ZFB-07 Armored Scout Car Render
Upon the unification of the formerly independent national militaries into the new Songun People's Army (SPA) in 2005, a massive modernization and reorganization campaign began. One of the first priorities for SPA's new Central Military Commission was the replacement of hundreds of thousands of Soviet-era logistics and utility vehicles. Although the Chinese and North Korean armed forces were moderately effective in "modernizing" portions of their armored fleets, the armies of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos had little to no practical mechanization. Although the calendar read early 21st century, the operational capabilities of the smaller partners in the USR were more akin to the mid-20th century.
Although it would take almost two decades for even the frontline divisions of the SPA Ground Forces to be equipped with modern vehicles, the Central Military Commission's preference for cheap designs that could be quickly produced in extremely high quantities led to a number of surprising success stories. One of those was ZFB-07, a design privately funded by the Shaanxi Baoji Special Vehicle Factory-- one of the innumerable state-owned arms manufacturers that dotted the Songun countryside. Quickly adopted, the vehicle first rolled off the production lines in early 2007, arriving in the first Red Guard units around Hanoi by the end of the year.
Songun sources refer to the vehicle as an "armored scout car", although it has been observed in the field in utility, reconaissance, and direct combat roles. Initially, Western intelligence agencies believed the vehicle would be employed in the same vein as western MRAPs, but it appears that specialized platforms such as the KDY-72 likely fill this role instead.
Closer inspection of the vehicle at international arms expositions indicates an extremely cramped interior, providing seating for four or five occupants. Curiously, the vehicle's designers neglected to include side doors, forcing the crew to utilize roof hatches or the rear exit ramp to ingress or egress the vehicle. The all-welded steel hull of the ZFB-07 likely provides protection against small arms fire or artillery shrapnel, but it's probably not well suited to intensive combat operations. Colloquially referred to as "the Lunchbox" by Western military sources, the ZFB-07 has been observed in the field armed with both 12.7mm machine guns and the HJ-12 anti-tank guided missile, as seen here.
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Tried to mix the aesthetics of the ZFB-05 , QL550, and Joop's awesome Panther. LDD renders for me until I'm back on the same continent as my bricks.
Joint upload with Erik's SPA Type 42 Armored Personnel Carrier.
ZFB-07 Armored Scout Car Render
Upon the unification of the formerly independent national militaries into the new Songun People's Army (SPA) in 2005, a massive modernization and reorganization campaign began. One of the first priorities for SPA's new Central Military Commission was the replacement of hundreds of thousands of Soviet-era logistics and utility vehicles. Although the Chinese and North Korean armed forces were moderately effective in "modernizing" portions of their armored fleets, the armies of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos had little to no practical mechanization. Although the calendar read early 21st century, the operational capabilities of the smaller partners in the USR were more akin to the mid-20th century.
Although it would take almost two decades for even the frontline divisions of the SPA Ground Forces to be equipped with modern vehicles, the Central Military Commission's preference for cheap designs that could be quickly produced in extremely high quantities led to a number of surprising success stories. One of those was ZFB-07, a design privately funded by the Shaanxi Baoji Special Vehicle Factory-- one of the innumerable state-owned arms manufacturers that dotted the Songun countryside. Quickly adopted, the vehicle first rolled off the production lines in early 2007, arriving in the first Red Guard units around Hanoi by the end of the year.
Songun sources refer to the vehicle as an "armored scout car", although it has been observed in the field in utility, reconaissance, and direct combat roles. Initially, Western intelligence agencies believed the vehicle would be employed in the same vein as western MRAPs, but it appears that specialized platforms such as the KDY-72 likely fill this role instead.
Closer inspection of the vehicle at international arms expositions indicates an extremely cramped interior, providing seating for four or five occupants. Curiously, the vehicle's designers neglected to include side doors, forcing the crew to utilize roof hatches or the rear exit ramp to ingress or egress the vehicle. The all-welded steel hull of the ZFB-07 likely provides protection against small arms fire or artillery shrapnel, but it's probably not well suited to intensive combat operations. Colloquially referred to as "the Lunchbox" by Western military sources, the ZFB-07 has been observed in the field armed with both 12.7mm machine guns and the HJ-12 anti-tank guided missile, as seen here.
---
Tried to mix the aesthetics of the ZFB-05 , QL550, and Joop's awesome Panther. LDD renders for me until I'm back on the same continent as my bricks.
Joint upload with Erik's SPA Type 42 Armored Personnel Carrier.