| WZ-523 M1984 | |
|---|---|
 WZ-523s of the Ghana Army | |
| Type | Armored personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1984-Present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 11,700 kg (25,800 lb) |
| Length | 6.02 m (19 ft 9 in) |
| Width | 2.55 m (8 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 2.73 m (8 ft 11 in) (including machine gun) |
| Crew | 2 + 10 passengers |
| Armor | welded steel
20 mm front 14 mm sides 6 mm rear |
Main armament | 12.7 mm heavy machine gun |
| Engine | Water-cooled petrol engine 123 kilowatts (165 hp) |
| Suspension | Wheeled 6x6 |
Operational range | 600 km (370 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 85 km/h (53 mph) (road speed) 7 km/h (4.3 mph) (water speed) |
The WZ-523 (NATO reporting name M1984[citation needed]) is a six-wheeled Chinese armored personnel carrier designed to be amphibious. Built on the chassis of the Hanyang HY472 truck, it can carry a crew of three and seat up to eight additional passengers. Two primary models were produced—one with a roof-mounted 12.7mm heavy machine gun, and the other with a small turret armed with a 35mm grenade launcher and a 7.62mm co-axial general purpose machine gun. An export model that entered service in 2008 as a fire support vehicle was also marketed successfully to the Namibian Army; this is armed with a 73mm 2A28 Grom smoothbore cannon using the same turret as the Soviet BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle.[1]
The WZ-523 was unveiled at a military parade in Beijing in October 1984, gaining the NATO designation M1984,[2] although it was destined for export and did not enter large scale service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA).[3] An internal security vehicle based on the WZ-523, the ZFB-91, which has a turret armed with a 35 mm grenade launcher and a 7.62 mm machine gun replacing the roof mounted 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun of the WZ-523, is in service with PLA units in Hong Kong and Macau.[3]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
DMILTwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Christopher F. Foss (2000). Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide (2000 ed.). Harper Collins Publishers. p. 352. ISBN 978-0-00-472452-2.
- ^ a b "WZ523 Wheeled Armoured Personnel Carrier" Archived 12 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Sinodefence.com. 20 February 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2012.