People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is adopting into service a 6x6 variant of the VP22 armour-protected truck

via Shepard Media.

It is possible the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is adopting into service a 6x6 variant of the VP22 armour-protected truck, after one example appeared in a news clip on state-owned television channel CCTV 7.

The video clip broadcast on 20 March showed the VP22 being used in some kind of training exercise purportedly involving the PLA.

However, the situation is not at all clear. The solitary VP22 had a single-color camouflage of green, rather than a more typical multi-color PLA camouflage scheme.

Furthermore, while the soldiers accompanying the vehicle carried Type 95 rifles and wore standard-looking PLA uniforms, their helmets differed somewhat as they had no covers, plus the personnel were wearing what appeared to be non-regulation eyewear.

The VP22 was unveiled publicly in 2017. Developed by BeiBen Truck, it is a 6x6 vehicle based on the company’s larger 8x8 Kaijia. It has twin axles at the front of the vehicle and one at the rear. BeiBen is a heavy truck manufacturer based in Inner Mongolia, founded in 1988 to license-produce Mercedes-Benz trucks.

The troop-carrying vehicle in the CCTV 7 video has an armoured cab for two crewmen (driver and commander) at the front and an enclosed ballistic-protected cell at the rear for transporting around 16 personnel. These protect occupants against small arms and artillery shrapnel, although protection levels have not been disclosed.

The VP22 is powered by a 423hp turbo-diesel engine coupled to an automatic transmission. Its top speed is listed as 90km/h, and it has a road range of 600km. A central tyre inflation system is standard.

No weapon was fitted on the supposed PLA vehicle.

Soldiers enter and exit the rear compartment through a large hydraulically operated ramp. As a modular design, the troop-carrying module could be replaced by alternative modules such as ambulance or command.

At the Zhuhai Airshow in 2018, Norinco demonstrated a similar type of vehicle oriented towards the export market. However, it differed from the regular VP22 in that its twin axles were at the rear rather than the front.

The demonstration vehicle in Zhuhai in 2018 had an RWS fitted on the roof of its rear compartment. However, the field of fire of a weapon such as a 12.7mm machine gun or 35mm automatic grenade launcher would be severely restricted in such a position.

The VP22 is a Chinese equivalent of the Kamaz Taifun-K 6x6 protected vehicle from Russia. The Russian military adopted it in 2014. To date, the PLA has had no similar class of vehicle in service.

Chinese equivalent of the Kamaz Taifun-K 6x6?  Naw bro.  It's a direct copy. I hope Kamaz sold the specs instead of China stealing them.  But I'm kinda betting they stole it.