Commanders!
Today we’d like to tell you more about a vehicle that’s coming this summer – the Chinese Type 625E!
But first a bit of history as usual.
The Type 625E is a Chinese gun/missile air defense system developed in 2020-2021, with trials beginning in 2021. It was first unveiled at the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show and was initially based on the ZBL-08 armored personnel carrier. A little later, it received a dedicated 8x8 chassis shared by an entire family of air defense vehicles, including a radar vehicle, a laser-based anti-drone system and others.
A somewhat simplified version was accepted into service by the People’s Liberation Army and appeared during the September 3, 2025 parade. It can operate either as part of a battery, receiving targeting data from a command vehicle, or independently in the version fitted with a surveillance radar.
Several possible configurations exist, depending on the weapon used (a 25mm or 30mm rotary cannon), the missiles carried (FN-16 or FB-10A) and the presence or absence of a radar. The system is also known as the CS/SA5, LD630 and PLB625E, although these designations generally do not refer to any specific version and were often changed even for otherwise identical configurations.
In Armored Warfare, the Type 625E will be a Tier 10 Premium Tank Destroyer.
From just looking at the images, it should be obvious that this is in fact not a frontline vehicle. The Type 625E is a long-range fire support platform that will rely on guided missiles to deal some serious damage.
The gameplay design is partially shared with the Legendary Vehicle Reaper FSV in the sense that the vehicle offers a combination of three weapon systems:
- 30mm rotary cannon
- Regular guided missiles
- Advanced FPV missiles
Let’s start with the missiles as these are the primary weapon system of Type 625E. You have two options. For standard gameplay, you can fire classic FB-10A missiles in rapid succession. These are performance-wise somewhat similar to the Red Arrow missiles you know and love from the AFT-10 Tank Destroyer and have HEAT warheads. They hit fairly hard but you have to maintain your line of sight to use them effectively.
The second option are the Advanced Missiles that work the same way as on the Reaper – they are FPV missiles that can both spot targets and deal damage. Compared to the Reaper, their damage was tuned down but they are still potent long-range weapons that can be fired at long distances without exposing yourselves to counter-fire. As with the Reaper, there are, of course, limitations to their use:
- You only have several of them, so spend them wisely
- They are vulnerable to APS
- They lose control when passing through smoke
And last but not least, there’s the 30mm rotary cannon. Despite its caliber, this is not a powerful gun and should be used for engaging unarmored targets or as a last resort weapon. It has two things going for it:
- It has extremely high elevation angles (unlike the missile launchers)
- It can fire for a very long time before overheating
Active abilities-wise, the vehicle has a Radar ability that trades its own camouflage (what little it has, this is a very large and conspicuous vehicle) for the ability to see further. The radar on the Type 625E is, of course, animated.
The rest of the vehicle is fairly standard. Given how it’s a wheeled and fairly heavy vehicle, the mobility will not be one of its strong characteristics, and neither will be armor, which basically only protects it against machinegun bullets. The Type 625E has smoke grenade launchers (of course) and an unmanned turret, but that’s about it.
The Type 625E will be an excellent choice for players who prefer long-range combat without moving too much and firing across the entire battlefield, possibly performing counter-battery fire against other similar vehicles. When pressed into short-range combat, the autocannon can help, but launching missiles at long distances is where it excels at.
And that’s about it, commanders. As always, we’re looking forward to your feedback and, as always:
See you on the battlefield!
