China’s new off-road assault vehicles go into mass production
- Third-generation Dongfeng Mengshi vehicles are expected to be widely used by the PLA
- They are hi-tech, lightweight and can be equipped with long-range and other weapons
China’s latest off-road assault vehicles are rolling off the mass production line and will become part of the military’s joint combat system, according to state media.
Zhou Chenming, a military analyst based in Beijing, said the vehicle had gone into mass production and was expected to be widely used by the PLA.
The hi-tech vehicle is lightweight and can be equipped with multiple types of weapons including long-range firepower, and it will be part of the military’s integrated joint combat system, according to the CCTV report.
Chen Lei, a senior engineer with the manufacturer, Dongfeng Off-Road Vehicle Company – a unit of Dongfeng Motor based in Hubei province – told the broadcaster that the vehicle had “outstanding mobility” and used new technologies and materials, without elaborating.
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The assault vehicle entered service in 2019 and the PLA has been mainly using them in China’s border areas. A delivery of the new vehicles was made to the Tibet Military Command in November and they have been used by border defence troops in the northern Himalayas.
The assault vehicles are equipped with weapons including heavy machine guns and grenade launchers, according to the website, which is run by the official PLA Daily. It said the vehicles could manoeuvre in plateau areas at altitudes above 5,000 metres (16,400ft) and be used for rapid deployment, transport and mobile assault missions.
Dongfeng Mengshi series off-road vehicles have also been used in overseas peacekeeping missions and for disaster relief, including during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, according to the CCTV report.
Military analyst Zhou said the third-generation vehicle was a “huge improvement”.
“It is more adaptable to various kinds of terrain and conditions, and it can be brought in for an assault mission very quickly when it’s equipped with weapons,” he said. “It’s very light but it has a lot of firepower.”
He added that mass producing the vehicle was in line with the PLA’s goal to become “fully mechanised” as part of a long-term drive to modernise the military.
Song Zhongping, a military analyst in Beijing, also noted the mobility of the new-generation vehicle and that it could be equipped with a number of different weapons.
“So it’s not just for transport, it can be used as a general platform with strong firepower capability,” he said.
