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Mysterious Vehicles Rolling Through Beijing Spur Speculation Of New Chinese Tank
Mysterious Vehicles Rolling Through Beijing Spur Speculation Of New Chinese Tank

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Automotive
  • Yahoo

Mysterious Vehicles Rolling Through Beijing Spur Speculation Of New Chinese Tank

A column of unidentified vehicles, each of them covered by a notably large, box-like structure, passing through the Chinese capital recently, poses something of a mystery. At this stage, we know next to nothing about what kinds of vehicles are concealed beneath these bizarre carapaces, although it's more than conceivable that they have some military or military-related purpose, with some observers suggesting they could be a new type of tank or other armored vehicle. Nevertheless, in the absence of more imagery or details, we cannot say for sure. China to unveil mystery tank at September 3 military parade marking victory over militarist Japan—spotted using unusual camouflage. — Clash Report (@clashreport) July 10, 2025 The vehicles appeared in a video that recently began to circulate on social media, and which seems to have originated on the Chinese social networking platform Xiaohongshu. It was then reportedly removed from there. The date of the footage is unknown, but it is thought to be recent. The location is said to be near Tiananmen Square in Beijing, which would make sense if these vehicles were related to some sort of military parade. Tanks were spotted being transported under a camouflage shell near Tiananmen Square on Chang'an Avenue in Beijing. The shells were labeled "Road Inspection Vehicle," identical to the text on the first large truck that passed. This video first appeared on the Chinese video… — Inconvenient Truths by Jennifer Zeng (@jenniferzeng97) July 9, 2025 At least four of the odd-looking vehicles are seen moving, at night, along a portion of an apparently closed-off road. Each of the vehicles, with their blue-painted coverings, is closely accompanied by a standard truck. It's possible that those white trucks are serving to further conceal the covered vehicles from closer inspection, although that cannot be confirmed. They may also be close by to provide additional instructions to the drivers of the mystery vehicles, as well as illuminating the road with their headlamps. The dimensions of the boxy blue structures are such that there is no way of actually determining what kind of vehicle is hidden below. Furthermore, rubber skirts around the bottom of the structure mean we can't say for sure if the concealed vehicles feature wheels or tracks, although the rumbling sound is more consistent with a heavy military vehicle, armored or otherwise. The size and dimensions, as well as the locations of various apertures, also point to an armored vehicle of some kind. A small aperture at the rear of the structure indicates that at least some of the internal area is illuminated, which is unusual since the open area at the front of the vehicle doesn't appear to be lit, or if so, only dimly. The writing on the sides of the mystery vehicles reads 'Road Inspection Vehicle,' although there is no obvious type that appears to match this description. On the other hand, the first standard blue truck seen passing in the video has the same writing on it and would seem to fit this purpose. While it remains possible that the mystery vehicles are somehow related to roadworks, the idea of this being a (literal) cover for some other kind of vehicle seems more likely at this time. Indeed, at least one social media description identified the hidden vehicles as tanks, although it's not clear if this is based on eyewitness accounts or if it's more like guesswork. There is also speculation that, whatever these vehicles are, they may be related in some way to an upcoming military parade scheduled for Sept. 3. This will take place in Tiananmen Square and will commemorate the 80th anniversary of China's victory in World War II. Wu Zeke, deputy director-general of the Operation Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, has said that this parade will include 'new-type combat capabilities' as well as traditional combat forces. In the past, events like these have seen the Chinese government put a large amount of previously unseen weapons and other hardware on display, including new mockups of stealthy uncrewed combat air vehicles, examples of high-speed rocket-powered reconnaissance drones, new bombers capable of carrying outsized payloads, and much more. We may well be in for more of the same come September. Perhaps, these mystery vehicles do conceal some new and previously unseen kind of combat vehicle, or other military equipment, destined to make its public debut later this year. If that's the case, the considerable effort that has been taken to hide (at least four of) them from prying eyes is very noteworthy. It's also somewhat odd that a rehearsal for an event in September would take place so early, although far from impossible. China unveiling a next-generation tank, for example, would be very much in line with what we have come to expect from parades like this. Once again, there could also be a much more innocuous explanation, too. In the meantime, if you have any information about these mysterious trucks, let us know! Contact the author: thomas@ Solve the daily Crossword

The Army has a novel solution to its drone problem: Shoot them with tanks
The Army has a novel solution to its drone problem: Shoot them with tanks

