Photo Collection Of The Day: QJZ-171 12.7×108mm Heavy (Light) Machine Gun

The QJZ-171 was created with mountain warfare in the southwest plateau region (read Tibet), hence there is a strong emphasis on its portability.  Weighing in only 26.4 lbs, it can be portable by a 2-man crew as seem from a squad of PLA infantry of the 81st Group Army, Central Military Command below.  

Thanks to the complex plateau terrain and high altitude,  the oxygen content of the air is low, the combatants' physical fitness will be significantly lower than that of the plains, and the combat load of individual soldiers must be lower than that of the plains in order to reduce the physical consumption of officers and men.  Furthermore, the ground beneath the plateau terrain is mostly bare sand, snow, frozen soil, or soft moss, and the weapon system must be more adaptable to the ground, so that when used in the aforementioned terrain, the ground does not need to be modified, and the impact on weapon use is minimal.

To reduce weight and make it portable for two people, a plastic 60-round ammo box with a polymer link was specially constructed.  However, it can still fire the DShK-38/46-influenced box if necessary.    In addition, carbon fiber plastic was utilized for the exterior gun housing, with titanium alloys used for the receiver, bolt carrier, and some belt feed elements.

The QJZ-171 appears to be well-received, outside mountain troops, it has been deployed to MOUT, mounted infantry, and other SpOps formations.     Similar to the the Russian Kord Heavy machine gun, it began as a lighter replacement for an existing design and is now used in a variety of applications, from ship mounts to remote weapon stations. 

Note the QMK-171 5x magnified optic and the plastic ammo box

Sunday, December 15, 2024

QJZ-171 Heavy Machine Gun Spotted With The PLA Marine.

47th Chinese naval escort taskforce departs for Gulf of Aden

Source
    China Military Online
Editor
    Lin Congyi

Time
    2024-12-15 21:10:47

http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/CHINA_209163/TopStories_209189/16358455.html

ZHOUSHAN, Dec. 15 -- The 47th Chinese naval escort taskforce set off from a military port in Zhoushan City, southeast China's Zhejiang Province at around 9:00 a.m., December 15. The taskforce is heading for Gulf of Aden, to take over the escort mission from the 46th taskforce.

The 47th escort taskforce consists of guided-missile destroyer Baotou (Hull 133), guided-missile frigate Honghe (Hull 523) and comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu (Hull 904), carrying two ship-borne helicopters and over 700 mission members including dozens of special operations soldiers.

This is the fourth escort mission for comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu and the first time for both destroyer Baotou and frigate Honghe. 

 

Image of the 1st Nigerian Army ST-1 1 8x8 wheeled Assault Gun Being Knocked Out

According to the Chinese internet, the photo below was taken near an army outpost that was attacked 5 days ago (link).   Sincere condolences to the victims of this tragedy.

Saturday, January 09, 2021

VT4 MBT, SH2 122 mm self-propelled and ST1 8x8 wheeled Assault Gun to see acton soon

 Rest of the article (here)

The Nigerian Army has launched another massive operation against Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) elements to dislodge them from their enclaves and hideouts in the North East.
Nigerian army launches operation to smoke out terrorists from their enclaves and hideouts.

The Chief of Training and Operations, Maj.-Gen. Nuhu Angbazo, disclosed this at the maiden media briefing on ‘Operation Tura Takaibango’ on Thursday, at 27 Brigade Tactical Headquarters, Buni Gari in Yobe.

Angbazo said the new operation was operationalised on Jan. 3 in the entire North East Theatre of operation comprising Adamawa, Borno and Yobe as subsidiary of Operation ‘Lafiya Dole’ (OPLD).

Thursday, April 09, 2020

Photos of the day: VT4 MBT, SH2 122 mm self-propelled and ST1 8x8 wheeled Assault Gun landing in Lagos Nigeria.

Story sourced here: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/04/08/insurgency-army-takes-delivery-of-armoured-tanks-artillery-trucks/

With a $152m contract on the table, the Chinese government, it was learnt was made to guarantee the quality and timely delivery of the armaments, which are mostly intended for use in the North-east to boost the ongoing war against insurgency.

“Those who will operate them have been trained in China. If not for the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19, we expected some of their trainers to join us here to train more people.

“From the army, expect more robust operation to put behind us the menace of insecurity, that of Boko Haram, bandits among others.”

This makes Nigeria the second known operator of the VT4 MBT after Thailand's 58 million USD for 28 VT4 buy in 2017

Non Sequitur Photo Of The Day: Army Ground Force Officer Cadet Recruitment Poster

 

PLAN decommission of the day: Type 053H1G (Jianghu V class) FFG 562 Jiangmen

The Jiangmen is the last of six Type 053H1G ships decommissioned out of front-line service; two 053H1G s have been transferred as training ships, while the Jiangmen will serve as a "national defense educational base," aka museum ship, in its namesake city of Jiangmen, Guangdong.

