Vickers/NORINCO NVH-1 ICV

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                     Vickers/NORINCO NVH-1 ICV

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Vehicle design and history:

The Vickers/NORINCO NVH-1 Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV), began life as an export attempt from Vickers, in order to market their MCV-80 turret to foreign buyers in an attempt to recoup some of the cost that had come from the project’s drawn-out development which had initially started in 1973, with the actual Warrior not entering British service until 1987. Because of this long gestation, the project had effectively turned into a money pit, and Vickers was eager to make some profits on the turret they had developed, and began looking for suitable chassis to mount it on in the early 1980’s.

Among the countries that they enquired with, China immediately expressed an interest, through its state-controlled arms subsidiary NORINCO. In 1984 the Chinese company proposed mounting the turret on the Type YW531H chassis also known as the Type 85 Tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier, which was an improved version of the Type 63 (YW531) APC. They would provide a chassis to Vickers, which was to have its hull slightly lengthened in order to accommodate the turret, and a new West German Deutz BF8L 413F 320 horsepower air-cooled engine was selected to be installed. This particular engine was selected as Norinco had the license to produce locally in China. Additionally, a turret ring and space for a turret basket were to be added to the chassis, to specifications sent by Vickers in order to allow an easy installation for the MCV-80 turret. With these design changes made to the chassis, with these modifications to the chassis then complete, Vickers then mated the hull with an unmodified MCV-80 turret in early 1986, effectively creating a budget Warrior for possible customers. It can be infered that Vickers recieved a unmodified chassis, as the photos taken for promotional purposes show an unmodifed chassis, whilst their later prototype proof of concept possessed the illustrated details, notably the bulge to accomodate the turret ring in the hull.

This straightforward combination allowed the MCV-80 turret to retain all the capabilities of the warrior, including the RARDEN 30mm cannon, laser range finder, night vision devices, and 8 x 66mm smoke dischargers. The design was of much interest to the Chinese, as they were concerned with a possible war with the Soviet Union, and this vehicle posed a possible counter to the inevitable swarm of BTRs and BMPs along with other Soviet light vehicles that they might encounter if such a border war would go hot, as it was a vast improvement over the Infantry Fighting Vehicles in service with the PLA at the time.

At this point in time Vickers had been rather discrete about the nature of their partnership with NORINCO, and so far had only really revealed that they were simply making another two-man export turret project like the dozen or so they had manufactured and marketed previously. During this time The CIA became aware that Vickers was attempting to export a RARDEN equipt turret, after acquiring a sales brochure for the upcoming BAEE '86. In this brochure, they realized that Vickers intended to sell the unmodified MCV-80 turret to the Chinese, which would give them the capability to destroy even up armoured BMPs at a range of 3,000m in basically all weather and light conditions.

Their intel was proven correct on June 22nd- 26th 1986, when Vickers showed off the prototype they had constructed at BAEE '86. The vehicle attracted quite a bit of attention, as it was effectively mounting a weapons system, that was not currently in service with the British army and was for all intents and purposes top of the line. Understandably this stirred up some concern among members of the home office, and when the time came for Vickers to secure its export license to send the completed test bed back to China it appears to have encountered resistance, and based on what occurred next it can be infered that their request was declined.

The Chinese on the other hand were eager to get their hands on this modern IVF turret system and were already advertising it heavily for their upcoming Asiandex '86, in which the Chinese were keen to show off their military developments. This unexpected delay put a gear in the works for their plans, as they had expected to be able to demonstrate the NVH-1 at the trade show, and with Vickers seemingly unable to provide the prototype they had to make do with what they had at hand. Because of this, a rush job was conducted in October of 1986, in which a new turret was manufactured or acquired devoid of the restricted technology, and mated with a fresh chassis. This vehicle differed from the British design, having a 25mm bushmaster and different optics, and it was demonstrated on November 19th, 1986 at the aforementioned show.

Both designs would prove unsuccessful, with the Vickers Rarden prototype remaining locked behind red tape, preventing its sale, and the Chinese Bushmaster derivative unable to find a possible buyer, marking an end to this cooperative project betwixt British and Chinese companies.

