China developed the ZBD-05 amphibious fighting vehicle.
The ZBD-05 is the infantry-fighting-vehicle member of China’s Type 05 amphibious armored vehicle family. It was developed for the People’s Liberation Army, including forces responsible for amphibious assault operations, and entered service in the mid-2000s.
Norinco was responsible for the Type 05 family, which also includes the ZTD-05 assault vehicle and several support variants. The design replaced older Chinese amphibious vehicles such as the Type 63A and Type 77, whose performance no longer met the requirements of modern ship-to-shore operations.
The ZBD-05 is notable for its hydroplaning hull, extendable bow and rear flap, retractable suspension components and twin water jets. These features reduce drag and allow it to move far faster in water than conventional amphibious armored vehicles. On land it can reach about 65 km/h, while its water speed is roughly 28–30 km/h.
A common mix-up is treating the ZBD-05 as a Russian or North Korean design because it resembles other tracked amphibious vehicles. Its origin and developer are Chinese.