At the 2021 Zhuhai Air Show, China's NORINCO unveiled the VN22
a new 6x6 wheeled armored vehicle with a design similar to current European armored vehicles
According to images from Chinese media, VN22 looks and has almost identical configuration with the US Stryker
The Chinese descriptions of the vehicle’s mission scope also mirror those described by U.S. Army ground vehicle commanders
The design of the VN22 consists of three main parts with the driver located at the front left side of the hull with the engine compartment on its right
An unmanned turret is mounted in the center of the hull and the troop’s compartment is at the rear
According to Chinese military sources
the front of the hull provides ballistic protection against the firing of 25 mm caliber ammunition
while all around the hull is able to withstand the firing of small arms up to 14.5mm caliber
There are no windows on the sides of the vehicle
and we can therefore assume that the vehicle is equipped with cameras to offer 360° awareness around the vehicle
The rear part of the vehicle is fitted with a hydraulic ramp which has an emergency manual door in the middle
The vehicle is able to accommodate up to nine infantrymen
There are 6 individual seats on the right side of the troop's compartment while three seats are mounted on the left side
The VN22 is equipped with a remotely operated turret which is fitted with additional armor protection to increase protection against anti-tank missiles and RPGs
The front left side of the turret is fitted with an optic including a day/night camera as well as a laser range finder
The turret is armed with a 30mm automatic cannon
The right side of the top turret is fitted with two missile launchers able to fire second-generation Red Arrow 73D anti-tank missiles
In road position, the missiles are stored inside the armor of the turret and can be elevated to conduct firing operations
The roof of the turret is also fitted with a group of two launchers which are part of an Active Protection System
Despite all these apparent similarities, and China’s well-known and documented tendency to copy U.S. weapons specs and configurations
the vehicles may also have differences
Operating with six wheels instead of the eight on the U.S. Stryker
the VN22 is reported to achieve great maneuverability due to its having a smaller pivot radius and turning circle