2017 IHS. No portion of this report may be reproduced, reused, or otherwise distributed in any form without prior written

consent, with the exception of any internal client distribution as may be permitted in the license agreement between client and IHS. Content reproduced or redistributed with IHS permission must display IHS legal notices and attributions of authorship. The

information contained herein is from sources considered reliable but its accuracy and completeness are not warranted, nor are the

opinions and analyses which are based upon it, and to the extent permitted by law, IHS shall not be liable for any errors or

omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained herein.

Page 1 of 11

Wheels of fortune: militaries trend towards 8x8 infantry fighting vehicles

[Content preview Subscribe to Janes International Defence Review for full article]

A number of militaries are shifting from tracked IFVs to 8x8 wheeled platforms. Christopher

F Foss explores the global offerings

Wheeled infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) offer a number of advantages over their tracked

counterparts, notable among which are their lower life-cycle costs and greater strategic mobility.

For example, tracked IFVs are typically transported over long distances by heavy equipment

transporters (HETs), but wheeled vehicles can be deployed over long distances, under their own

power, and at much higher speeds.

A number of design characteristics are emerging in the latest generation of wheeled systems,

when compared with vehicles designed and built 20 years ago the latest 8x8s are larger, heavier,

and have more volume and payload, enabling them to be fitted with additional armour protection or

larger calibre weapons, and in general offer increased utility. However, there has been a shift

away from amphibious capabilities.

The NORINCO ZBD-09 8x8 IFV is pictured as used by the PLA, but without a Red Arrow 73D ATGW mounted on the turret roof. Behind it is a new export version with a different weapon system. (Christopher F Foss)

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2017 IHS. No portion of this report may be reproduced, reused, or otherwise distributed in any form without prior written

consent, with the exception of any internal client distribution as may be permitted in the license agreement between client and IHS. Content reproduced or redistributed with IHS permission must display IHS legal notices and attributions of authorship. The

information contained herein is from sources considered reliable but its accuracy and completeness are not warranted, nor are the

opinions and analyses which are based upon it, and to the extent permitted by law, IHS shall not be liable for any errors or

omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained herein.

Page 2 of 11

Further features that are often standard on the new vehicles include run-flat tyres and a central

tyre inflation system (CTIS), enabling the driver to adjust the tyre pressure to suit the terrain.

Steering is typically power-assisted on the front four wheels, but some can be fitted with this

function on the rear-most road wheels also which is useful when the vehicle is operating in

confined environments. Some 8x8s also have adjustable suspensions, enabling the driver to alter

the vehicles ground clearance.

Welded steel is generally the norm for the vehicles hulls, but in some cases aluminium is used, to

which an appliqu armour package can be fitted (generally steel, composite, or other advanced

materials). For high-threat areas, IFVs have been fitted with net-type systems to provide higher

levels of protection against single high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warheads. The US Army has

taken protection levels further still, and has fitted explosive reactive armour (ERA) to some of its

M1126 Stryker 8x8 infantry carrier vehicles (ICVs).

Moreover, most types of armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) are now being configured with an

electronic architecture, enabling new sub-systems to be more easily fitted as threats change or

new technologies mature.

[Continued in full version]

Wheeled IFVs are generally armed with one- or two-person turrets or an RWS. Two-person turrets

provide an enhanced level of situational awareness, but the turret basket takes up additional

space in the hull.

The wheeled IFV market is competitive, and a number of key players are jostling for contracts. As

is the case in other sectors, a number of Chinese platforms have emerged new and updated

the legacy WMZ551 6x6 armoured personnel carrier (APC) is still deployed by China but is being

supplemented by NORINCOs VN1 8x8. This is used as an APC with a protected weapon station

(PWS) armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun (MG), but is also deployed as an IFV.

The IFV configuration referred to as the VN1A or ZBD-09 by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army

(PLA) has a turret armed with a 30 mm cannon, 7.62 mm co-axial MG, and features HJ-73D

anti-tank guided weapons (ATGWs) mounted on either side.

Aside from deployment with the PLA, the VN1 has also been sold to Venezuela and most recently

Thailand.

A new APC version of the VN1 has a raised roofline to the rear of the drivers position for greater

internal volume and is fitted with a PWS armed with a 12.7 mm MG.

Elsewhere, Taiwans National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCIST) has led

the development of the Cloud Leopard 8x8, the baseline version of which is fitted with an RWS

armed with a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher (AGL) and a 7.62 mm MG.

The IFV version has a two-person turret armed with an Orbital ATK Armament Systems 25 mm

M242 dual-feed cannon and 7.62 mm co-axial MG, and there are more specialised versions too.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) deploys a large tracked APC and IFV fleet, but is moving to a

balanced offering of tracked and wheeled platforms.

[Continued in full version]

2017 IHS. No portion of this report may be reproduced, reused, or otherwise distributed in any form without prior written

consent, with the exception of any internal client distribution as may be permitted in the license agreement between client and IHS. Content reproduced or redistributed with IHS permission must display IHS legal notices and attributions of authorship. The

information contained herein is from sources considered reliable but its accuracy and completeness are not warranted, nor are the

opinions and analyses which are based upon it, and to the extent permitted by law, IHS shall not be liable for any errors or

omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained herein.

Page 3 of 11

Meanwhile, the ROKs Hanwha Defense Systems is marketing its Black Fox in 8x8 and 6x6

configurations. As far as is known, only the 6x6 version is in production, with Indonesia receiving

22 platforms fitted with CMI Defences CSE 90 mm turret.

Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK) is recognised for its extensive range of tracked IFVs, but it

has also developed the Terrex 8x8.

The original Terrex 1 is considered an ICV and has a crew of two plus 11 dismounts; it has an

RWS armed with a 7.62 mm MG and a 40 mm AGL (or a 12.7 mm MG). It was followed by the

Terrex 2, which is the baseline for one of the two competitors on the US Marine Corps

Amphibious Combat Vehicle 1.1 (ACV 1.1) programme formerly known as the Marine Personnel

Carrier programme.

For ACV 1.1, STK teamed with SAIC and is competing with BAE Systems (teamed with Iveco

Defence Vehicles) on the programmes engineering and manufacturing development (EMD)

phase. A Terrex 3 8x8 has also been developed, and adds volume, payload capacity, and

protection.

One of the more recent 8x8 vehicles to emerge is the Black Widow, developed under the leadership of the Defence Technology Institute (DTI) in Thailand. It can be fitted with a medium-calibre turret for use in the IFV role. (DTI)

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Like many countries in Asia, Thailand aspires to become self-sufficient in a number of areas,

including AFVs.

Under the leadership of the countrys Defence Technology Institute (DTI), the Black Widow 8x8

has been developed to the prototype stage. It could possibly be used as an IFV and the first

example of the system has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of up to 25 tonnes and is fully

amphibious.

2017 IHS. No portion of this report may be reproduced, reused, or otherwise distributed in any form without prior written

consent, with the exception of any internal client distribution as may be permitted in the license agreement between client and IHS. Content reproduced or redistributed with IHS permission must display IHS legal notices and attributions of authorship. The

information contained herein is from sources considered reliable but its accuracy and completeness are not warranted, nor are the

opinions and analyses which are based upon it, and to the extent permitted by law, IHS shall not be liable for any errors or

omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained herein.

Page 4 of 11

Thailand operates a fleet of more than 200 BTR-3E 8x8 series APCs and other variants, and has

more recently ordered the Chinese NORINCO VN1. It rem