China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) has expanded its armoured vehicle portfolio with the development of the ST2 tracked 105 mm Tank Destroying Vehicle (TDV), which is understood to have been developed specifically for the export market rather than the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The hull is similar to that used on the earlier generation NORINCO YW534 (Type 89) armoured personnel carrier (APC) - which has not been manufactured for some years - but with six road wheel stations either side rather than five.

While new platforms could be built, it is possible that the ST2 could use refurbished and upgraded vehicles.

The forward part of the hull sides slope inwards but at the rear they are more vertical to enable the turret, with its larger ring, to be installed. The driver is seated front left with the diesel powerpack to the right.

The ST2 TDV consists of a fully tracked platform fitted with a welded steel three-person turret mounted in the middle. The 105 mm rifled gun has a muzzle brake, fume extractor, and thermal sleeve, but does not currently appear to be fitted with a muzzle reference system (MRS), which would enable the weapon to be bore sighted without the crew leaving the vehicle.

A total of 32 rounds of 105 mm ammunition are carried with the mix depending on the role the ST2 TDV is expected to undertake.

As well as firing the standard natures of 105 mm ammunition including armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot - tracer (APFSDS-T), high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), high explosive (HE), and a recently developed bunker busting round, it can also fire a gun-launched guided projectile (GLGP), which NORINCO is marketing as the GP2.

The GLGP has a maximum range of up to 5,000 m and is fitted with a tandem HEAT warhead that is claimed to penetrate 650 mm of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) protected by explosive reactive armour (ERA).

• Adopting 105mm tank gun that can launch NATO standard 105mm ammo

• 105mm laser-beam-riding gun-launched missile can be fired with effective range of 5000m

• Anti-bunker projectile can be fired that improves power against reinforced concrete targets

• Provided with aiming-guidance combined image-stabilized fire control system, thus realize rapid reaction and enable high first-round-hit probability and aim & fire while running

• Adopting light tracked chassis provided with high power air-cooled engine, that is adaptable to various climate and terrains such as plateau, desert, hilly area, coastal area

• Capable of internal alignment of aiming line and gun axis