MG144-DZ02 ZSD-349 HIFV

DHZ

ZSD-349 HIFV (with additional turrets for ZSD-349 HIFV Command and ZSL-335 turret version)

Scale: 1:144th (10/12mm)

Three vehicles supplied, each with two additional turrets.

Size (Bounding Box, assembled, IFV turret): 47.02mm x 24.42mm x 21.83mm

As the impetus to ramp-up the army hit its stride, the DHZ’s replacement of its MBTs was a high priority. There were still many (too many) ZTZ-285s in service and of those, second or third-line garrison units still had not had their electronics upgraded.

Rather than waste these hulls entirely, given their ease of maintenance and reliability, the ZTZ-285 chassis was used as the basis for a new family of Heavy APCs and IFVs.

These became the ZSD-349 HAPC and HIFV.

The tank hull has been substantially overhauled, being extended and raised. The suspension was reinforced to take 11 tons of extra weight, mostly from enhanced armour. The power plant was replaced with a more powerful one to propel the new 45-ton weight.

The HIFV version can hold only 6 troops. This sacrifice of space allows it to carry a larger turret with more substantial weapons.

The primary HIFV turret is equipped with a 35mm cannon, a coaxial machine gun and four HJ-512 ATGWs, and a remote 10mm autocannon point-defence system.

A second version, uses a cut-down turret from the QN-1506, lacking the missile pods, but retaining the 30mm cannon, HMG and pulsed-laser point-defence unit. This version is expected to be used as a command vehicle.

A third turret is a modernised version of the ZBL-335 turret, with a 30mm autocannon and coaxial sustained-fire machine gun. It carries two HJ-173C ATGWs like the ZBL-335, but the rail mounts have been replaced with conventional box launchers and the electronics are upgraded for modern systems. It is believed that these turrets are not being produced directly, but coming from refits of ZBL-335 turrets from stores for replacements, as the ZBL-335 was expected to have been in production for longer than it was.