King of the new ground war

The world premiere of the QN-506 combat support vehicle took place in the Zhuhai Exhibition Hall in the fall of 2018.

Last November, the 12th China International Aerospace Exhibition 2018 was held in Zhuhai, China. Although this event is primarily dedicated to aviation technology, it also features combat vehicles. Among those who had world premieres was the QN-506 combat support vehicle.

The car demonstrator is made by Chinese company Guide Infrared from Wuhan. It specializes in the production of thermal imaging systems for both the military and civilian markets. However, until now he was not known as a supplier of weapons.

QN-506 was immodestly dubbed the "king of the new land war" (Xin Luzhanzhi Wang). The name refers to one of the episodes of the popular Japanese animated series Gundam in China, in which there are various types of combat vehicles, including mecha - huge walking robots. According to the designers, the advantages of the QN-506 on the battlefield will be determined by extensive surveillance systems, as well as powerful and versatile weapons. Potential customers should be tempted by the ease of conversion that comes from the modularity of the set. As a carrier, obsolete tanks or wheeled carts in the 8 × 8 layout can be used.

In the case of the QN-506 demonstrator, the Type 59 tank was used as the basis for the conversion. After it was removed from the turret hull, the control compartment and fighting compartment were closed with a fixed superstructure. The crew consists of three soldiers who sit side by side in front of the hull. On the left is the driver, in the middle is the gunner, and on the right is the commander of the vehicle. Access to the interior of the compartment is provided by two hatches located directly above the seats of the driver and commander. Their lids flipped forward.

Armament QN-506 in all its glory. In the center, the barrels of the 30-mm cannon and the 7,62-mm machine gun coaxial with it are visible, on the sides are the containers for the launchers of the QN-201 and QN-502C missiles. The aiming and observation heads of the gunner and commander were placed on the ceiling of the turret. If necessary, steel covers with horizontal viewing slots can be lowered on them. The driver can also observe the area directly in front of the car with the help of a daytime camera located in front of the sunroof. Two more are located on the sides of the fuselage, on the bunkers on the caterpillar shelves, the fourth and last, acting as a rear-view camera, on a plate covering the engine compartment. The image from these devices can be displayed on a monitor located on the driver's panel. The published photographs do not show that the QN-506 is equipped with a shuttle - probably, two levers are still used to control the demonstrator's rotary mechanisms.

A rotating tower was placed on the roof of the rear of the superstructure. The King's offensive weaponry looks impressive and varied, which partly explains the references to futuristic vehicles from the Gundam cartoons. Its barrel consists of a 30 mm ZPT-99 automatic cannon and a 7,62 mm PKT rifle paired with it. The gun, a copy of the Russian 2A72, has a theoretical rate of fire of 400 rounds per minute. Ammunition consists of 200 shots, stacked on two belts with a capacity of 80 and 120 rounds, respectively. Bilateral power allows you to quickly change the type of ammunition. The demonstrator gun did not receive additional support, often used in the case of thin 2A72 barrels. The openwork continuation of the cradle, however, was provided for in the design, as can be seen in the visualizations. PKT ammunition is 2000 rounds. The machine gun cannon can be vertically aimed from -5° to 52°, allowing the QN-506 to fire at targets higher than the vehicle, such as in the mountains or during urban combat, as well as low-flying aircraft and helicopters.

Twin missile launchers were installed on both sides of the tower. In total, they carry four QN-502C anti-tank guided missiles and 20 QN-201 multipurpose missiles. According to the information disclosed, the QN-502C should have a range of 6 km. Before impact, the projectiles make a flat dive, attacking at an angle of approximately 55 °. This allows you to hit the less protected ceiling of combat vehicles with electric current. It is stated that the shaped charge of the warhead is capable of penetrating the equivalent of steel armor 1000 mm thick. The QN-502C can operate in fire-and-forget or fire-and-correct guidance modes.

The QN-201 missiles are infrared homing missiles with a range of 4 km. The body with a diameter of 70 mm accommodates a cumulative warhead capable of penetrating steel armor 60 mm thick or a reinforced concrete wall 300 mm thick. The radius of destruction of fragments is 12 m. The hit error should not exceed one meter.

The weapons described do not exhaust the offensive capabilities of the QN-506. The vehicle was also equipped with circulating ammunition. At the rear of the superstructure are two launchers, each with two S570 missiles with a range of 10 km. The cumulative charge of their warhead is capable of penetrating steel armor 60 mm thick. The fragments spread radius is 8 m. The suicide bomber is driven by an electric motor, which drives a propeller in the rear of the fuselage.