covering the standards for the "Protection Levels for Occupants of Logistic and Light Armored Vehicles". The standard covers strikes from kinetic energy, artillery and Improvised explosiv ...

level 3 standards. In addition to armor, the vehicle is also equipped with a 3-agent b iological-chemical-radiological (NBC) protection system and a

laser warning receiver A laser warning receiver is a warning system used as a passive military defence. It detects, analyzes, and locates directions of laser emissionsPDF version4.53 MB) from laser guidance systems and laser rangefinders. Then it alerts the crew and can ...

(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 The 2A28 Grom also known as KBP 2A28 Grom, is the main armament of the Soviet-designed BMP-1 and BMD-1 infantry fighting vehicles. It is a 73 mm low pressure smoothbore semi-automatic gun with a wedge breech block. Development of the 2A28 G ...

, 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. The turret is then produced and assembly at Z125 Factory. Regarding secondary weapons, the vehicle is equipped with a 7.62 mm PKT

coaxial In geometry, coaxial means that several three-dimensional linear or planar forms share a common axis. The two-dimensional analog is ''concentric''. Common examples: A coaxial cable has a wire conductor in the centre (D), a circumferential ou ...

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. Some leaked images also showed that a

remote controlled weapon station A remote controlled weapon station (RCWS), remotely operated weapon system (ROWS), or remote weapon system (RWS), is a remotely operated light or medium-caliber weapon system, often equipped with a fire-control system, that can be installed on a ...

can also be equipped. NSV and PKT machine guns are both locally manufactured by

Z111 Factory The Z111 Factory (), formally registered as the 11 Precise Mechanical One Member Liability Company (), is a state-owned firearms and precision mechanics factory located in Thanh Hoá, Vietnam. The Z111 Factory was built in 1957, and was origina ...

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 An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate-rifle cartridge and a detachable magazine.C. Taylor, ''The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat'', F.A. Moyer ''Special Forces Foreign Weapons Handbook'', ...

and

general-purpose machine guns General-purpose may refer to: * General-purpose technology * General-purpose alternating current, AC electric power supply * General-purpose autonomous robots * General-purpose heat source Law and government * General-purpose administrative s ...

to fire outwards through the battlements on both sides of the vehicle. File:HT-73-01 weapon station on XCB-01 VDE 2024.jpg, The HT-73-01 turret and weapon station File:XCB-01 sights VDE 2024.jpg, The gunner sight and smoke discharger of XCB-01 File:XCB-01 sights VDE2024.jpg, Commander sight with

laser rangefinder A laser rangefinder, also known as a laser telemeter or laser distance meter, is a rangefinder that uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by ...

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 The ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM) is an annual rifle, pistol, and machine gun competition between the armies of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Its aim is to foster friendly competition and goodwill betwe ...

(AARM), held in November 2022 at the VPA Training Center in Mieu Mon,

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

. 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.

References

{{reflist Military equipment of Vietnam Infantry fighting vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 2020s