Military forces from the Gia Lai Military Command and related units recently recovered the vehicle, initially identified as a tank long submerged and buried under sand in coastal waters near Quy Nhon.
Preliminary assessments show the vehicle measures about 3 metres wide, 2.7 metres high and nearly 6 metres long, excluding the gun barrel. Authorities said further examination is needed before determining which unit it belonged to.
Initial evidence suggests the tank may have been destroyed during a retreat from Quy Nhon’s military port in late March 1975 before being buried beneath coastal sand.
After decades underwater, the hull had heavily corroded, the turret was missing and parts of the vehicle became visible only at low tide.
During the recovery operation, authorities found numerous military items inside and around the vehicle, including firearms, 12mm ammunition and magazines, as well as nine 120mm artillery rounds with intact fuses.
Several firearms were found scattered around the site.
Investigators also recovered bone fragments and personal belongings, including a stainless-steel chain and shoes.
The recovered items are being preserved for identification and forensic examination as authorities seek to establish the identities of possible victims and determine the tank’s origin.
Colonel Nguyen Xuan Son, deputy political commissar of the Gia Lai Military Command, said the artefacts would be transferred to a military technical workshop for further assessment and handling.
According to local authorities, several damaged tank components had previously been recovered from the same area, though all were too badly deteriorated for display.