Everyone and there mother has been sending me pics of the new Chinese amphibious armored car/truck/recon vehicle (whatever it is) to me over the past week.
Sorry guys I can't get excited. Many are speculating that it's a recon vehicle to speed ahead of their amphibious IFV to recon landing sites in much the way we would if the LAV-25 had ocean going capability (which is why I'd love to see our LAR Battalions migrate toward the ACV chassis...yeah its big but it would allow them to participate in the actually "assault landing" instead of being part of the "follow on" force).
Back on task. I can't get excited because I see this vehicle as being a Gibbs Humdinga copy. We've talked about that vehicle on these pages before and while I saw them more as a LARC-5 replacement, with a bit of modification I could see them used in other roles.
I've been especially excited by the prospect of them being used in disaster response especially in flood/hurricane prone areas. A couple of firefighters (with some EMTs/Paramedics for medical support) going into flooded areas to rescue trapped people would be a God send and much more effective than even MTVRs and other high water capable vehicles.
The pics below show how the new Chinese vehicle appears to be a modified clone of the Gibbs truck.....
The only real story with these vehicles...both the Chinese copy and the Gibbs Humdinga is this. Why isn't the Special Ops community all over them? I would beat the drum that USMC Boat Companies could make good use of these vehicles but I don't see current leadership biting on them (although the idea of a lightweight motorized raid force being carried ashore in them thrills me to the core).
So yeah. Cool your jets guys. This is just another Chinese copy.
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