 

  

China's Type 053H3 frigates repurposed as training ships amid commissioning of more advanced vessels

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202503/1330420.shtml

By Liu Xuanzun Published: Mar 19, 2025 04:37 PM

Two Type 053H3 frigates, formerly key warships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, have been repurposed as training vessels and recently participated in a combat exercise. A military affairs expert highlighted the rapid modernization of China's naval fleet, with advanced frigates like the Type 054A and the newly commissioned Type 054B gradually replacing the older Type 053 series.

A warship flotilla consisting of the Huludao, the Yichang and the Zheng He affiliated with a training ship detachment of the PLA Navy recently carried out a maritime combat training at an undisclosed location, China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA news media center, reported on Wednesday.

Unlike the Zheng He, which was specifically designed as a training ship, the Huludao and the Yichang were originally combat-focused Type 053H3 frigates, according to media reports.

The reassignment of the Type 053H3 frigates to a training ship detachment reflects China's ongoing naval modernization, as the older Type 053 series being replaced by more advanced Type 054A and Type 054B frigates, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The Type 053 series frigates, just like the Type 051 series destroyers, once played vital roles in safeguarding China's sovereignty and maritime interests. However, with China's advancements in military technology, these vessels are now nearing the end of their operational lifespan, Song said.

Although the Type 053H3 is no longer among the PLA Navy's most advanced warships, it still serves an important role in training new naval officers and sailors, Song said.

The latest exercise involving the two veteran vessels assessed the crew's command skills, navigation abilities and emergency response readiness. Training drills included  live-fire shooting, maritime replenishment, damage control support for other vessels and ship towing, according to the China Bugle report.

Since the Type 053H3 was designed to be a combat vessel, trainings on this type of ship should be closer to real combat, Song said, noting that the vessel could serve as a good training platform for naval cadets, who will eventually sail with more advanced warships.

On January 22, the PLA Navy commissioned its first Type 054B frigate, the Luohe, at a naval port in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

With the hull number 545 and a displacement of about 5,000 tons, the Luohe is a new generation of frigate independently developed and built by China. It has made breakthroughs in vessel stealth technology, combat command systems and firepower integrated control, among other aspects, significantly enhancing its performances, said Xinhua.

After just a little more than a month, the Luohe made its training debut in the Yellow Sea with a China Central Television report in mid-March, with an expert describing the rapid development of the warship's capabilities as astounding and predicting it would become combat-ready soon.

 

 

 

Sunday, February 06, 2011

JiangHu V Class FFG, Two-Point-O.

Recent pictures reveal that several upgrades have been completed on the last batch of Type 053H1G FFG (also known as Jianghu V class) that entered service in the 1990s with the South Sea Fleet. Those upgrades are suggesting that all six Jianghu V class FFGs will remain in service with the PLAN for the foreseeable future.

The latest improvements include new air-search and fire-control radars, new twin 100mm main gun turrets to replace the old models, the addition of 37mm CIWS mounts, and the replacement of Silkworms with YJ-83 anti-ship missiles.

The reasoning behind the latest upgrade of a rather obsolete class of frigates has been the subject of speculation on CDF. Some suggest that recent upgrades signify the immaturity of newer vessels' design, while others argue that even though the 053 is obsolete, it remains a cost-effective and potent platform against weaker potential rivals in the South China Sea. This author is highly skeptical of the "technology immaturity" speculation; the rapid pace of 054A construction should have erased any doubt by now about the "maturity" of the PLAN's new generation of FFGs. The latter speculation is a far more likely possibility. The commitment of modern surface combatants to the Gulf of Aden and the uptick in regional maritime disputes has increased the necessity for a stop-gap measure for effective littoral patrol until the new Type 056 corvettes enter service. *

-- Mr. Unknown
* With special thanks to duskylim 

* FFG558 Zigong pre-upgrade

* FFG558 Zigong post-upgrade

* FFG559 Beihai pre-upgrade

* FFG559 Beihai post-upgrade

* FFG560 Dongguan pre-upgrade

* FFG560 Dongguan post-upgrade

* FFG561 Shantou pre-upgrade

* FFG561 Shantou post-upgrade

* FFG562 Jiangmen pre-upgrade

* FFG562 Jiangmen post-upgrade

  * FFG563 Foshan pre-upgrade

* FFG563 Foshan post-upgrade

Rare Chinese Firearm Of The Day: QJB-87 /Type87 5.8×42mm DBP87 rifle and Squad Automatic Weapon

Between Type81 and Type95, the PRC developed two additional service assault rifles, namely Type87 and Type03.    In some ways, the  Type87/QJB-87 is a Type81 chambered with the new 5.8×42mm DBP87 while incorporating several new solutions such as large percentage of polymer with pistol grip and magazine being the most visible.   

Polymer has many advantages over metal and wood materials, including high strength, corrosion resistance, longer life, and better heat resistance. Additionally, using polymer simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces weight, and lowers processing costs for mass production.   As seen in the subsequent example of QBZ-95.   However, For the purists out there, "cheap looking" polymer will never be able to replace wood in terms of aesthetics, especially in AK-influenced assault families

While QJB-87/Type87 did enter service but it  never widely deployed; for some it is simply a field test platform.     It is difficult to find a copy of the QJB-87 /Type87 rifle these days, let alone a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) version.

 

This copy of SAW still "got wood"