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PLA displays three types of wheeled combat vehicles for amphibious landing operations

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun, Fan Wei and Liang Rui Published: Sep 03, 2025 12:44 PM

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) displayed its powerful capabilities in amphibious landing operations through an amphibious assault formation consisting of three types of wheeled combat vehicles, which took part in the V-Day military parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. An expert told the Global Times that the three amphibious vehicles embody the PLA's marine corps' revolutions in its concept of landing combat, demonstrating the ability to win by speed.

At the military parade to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in 2019, it was the tracked Type 05 amphibious combat vehicles that formed the amphibious assault formation. At the V-Day military parade on Wednesday, the amphibious assault formation consisted of only wheeled amphibious combat vehicles, including the wheeled amphibious armored assault gun, infantry fighting vehicle and self-propelled howitzer. These three types of equipment are flexible and mobile in water during amphibious assaults, and are the backbone equipment for leading the way in beach landing and seizing control points.

"Generally speaking, tracked amphibious armored vehicles travel faster in water and have stronger resistance to wind and waves, but wheeled amphibious vehicles have stronger maneuverability and the advantage of fast marching," said Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert.

Zhang told the Global Times that wheeled amphibious vehicles can perform not only beach landing missions, but also march rapidly over long distances using highways and out in the fields. "Wheeled amphibious vehicles can reach a speed of about 100 kilometers per hour. The continuous range can generally reach over 500 kilometers," he said.

He further explained that the rapid response capability of wheeled amphibious vehicles is more conducive to quickly switching to launching attacks on deep areas of the enemy after the initial amphibious landing. In an island landing operation, amphibious wheeled equipment can quickly transport advantageous forces to deeper areas.

The Global Times noted that all three amphibious vehicles use an 8x8 wheeled vehicle body, as they can choose to carry different loadouts of weapons and crew members based on combat needs.

The wheeled amphibious combat equipment showcased this time are very diverse, and the firepower is also very strong, Zhang said, noting that with the development and growth of China's amphibious combat forces, the tasks and missions undertaken are also more diverse, and the amphibious equipment are naturally growing more abundant. There will be corresponding amphibious equipment for mission scenarios such as command and control, personnel transportation, information support, and fire support.

The expert also said that developing amphibious wheeled armored vehicles is also a manifestation of the significant improvement of the PLA's comprehensive three-dimensional landing combat capability.

The current naval and air forces of the PLA are able to gain absolute superiority in the sea and air superiority in the battle to seize islands in the near sea. This provides a guarantee for amphibious wheeled armored vehicles to complete the amphibious assault. After the PLA's naval and air forces quickly suppress the enemy's beachhead positions, amphibious wheeled equipment can calmly land, implement high-speed interweaving and flanking tactics, quickly deliver firepower to the needed places, quickly cut and eliminate hostile forces, completing the missions before unexpected changes could happen, Zhang said.

"With the enhancement of the PLA's collaborative combat capabilities and its increasing diversity of attack, the so-called anti-landing combat concept of 'multi-dilemmas' is a pipe dream, "said Zhang.