The VN-20 is based on the VT-4, while the VN-17 is based on the VT-5 chassis. So inherently it has more armor on the front and sides, on top of the additional armor given. If we look at the front plate, we can see that the Chinese covered it in FY-4 and FY-2, on top of armor behind it. It’s hard to say what the composition is exactly, but it should help at the very least reduce a lot of spalling if not even stop some shells. It would have even better armor than the PUMA, allowing it to be very survivable
In this picture you can see the version with the crewed turret, and it only has FY-2 ERA on the front, however if we look at the version with the unmanned turret…
We can see that most of the ERA on the UFP is FY-4 with a big possible composite chunk below it, and a decent amount of armor behind the ERA. So the 30mm turret version definitely has better armor
Huge monster, so cool, +1
Similar to any rear-mounted tank MGs, such as on the IS-7. Only firing if your pointer is in their firing arc.
Probably same as on LVT, but given over to the commander as remote weapons.
Edit: now that i think about it, the two machine guns in the rear would be operated by infantry, and would need two men in the back
like the hull gun of bmp-3
There are many Chinese vehicles utilizing that unmanned turret, and I hope they all get added.
The VN22 even has GL-6 installed.
This is a great suggestion and I hope wholeheartedly that it gets added. China STILL ONLY HAS a BMP-1 copy and a T-54 with a tech demonstrator turret as its IFVs. The very same nation that started focusing on light support vehicle production in the 90s and has literal dozens of domestic IFVs available.
The:
- VN17
- VN12
- VN1
- VN8
- VN11
- VN20
- VN22
- ZBD04A
- ZBD03
- ZBD2000
- Type 08
Must get added as soon as possible.
The VN-22 might be my next suggestion, as an IFV with an APS would be a welcome addition
VN-22B with a 105mm WMA-301 turret can be good. But I saw someone saying that it also equipped a ST-1BR’s turret which has a autoloader, I cant find the pic.
Full send +1
I’ve always been asking for more Chinese IFVs, and this is the ultimate example.
Huge +1 from me.
I’m almost certain that that APS present on the VN22 is just a mockup, unfortunately. There’s no radars present on any pictures I can find that would allow for an APS to be utilized. This combined with the fact that the VN-22 appeared at the 2022 airshow without the APS installed leads me to believe that the launchers were just marketing mockups and not actually functional. If this is the case, there’s little chance that they’ll be functional in-game since the Rooikat MTTD also has a non-functional mockup APS in-game.
I’m open to being proven wrong of course. A Chinese IFV with an APS would be fantastic.
Hmm, that is interesting.
Wouldn’t that be from this exhibition? We can see the APS in this image as well.
And I believe this is from that 2022 airshow. I would say that it is quite possible that the radar is perhaps integrated on the angled areas of the turret side. The angles and shape are quite similar to the VT-4A1 in-game, except without a slightly bulging plate which represents the radar. I would reckon that it might simply be very well integrated - or something that is fitted/removed when necessary.
You can see that the area where the radar would be can be peeled and seems modular:
This is also the same turret as on the VN20.
That is 2021. The below is 2022.
There’s also just massive visual differences between the launchers on the VN22 and the functional ones on the VT4A1. The VN22’s launchers don’t seem to be accompanied by all the actual functioning bits that would be required for operation.
Again, it’d be cool if they were functional but I’m not convinced.
The 2022 image link just leads to a 404.
Fixed
Interesting. It certainly does feel like the base for an APS is there, though.
Perhaps it is possible that it’s an export option?
Chinese export vehicles usually have many purchasable add-ons, and the APS seems like it would be one of them. Just like the VT-4 side ERA which we just recently saw mounted for the first time - even though the brochure for it has been out for a very long time.
It’s entirely possible that it’s an option but Gaijin doesn’t really add things based on options. The Leopard 2 PSO is a prime example. It’s optional frontal armor, that was never actually fitted, is not present in-game. Gaijin likes to mainly stick to as-built configurations. There are exceptions, but those are very clearly mostly case-by-case.
Still waiting for someone to write a VN-22 suggestion so we can move the APS discussion to the proper thread (wink wink)
Soon inshallah
New VN20(?) variant just dropped. It appears to be fitted with the same, or at least similar, turret found on the new 8x8 fire support vehicle. That leads me to believe that it might even be intended for PLA service since, afaik, that turret isn’t on the market, at least not yet.
Spoiler
