A Chinese research team has proposed four types of equipment that could rapidly switch between wartime environments, including operating deep under water for long periods, as multi-domain combat is set to develop in the coming decades.
The “heterogeneous” equipment is designed to exceed conventional armoured vehicles by rapidly reconfiguring physical modules and functions within seconds for missions across land, water, air and electromagnetic contest grounds, according to the scientists.
The researchers said their designs had advanced towards engineering application and “combat-oriented validation” after prototypes and field tests proved their feasibility.
A paper written by researchers from the Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group – a company involved in China’s tank and armoured vehicle development – and the Beijing Institute of Technology, was published by the peer-reviewed Chinese journal Acta Armamentarii on August 6.
The study places the concept within the projected development of armoured vehicles between 2030 and 2050, when the researchers expect military operations will require closer coordination between platforms and systems across multiple domains.