WZ551

The WZ-551 in real life.

The WZ-551 (official designation by the PLA is ZSL-92 or Type 92) a 6x6 amphibious wheeled armored personnel carrier used by the People's Liberation Army and developed and built by Norinco. The IFV variant - which appears in Battlefield 2 - is armed with the indigenously produced ZPT-90 25x183mmB autocannon - based on the Soviet 2A14 23x152mmB used on the ZU-23-2 and bored out to 25mm, or the French GIAT M811 25x137mm cannon that was acquired through a deal between France and China in a different turret, and the vehicle armed with the French cannon is called NGV-1. The vehicle is also armed with a coaxial 7.62mm machinegun which can be replaced with an HJ-8 ATGM launcher if necessary. Another variant is armed with a single 12.7mm machine gun, called the WZ-551A instead.

Battlefield 2

WZ-551
Used by	People's Liberation Army
Crew	Driver 4 passengers (5 total)
Speed	Fast
Maneuvering	Medium
Health	1000
Armor type	Heavy
Disable threshold	10.1%
Special features	Amphibious
Driver Weapons
Primary weapon	ZPT-90 25x183mmB automatic cannon
Damage	50-1 (direct impact) 40 (explosion over a radius of 4 m)
Fire mode	Automatic
Rate of fire	180 rpm
Reload time	6 seconds (in-game file)
Ammunition	450
Secondary weapon	HJ-8
Damage	500-1 (direct impact) 125 (explosion over a radius of 2 m)
Fire mode	Single-shot
Rate of fire	~5 rpm
Reload time	~12 seconds
Ammunition	1 (per magazine) 6 (total)
Gunner weapons
Primary weapon	Port-firing machine gun
Damage	25-0.2
Fire mode	Automatic
Rate of fire	600 rpm
Ammunition	500
Customization
Countermeasures	Smoke grenade launchers
Camouflage	Woodland

In Battlefield 2, the WZ-551 is the IFV used by the People's Liberation Army. Its USMC/SEALs/UK/EU and MEC/Spetsnaz/Insurgent counterparts are the LAV-25 and the BTR-90, respectively.

It differs from its counterparts in 3 major points: 1. Its ZPT-90 cannon has the lowest rate of fire out of the 3 - the M242 Bushmaster on the LAV-25 has a higher rate of fire, and the Shipunov 2A42 on the BTR-90 has the highest rate of fire - but its cannon has the highest muzzle velocity at 400m/s and also deals the most damage and its explosive shells have the highest blast radius. Its ZPT-90 also overheats faster than both the M242 and the 2A42 since these 2 weapons overheat at the same rate, while its cooldown rate is the same as the 2A42 - quicker than the M242. 2. It has one rear-facing gun port, while the LAV-25 has 2 and the BTR-90 has none, making it less vulnerable to infantry attacks from behind compared to the BTR-90, while it still cannot cover the rear area as much as the LAV-25. 3. Despite being a 6x6 IFV, its size is on the larger end: it has roughly the same length as the LAV-25 and slightly shorter than the BTR-90, while its overall height is the absolute highest out of the 3 IFVs - the overall height of the LAV-25 is roughly the same as that of the WZ-551's hull. This means that the vehicle is easier to get spotted and shot by AT weapons. Its height also put it at a disadvantage compared to other IFVs when engaging close-in infantry. Other than these differences, it is identical to other IFVs in the game. The secondary weapon of the WZ-551 is its HJ-8 missile launcher. HJ-8 missiles can be used to effectively engage enemy armored vehicles, and only 2 are needed to destroy an APC. In fact, the missile projectile is shared across the 3 IFVs and is referred to as "tow_missile" in the game file, hence the identical performance across other vehicles in the class. If possible, the player should always target enemy vehicles from the sides or rear, as armor as these locations are weaker, and the player is able to deal higher damage with their missiles as a result. The player should never use the HJ-8 against infantry, due to its low blast radius and the player is given only 6 missiles to start off with, effectively wasting ammunition and precious time to reload an another one.

The WZ-551 can carry 4 passengers, with each passenger having access to a firing-port mounted automatic rifle (referred to as "Firingport_AK" in the game file) that has 500 rounds of ammunition and there are no reserve ammunition. The weapon is accurate, especially when fired in short bursts, but it accuracy quickly deteriorates with prolonged automatic fire. The weapon also has an overheat threshold, and will overheat after about 5.5 seconds of continuous fire, further disecouraging players from spraying with the weapon.

The WZ-551 is amphibious, allowing it to cross lakes, rivers, or other bodies of water too deep for other vehicles to travel. However, its swimming speed is very slow, much slower than those of RHIBs and PWCs, and also slower than its ground travel speed. Also, its cannon doesn't have too high an elevation, so the player should be mindful about enemy helicopters and potential ambushes from above, where its armor is also weaker. It is entirely possible to engage enemy helicopters, but only if done so from afar, or if the player is on a slope, but this is an extremely risky move, as attack helicopters can easily destroy the WZ-551 from a distance. If possible, the player should avoid confrontation with already airborne attack helicopters at all cost, unless as a last resort, and leave them for friendly mobile air-defense vehicle and aircraft.

The vehicle should be used for its intended purpose: A well-protected infantry transport platform, with heavy weaponry and anti-armor capabilities to temporarily and briefly hold itself against main battle tanks, and its amphibious capabilities allow it to possibly infiltrate enemy lines by deep rivers or lakes where enemies might not expect. Main targets for the players are light vehicles and other APCs, while tanks can be engaged if the conditions are suitable. The player is also able to provide cover for dismounted infantry with their weaponry. With a good team, the vehicle can quickly move to the battlefield unobstructed and capture control points before the enemy is able to send down an artillery barrage at the flag in a safer manner compared to NJ 2046s or FAVs. Or the player can help destroy enemy tanks by damaging them with the vehicle's HJ-8 missiles. The vehicle can also act as a mobile repair station/ammunition resupply vehicle/ambulance if it carries Engineers/Supports/Medics inside.

A render of the WZ-551.