What is special about the XCB-01 armored infantry fighting vehicle made in Vietnam?

(Dan Tri) - The XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle is the first tracked armored vehicle researched, designed and manufactured by Vietnam, marking an important step forward in the defense industry.

XCB-01 (Vietnamese abbreviation: Infantry Fighting Vehicle-01) is an armored, tracked infantry fighting vehicle first introduced at the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition 2024, which took place in December last year.

This is the first tracked armored infantry fighting vehicle researched, designed and manufactured domestically by the General Department of Defense Industry of Vietnam.

The XCB-01 has an external appearance almost identical to the Soviet BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle, however, the XCB-01 is slightly larger in size, has improved protection and a more modern upgraded weapon system.

Technical specifications of XCB-01 vehicle

The XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle was developed and manufactured entirely by Vietnam (Photo: Manh Quan).

As announced at the 2024 International Defense Exhibition, the XCB-01 is 6.95m long, 3.25m wide and 2.14m high, with a ground clearance of 37cm and weighs about 15 tons. The vehicle is equipped with a 6-cylinder, liquid-cooled diesel engine with a maximum capacity of 338 horsepower, allowing the vehicle to reach a maximum speed of 65km/h on flat roads and 45km/h on rough terrain.

The vehicle has a range of about 550km. The good suspension system allows the vehicle to overcome 0.7m high slopes, 2.5m wide trenches, and slopes up to 30 degrees.

In addition to its ability to move on land, the XCB-01 can also move underwater at a maximum speed of 7km/h without prior preparation, enhancing its combat capabilities on complex terrain.

The vehicle's crew consists of 3 members (commander, driver and gunner). The rear cargo compartment has glass panels like loopholes and can accommodate 8 soldiers with full weapons and equipment.

The offensive and defensive weapon systems on the XCB-01 were all manufactured by Vietnamese engineers (Photo: Hai Long).

XCB-01's offensive and defensive firepower systems

The XCB-01 is equipped with a main weapon system including a 73mm smoothbore gun, 40 rounds of ammunition, capable of firing piercing and fragmentation bullets, used to destroy vehicles, fortifications and enemy forces at a distance of 700m.

The vehicle is equipped with 4 CTVN-18 anti-tank missiles, which can destroy enemy vehicles at a distance of 500 to 3,000m.

Secondary weapons system includes 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 2,000 rounds; 12.77mm NSV anti-aircraft machine gun on the turret roof, 200 rounds.

The XCB-01 combat vehicle is highly mobile and suitable for the terrain in Vietnam.

XCB-01 is capable of detecting targets in all weather conditions thanks to its new generation multi-channel sighting system, allowing target detection at a distance of up to 2,000m in all weather conditions.

Notably, the entire weapon system and sighting system on the XCB-01 were researched in Vietnam, many important components and equipment were localized, showing the ability to completely master the technologies on this vehicle model.

In terms of defense, the vehicle is equipped with composite steel armor, providing better resistance to explosive bullets and armor-piercing bullets.

The vehicle is also equipped with a laser warning receiver (LWR). When targeted by laser beams from laser rangefinders of enemy military vehicles or laser beams from some anti-tank missiles, this system will automatically launch smoke grenades on both sides of the turret to obstruct the enemy's ability to observe, helping the vehicle quickly escape the danger zone.

The XCB-01 is also equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system to help extinguish fires in the vehicle during combat. In addition, the vehicle is also capable of protecting the crew and soldiers with a nuclear biochemical protection system (NPC).

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With its mobility and suitability to the terrain in Vietnam, the XCB-01 has the mission of supporting, transporting infantry, raiding and destroying important enemy targets.

XCB-01 is not only an important step forward in Vietnam's defense industry, but also a testament to the country's ability to design and manufacture tracked combat vehicles with modern technology, reducing dependence on imported weapons and helping save defense costs.

XCB-01 also shows the increasingly developing defense industry capacity, suitable for modern combat requirements and Vietnam's terrain conditions.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/xe-chien-dau-bo-binh-boc-thep-xcb-01-do-viet-nam-che-tao-co-gi-dac-biet-20250827134519267.htm