Yahoo

time5 days ago

  • Yahoo

The Army has a novel solution to its drone problem: Shoot them with tanks

The Army has solved its drone problem. What you do is: you shoot them with a tank. Problem solved, right? Not quite, but that describes some of the reaction after the service released its latest update to its 'Tank Platoon' manual, known as ATP 3-20.15, late last week, and a set of diagrams deep in the appendix caught the eye of many online. It's not hard to see why. Taken by themselves, the diagrams do come across as a bit… optimistic. They present an extremely simplified vision of a hypothetical tank-vs-drone encounter, a subject that combat in Ukraine has proven is neither simple nor hypothetical for armor formations. In the diagrams, a squad of M1 Abrams main battle tanks aim at a passing drone — which the Army calls an unmanned aircraft system or UAS — and shoot it down with fire from their main 120mm cannon. The course of action instructions alongside the diagram suggest that crews employ the M1028 120mm canister rounds for the takedown. The M1028 is a fairly awful weapon to contemplate, a 120mm shell stuffed with over 1000 tungsten projectiles designed to scatter like grapeshot and mow through dismounted infantry or, in this case, clip a fragile drone in its wide field of disbursement. At least that seems to be the thinking here. Gunners should lead a straight-flying UAS, the manual says, by that most All-American of distance estimates, 'one-half football field.' A second diagram addresses the quadcopter variety of drone, which are rarely seen flying straight and narrow but instead loop and dive directly at their targets. For those, the diagrams say, aim 'slightly above helicopter body.' The new manual represents the Army's first rewrite of its armor procedures to address the threat of drones, but the simple diagrams are hardly the service's first crack at counter-UAS tactics. In fact, missed by most of the online commenters is that the diagrams are pulled from the section on intentionally simple immediate action drills. Immediate action drills, or battle drills, are familiar to any soldier as the building blocks of combat tactics — simple, short, easy-to-memorize instructions for specific scenarios that units practice until they are second nature. But revisions throughout the rest of the tank manual make clear that 'second nature' is what the army wants drone combat to be. Drones now a 'critical task' The revised manual mentions unmanned systems over 100 times and puts combat with UASs into two of a tanker's 12 'Critical Tactical Tasks,' alongside such tank basics as field maintenance and casualty care and evacuation. Drone engagements now also gets its own section in the manual's operating instructions. 'The platoon should assume they are being observed by enemy reconnaissance and targeting systems, and not assume they are under a protective umbrella of friendly air and missile defense units,' the section begins. 'The platoon must react quickly and appropriately respond and report when recognizing signs of possible enemy observation or attack.' Tankers think of defenses against UAS in two categories: active and passive. Passive defense is a relatively straightforward idea: more armor, more hiding. 'Limiting damage and attack avoidance measures are passive defense measures that are used to avoid detection from aerial threats and limit damage if attacked,' the manual says. Those measures include a checklist with everything from smearing mud on headlights for light discipline to OPSEC in the planning stages and using decoys — both real and electronic — to draw drones away. Another passive defense the Army is looking into giving its tanks, as the War Zone reported last month, includes more armor and even 'cope cages' on the top, a weak spot made famous in Ukraine but exploited by ISIS as far back as 2017 in Syria. Active measures are a whole different ballgame, which are manual and automated systems designed to shoot drones out of the sky as they approach a tank. They vary from decades-old reactive armor, to new and in-development laser or radar-directed rockets and 30mm cannons that can swat drones away as they approach. Adding an 'air guard' to the crew Perhaps most interesting though is the manual's instructions for a designated member of the crew to act as 'air guard.' This job — which the manual says will likely fall to the crew's loader — will be used 'for every vehicle and position to establish 360-degree security.' The air guard's job, the manual says, is 'to be vigilant with eyes on the horizon. Air guards are responsible for spotting aerial threats within proximity to the unit's location and providing early warning.' And while drone battles are likely to continue to be a technology race between drone makers and counter-measure builders, the Army seems to think a key to that race will be the very human skill of listening. 'Air guards should position themselves where they can best observe and, more importantly, listen for threat UAS,' the manual says. 'When listening, OPs should exercise noise discipline, ensure all engines are of,f and remove their headgear to listen. Early warning is the key for air guards.' Read the full 432-page 'Tank Platoon' manual here. The latest on Task & Purpose Air Force updates uniform standards including new rules for boots The Army and Navy want the 'right to repair' their own equipment Here is every rifle Marines have used in the last 250 years The Army has realized that horses are no longer good for 'warfighting' Army will look for false accusations, consider 'credibility' in misconduct cases Solve the daily Crossword

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