What Armored Vehicles Does China Have? ZBD-04A, ZBL-08 and ZBD-05
The PLA Ground Force has rebuilt its armoured fleet over the past 20 years and now fields thousands of modern infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers. Its main types are the tracked ZBD-04A, the eight-wheeled ZBL-08, the amphibious ZBD-05 and the air-droppable ZBD-03. At the September 2025 parade China showed a new family of armoured vehicles alongside the Type 100 tank, designed to fight in a battlefield full of drones.
This guide covers China’s main armoured vehicles and how they are organised for war.
What armoured vehicles does China have?
Since a major reform in 2017, the PLA Ground Force has been organised into combined-arms brigades of three kinds. Heavy brigades use tanks and tracked vehicles, medium brigades use eight-wheeled vehicles that can move quickly by road, and light brigades use smaller wheeled vehicles. Amphibious brigades in the Eastern and Southern theatre commands, facing Taiwan and the South China Sea, have their own specialised vehicles.
| Vehicle | Type | Main armament | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZBD-04A | Tracked infantry fighting vehicle | 30mm cannon, anti-tank missiles | Heavy brigades |
| ZBL-08 (Type 08 family) | 8×8 wheeled IFV and family | 30mm cannon | Medium brigades; many variants |
| ZBD-05 / ZTD-05 | Amphibious assault vehicles | 30mm cannon / 105mm gun | Amphibious brigades and marines |
| ZBD-03 | Airborne IFV | 30mm cannon | Air-droppable; airborne corps |
| ZTL-11 | 8×8 wheeled assault gun | 105mm gun | Fire support for medium and amphibious units |
| CSK and Dongfeng Mengshi families | Light protected vehicles | Machine guns, missiles | Light brigades and special forces |
| New 2025 family | Tracked and wheeled vehicles | Various, with active protection | Shown with the Type 100 tank |
ZBD-04A and ZBL-08
The ZBD-04A is China’s main tracked infantry fighting vehicle, armed with a 30mm cannon and anti-tank missiles and carrying a squad of infantry. It works alongside the Type 99A and Type 96 tanks described in our guide to Chinese tanks. The eight-wheeled ZBL-08 is the most widespread vehicle in the PLA: its chassis is used for infantry carriers, command posts, ambulances, mortars, anti-tank vehicles and the PCL-09 122mm howitzer. Wheeled vehicles like these let medium brigades move hundreds of kilometres by road far faster than tracked units.
ZBD-05: built for the Taiwan Strait
The ZBD-05 amphibious assault vehicle and its 105mm gun-armed sister, the ZTD-05, were designed to swim from ships to shore at relatively high speed using a planing hull, similar in concept to the American Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle that the US Marine Corps cancelled. They equip the PLA’s amphibious brigades and the PLA Navy Marine Corps, and they would be among the first vehicles to land in any assault on Taiwan. The ships that would carry them are described in our guide to Chinese amphibious assault ships.
The new generation shown in 2025
The September 2025 parade introduced a new generation of armoured vehicles built around lessons from Ukraine: lighter vehicles, unmanned turrets, active protection systems that shoot down incoming missiles and drones, and sensors to detect threats from above. Alongside the Type 100 tank, China showed new tracked and wheeled infantry vehicles and dedicated counter-drone vehicles. Most of their specifications have not been published. The PLA’s artillery, which supports these vehicles, is covered in our guide to Chinese artillery.
How does China compare?
In numbers and modernity China’s armoured fleet now matches or exceeds most Western armies. The US Army is still replacing the Bradley and M113 with new vehicles, as our guide to American armoured vehicles explains, and Britain’s own troubled programmes are covered in our guide to British armoured vehicles. China’s weakness is experience: its armoured units have not fought a war since 1979.
Frequently asked questions
What armoured vehicles does China have?
China’s main armoured vehicles include the ZBD-04A tracked infantry fighting vehicle, the ZBL-08 wheeled vehicle family, the ZBD-05 amphibious vehicle, the ZBD-03 airborne vehicle and the ZTL-11 assault gun.
What is the ZBD-04A?
China’s main tracked infantry fighting vehicle, armed with a 30mm cannon and anti-tank missiles.
What is the ZBL-08?
An eight-wheeled Chinese armoured vehicle family used for infantry carriers, command posts, mortars, howitzers and other roles in medium brigades.
What is the ZBD-05?
A Chinese amphibious assault vehicle with a planing hull, designed to swim from ships to shore at high speed.
How many armoured vehicles does China have?
China does not publish the figure. Western estimates put the PLA’s infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers in the thousands.
Did China show new armoured vehicles in 2025?
Yes. The September 2025 parade showed a new family of tracked and wheeled vehicles alongside the Type 100 tank, with active protection against missiles and drones.
- US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute – China’s September 2025 military parade: how PLA ground forces are adapting: ssi.armywarcollege.edu
- US Department of Defense – Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2025: media.defense.gov
- 19FortyFive – China’s newest tank and the PLA armoured force (July 2026): 19fortyfive.com
