(Beijing) Russian military experience in Afghanistan and First Chechen War revealed that the standard Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) in use (BMP 1 and 2) were not up to the task of supporting armour on the battlefield. What was needed was something that could fully support the Main Battle Tanks and be able to brush off the infantry weapons which proved so deadly to the IFVs of the day. After going back to the drawing board, the Russians came up with the BMPT "Terminator. Basically a T72 tank with the turret removed and four Ataka missile launchers, two 30 mm autocannons, two grenade launchers, and one coaxial 7.62 mm machine
gun fitted in its stead.
In the Urban setting 2 BMP-Ts will support one Main Battle Tank, (MBT) out in open country, one will support 2 MBTs. It is also combat proven inside Syria.
Well seeing a good thing when they see one, the Chinese have decided to get in on the act and so they have developed their own battlefield support Terminator. Named the QN-506 the Chinese version is based on the chassis of the Chinese copy of the venerable T55. Like the Russian BMP-T the Turret has been removed and replaced with a 30-millimeter cannon, 7.62-millimeter machine gun, four anti-tank/anti-aircraft missiles , 20 mini-missiles, 4 mini-cruise missiles, and six grenade launchers for close-in defence. It even carries a quadcopter drone for intelligence and surveillance tasks.
