China Unveils Fastest Amphibious Assault Vehicle

The USS Kearsarge in the Caribbean Sea, September 19, 2017. Reuters/Jonathan Drake
The USS Kearsarge in the Caribbean Sea, September 19, 2017. Reuters/Jonathan Drake
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China Unveils Fastest Amphibious Assault Vehicle

The USS Kearsarge in the Caribbean Sea, September 19, 2017. Reuters/Jonathan Drake
The USS Kearsarge in the Caribbean Sea, September 19, 2017. Reuters/Jonathan Drake

International media reports said that China has developed the biggest and fastest “sea tank” in the world, and pointed out that the amphibious vehicle can travel at high speeds both on land and water.

The tank, called VN18, boasts a maximum speed on the ground, and 30 km/h on water.

British media outlets reported the China Central Television Station which revealed that the 26.5-tonne beast is equipped with a cannon, a machine gun and an anti-tank missile.

It can carry three drivers and 11 soldiers. The vehicle's' capacity is 1,600-horsepower.

Zhang Wenhui, who is the deputy General Manager of Norinco Group, said VN18 is the fastest amphibious assault vehicle in the world.

Zhang claimed that amphibious assault vehicles in the United State are not as fast as VN18. He added that the Chinese sea-tank on water is like a car running at 120 km/h on a highway.



Severe Storms in New York City Area Kill Two in New Jersey Floods

 A woman walks along the Hudson River, with the Jersey City skyline in the background, in New York City, US, July 14, 2025. (Reuters)
A woman walks along the Hudson River, with the Jersey City skyline in the background, in New York City, US, July 14, 2025. (Reuters)
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Severe Storms in New York City Area Kill Two in New Jersey Floods

 A woman walks along the Hudson River, with the Jersey City skyline in the background, in New York City, US, July 14, 2025. (Reuters)
A woman walks along the Hudson River, with the Jersey City skyline in the background, in New York City, US, July 14, 2025. (Reuters)

Two people were killed in New Jersey during flash flooding as severe storms lashed the New York City area on Monday night into Tuesday, submerging cars and flooding subway stations.

The intense rainfall caused widespread travel disruption across the region's airports, highways and railways.

More than 2 inches (5 cm) of rain were recorded in a single hour in Manhattan's Central Park, the second most for a 60-minute period in history, according to Mayor Eric Adams.

Videos showed flooding in several subway stations on Monday evening, including a geyser of water spewing into a station on Manhattan's West Side.

Officials said the subway system was simply overwhelmed by the amount of rainfall in such a short amount of time. The antiquated sewer system can handle around 1.75 inches (4.44 cm) of rainfall per hour, Rohit Aggarwala, the city's environmental protection commissioner, told reporters on Tuesday, compared with a rate of more than 4 inches an hour at the storm's peak.

"I probably don't recall seeing that level of rain before," Adams said.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency and said two people died in Plainfield when their vehicle was swept away by floodwaters.

The victims were found in a submerged car, Murphy told reporters.

Murphy said that some places got 6 inches (15.25 cm) of rain in less than 2.5 hours and that it appeared some locations experienced flooding for the first time. The governor blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

"That's the new reality," he said.

In Westchester County, north of the city, authorities conducted multiple water rescues as cars were submerged and highways shut down due to flooding. In nearby Rockland County, the suburb of Nanuet recorded more than 5 inches (12.7 cm) of rain, according to the National Weather Service.