Vehicle specification:

Combat weight, tons 16t

Crew: 3

Body length (with gun forward) 6125mm

Width 3060mm

Height 2770mm

Primary armament (ammunition, shots): 30 mm L21A1 Rarden cannon

Secondary armament (ammunition, shots): 1x 7.62 mm L94A1 coaxial machine gun (2000)

2 x 4 66mm grenade launchers

Engine Deutz v-8 BF8L 413F diesel engine, 320 hp (235kw)

Specific power, hp/t 20

Transmission mechanical; gears: 5 forward, 1 reverse

Maximum speed: 40 mph (65kph)

Maximum wading speed: 4 mph (6kph)

Cruising range, km 310 miles (500km)

Promotional images are produced to market the potential Rarden version, with these clear pictures it becomes apparent that most of the images of the vehicle circulating around the internet are artistic depictions produced for promotional purposes:
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Sources:

2 Likes
2

Could go to Britain and/or China. +1

3

China never got this version, they have their own with a bushmaster. The british were the only ones who had the Rarden example, and conversly the chinese where the only ones to have the bushmaster version

https://forum.warthunder.com/t/vickers-norinco-nvh-1-icv-gutted-by-circumstance/24889

4 Likes
4

Ah! That is actually better, as it means each version is unique.

5

Hello, please keep in mind that the term “Chicom” may be offensive to some individuals. The name “Norinco” is great and perfectly conveys the message. Please make the necessary changes as soon as possible, thanks!

1 Like
6

That is the name of the vehicle, as you can see in the wheels magazine, it just jargon for Chinese, communist, as Vickers was also developing stuff for possible export to Taiwan (Which i will get to suggesting eventually), so it differentiates the projects.

7

Just change the term thanks.

1 Like
8

The term is offensive in Chinese so it is important to keep them out of the forum. Thank you for your understanding.

1 Like
9

Hello, the problem of your post’s title have been reviewed.

For some reason the magazine used term “Chicom”, but I think it’s not a official name of this vehicle because it’s obviously a mark to dinstiguished the region that the vehicle belong as you said.

NORINCO is a Chinese company, this point is doubtless, so for nowsday it’s really unnecesary to carry such term which is defined as a pejorative word in Chinese dictionary.

As a simple reason for you to change your title: We want to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding on our forum. And that’s the best way to keep all in order: respect all cultures.

1 Like
10

Cool so when is the Kfir getting its name changed in-game, seeing as that shorthand way of writing the N-word in South Africa ;)

11

Hard to say bruh.
But hey thank you for your change. Let’s back to the topic itself then.

It will be a good addition to the game actually.
But I doubt the mobility of this truck, and the profile of this chasis are obtrusive.
We could use the ZSD63 in game as example, so the chasis itself is fragile as well.

The highlights of this vehicle should be its cannon and turret.
I guess it will be a better choice to find some cover and show the small head to enemy in battle.
Its mantlet looks thick and smoke shell launcher will give it more survivability.

So it should be a good enough vehicle in ambushing in urban map. +1

1 Like
12

Its going to be a sniper, that much is clear. The lRF, and small profile, with decent depression unlike the Chinese Bushmaster equivilent, means it can go hulldown. This in combination with the apds and decent accuracy means its going to excell on maps like eastern europe, where it would do what the CIA predicted. Knocking out BMP’s at obscene ranges.

1 Like
13

+1

14

Two additional pages of info posted by @_David_Bowie on the other thread for the Chinese bushmaster version, though it relates directly to the Vickers version before the red tape snagged the project

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15

tut tut tut , i thought that rather large beer belly and plaid shirt tattersall shirt looked familiar as did the photos uncredited in this XD

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NM - :P
tho worth pointing out that all the ones from the brochures are fakes the tuttet is simply drawn on.

16

its noted in the description

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1 Like
17

Just to add some History here.

ChiCom is/was the official MOD designation for Communist Chinese and can be found in a lot of period documentation. The Chinese were and still are a Communist nation, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is still running China. If we were to say it might offend some, then it might offend a great deal more if we strip them of their political heritage. just seeing this from a middle ground but also to clarify it was very much a used term/phrase and can be found in a lot of documents and even correspondence between East and West.

while I’m cool, just to clarify like ‘Soviet’ it was an official period terminology and not a off the cuff nickname etc.

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1 Like
18

Rarden variant for UK tree (non-tech tree) and bushmaster variant for Chinese tree (non-tech tree)?
or
Rarden variant for Chinese tree (non-tech tree) and bushmaster variant for Chinese tree (tech tree)?

1 Like
19

Why would china get the Rarden one, they never recieved it, the logical choice here is just to give the brits the rarden and the chinese the bush master variants, as pointed out in both suggestions. This is directly comparable to the MBT-70/KPZ-70.

1 Like
20

China shouldn’t get the RARDEN one. They have enough light tanks they can get.