{
  "id": "zbd-03",
  "name": "ZBD-03 (Type 03)",
  "aliases": [],
  "domain": "land",
  "country": "CHN",
  "category": "Airborne infantry fighting vehicle",
  "status": null,
  "fielded": 2010,
  "operators": [
    "CHN"
  ],
  "prolif_count": 1,
  "summary": "The ZBD-03 or Type 03 (industrial designation WZ506) is a Chinese airborne infantry fighting vehicle. It features a light-weight chassis and hydro-pneumatic suspension for airborne operations.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "crew",
      "v": 3,
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "length_m",
      "v": 6,
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "width_m",
      "v": 2.35,
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "combat_weight_t",
      "v": 8,
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Weight"
    },
    {
      "k": "engine_hp",
      "v": 350,
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "road_range_km",
      "v": 500,
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "speed_road_kmh",
      "v": 65,
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "speed_swim_kmh",
      "v": 6,
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Suspension",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "Hydro-pneumatic",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Computerized FCS",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Yes",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Thermal Vehicle Commander",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Yes",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Thermal Gunner",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Yes, dual-channel sight",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Main Gun Stabilization",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Yes",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Armor Type",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "Welded steel protects against small arms and shell splinters.",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Hull Armor",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "12.7 mm Projectiles",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Side Armor",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "7.62 mm Projectiles",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Applique Armor",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "Available",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "NBC Protection",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "Yes",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Smoke Equipment",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "Yes, The vehicle also carries six smoke grenade launchers that can be used to launch aerosol grenades to obscure the vehicle from targeting lasers, or fragmentation projectiles for close range defense from infantry.",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "main_armament",
      "v": "1 x 2A72 (Shipunov 2A42) 30mm Auto-Cannon, 30 mm",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "armament",
      "label": "Secondary armament",
      "v": "1 x Type 80 Chinese Heavy Machine Gun",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "range_max_km",
      "v": 3,
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Maximum firing range",
      "note": "Longest-range ammunition listed"
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [
    {
      "name": "Armour Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot with Tracer(",
      "role": "30 mm ammunition",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Armor penetration": ">45mm RHA steel at 60° obliquity"
      },
      "range_km": 2.8,
      "qty": "125 ea"
    },
    {
      "name": "High Explosive Incendiary",
      "role": "30 mm ammunition",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Muzzle velocity": "960 m/s",
        "Armor penetration": "Yes"
      },
      "qty": "225 ea"
    },
    {
      "name": "Anti-Tank Missile System",
      "role": "ammunition",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {}
    },
    {
      "name": "Anti-Tank Missile System",
      "role": "125 mm ammunition",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Muzzle velocity": "130 m/s",
        "Armor penetration": "Yes",
        "Guidance": "SACLOS"
      },
      "range_km": 3,
      "qty": "INA"
    }
  ],
  "variants": [
    {
      "name": "ZLC-2000",
      "text": "The ZLC-2000 has been in service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Airborne Corps since 2003. China decided to develop the ZLC-2000 in the late 1990s after a failure to reach agreement with Russia over ",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "ZBD-03 Command Post",
      "text": "The command and control version features a higher rear hull to accommodate staffs.",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "ZBD-03 ATGM Carrier",
      "text": "Armed with the HJ-8 ATGM anti-tank guided missile.",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "TKUP-201",
      "text": "The TKUP-201 is a new weapon designed for airborne troops, significantly enhancing their fire support capabilities during ground combat after parachuting. It addresses the previous challenges of breaching solid targets d",
      "src": [
        "weg-zbd-03"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "art": "ifv",
  "image": {
    "file": "zbd-03.jpg",
    "thumb": "zbd-03-thumb.jpg",
    "credit": "颐园居",
    "license": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
    "url": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ZBD03_20250921.jpg",
    "title": "File:ZBD03 20250921.jpg"
  },
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Added photo (CC BY-SA 4.0)"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/zbd-03.html",
  "sources": {
    "weg-zbd-03": {
      "title": "ZBD-03 (Type 03) Chinese Airborne Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)",
      "publisher": "U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)",
      "url": "https://odin.t2com.army.mil/WEG/Asset/ZBD-03_Type_03_Chinese_Airborne_Infantry_Fighting_Vehicle",
      "published": "2026-03-20",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-10-10"
    }
  }
}