Combat vehicles / Armored personnel carriers / WZ523
WZ523
General Facts
- TYPE
Armored personnel carrier - ORIGIN
China - NICKNAMES
WZ523 (production name)
M1984 (Western designation)
ZFB91 / Type 91 (Chinese service)
ZSL93 / Type 93 (proposed variants) - DESIGNED
1982 - 1984 - DESIGNER
Norinco - PRODUCTION
1990's - PRODUCERS
China - Norinco - QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Limited production costs
Parts commonality with HY472 truck
Reasonable level of protection
Awkward internal layout
Limited cross country mobility
Introduction
The WZ523 is a wheeled armored personnel carrier of Chinese origin. It was developed in the early 1980's by Norinco to meet the requirements of the Chinese military, which opted for the more capable WZ551 instead. As such only limited quantities of the WZ523 were ever produced. Of the many proposed variants the ZFB91 internal security vehicle was the only one that was adopted.
Layout
The WZ523 is based on the 6x6 chassis of the HY472 and LT665 trucks and shares many automotive components. A large steel unibody makes up the body. The driver and commander are seated at the front. The engine and transmission is mounted in the middle between the front and rear wheels. The crew compartment is at the rear and is accessible through a large rear door. Usually a two man turret is fitted.
Firepower
The original WZ523 was fitted with a simple two man turret with a single 12.7mm Type 54 or QJC88 heavy machine gun. The ZFB91 has a one man turret with a single 7.62mm Type 80 machine gun, 12.7mm QJC88 heavy machine gun or 35mm QLZ-04 automatic grenade launcher.
Protection
The steel armor protects against small arms fire and shell splinters. An NBC system is fitted and six smoke grenade dischargers are fitted on the turret sides. It is possible that the wheels do not feature run flat inserts.
Mobility
The 6x6 chassis allows for a good speed on roads and reasonable off road speeds. Due to the wheelbase the WZ523 has poor performance in harsh cross country scenarios. A 165 hp petrol engine provides propulsion. The maximum road speed is 80 km/h and the maximum road range is 600 km.
Users
The ZFB91 is used in small quantities by the Chinese military and police forces. It has been exported in small numbers to various Asian and African nations.
ZFB91
The ZFB91 is the only version of the WZ523 that was ever produced in quantity. The small production batch in the mid 1980's was fitted with a small one man cupola with 12.7mm Type 54 heavy machine gun. The production versions are fitted with a much larger two man turret that is armed with a 12.7mm QJC88 heavy machine gun or 35mm QLZ-04 grenade launcher. Most vehicles are fitted as internal security vehicles and feature lights and sirens.
- Specifications:
- ZFB91
Type | Armored personnel carrier |
---|---|
Crew | 2 + 10 (driver, gunner, 10 troops) |
Length | 6.02 m |
Width | 2.55 m |
Height | 2.73 mm (incl MG) |
Ground clearance | ? |
Weight | 11.2 t combat load |
Ground pressure | ? |
Wheelbase | Wheeled chassis, 6x6 |
Turn radius | ? |
Engine | EQ 6105 petrol, 165 hp |
Power ratio | 14.7 hp/t |
---|---|
Transmission | Manual |
Speed | 80 km/h on road, 7 km/h in water |
Fuel | 255 L |
Range | 600 km |
Wall | ? |
Trench | ? |
Gradient | 60% gradient, 30% slope |
Fording | Amphibious |
Armor | Steel |
NBC equipment | Yes |
Night vision | Yes (driver only) |
---|---|
Smoke | 2x3 smoke grenade dischargers |
Remarks | - |
Armament | 7.62mm Type 80 or 12.7mm QJC88 or 35mm QLZ-04 |
Weapon1 | Option 1: 7.62mm Type 80 machine gun in one man turret 1.000 rounds, 100 ready to fire manual elevation and 360° traverse non-stabilized |
Weapon2 | Option 2: 12.7mm QJC88 heavy machine gun in one man turret 600 rounds, 100 ready to fire manual elevation and 360° traverse non-stabilized |
Weapon3 | Option 3: 35mm QLZ-04 automatic grenade launcher in one man turret manual elevation and 360° traverse non-stabilized |
Weapon4 | - |
Weapon5 | - |
Weapon6 | - |