The Royal Thai Army has ordered 34  VN-1 wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APC) developed by NORINCO.

That was reported by thaiarmedforce.com.

According to the correspondent of TAF, the Royal Thai Army announced during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) 2017 exhibition that it had ordered 34 ZBL-09 8×8 wheeled armoured personnel carriers and 12,506 units of 30mm rounds from China’s NORICO.

ZBL-09 armoured personnel carriers can be compared to Ukrainian BTR-3E1 earlier procured and deployed in the infantry units. The Royal Thai Army will buy one battalion of ZBL-09 and aim for 2020 delivery at the price of 1.695 mil USD each.

The ZBL-09 (VN-1 – export name) is an armored personnel carrier was developed by NORINCO. It is a new Chinese family of 8×8 armored vehicles. Development commenced in the 1990s. This vehicle was heavily influenced by both Western and Russian armored personnel carriers. The ZBL-09 was first seen in 2006 undergoing road tests. It was first publicly revealed in 2009.