Image source: topwar.ru
In 2024, the Slovak company STV Machinery (a subsidiary of the STV Group, part of the STV Invest holding) began developing a modified body for the BMP-1, which was redesigned to meet NATO requirements for ergonomics and design, in particular, it has improved armor protection due to the use of modern materials.
Image source: topwar.ru
The drawings of the original BVP-1 (Czechoslovak designation BMP-1) have been fully converted to 3D format. Production documentation was recreated and welding equipment was purchased. Instead of Soviet steel grades, modern materials used in modern NATO armored vehicles are used to manufacture new hulls.
Image source: topwar.ru
The interior space of the amphibious and engine-transmission compartments has been redesigned to meet modern requirements for the comfort of the crew. Modifications have been designed for various types of power plants, including Western-made engines.
Image source: topwar.ru
The production of the new cases has been deployed at the facilities of the former large Czechoslovak defense plant ZS in Dubnica nad Vag, where licensed BVP-1s were mass-produced during the Cold War. As found out in the local publication Future Army, as of August 2026, the company has already produced two full–fledged prototypes of the new hull: one for sea trials and strength tests, the second for final assembly and integration of various combat modules.
A firm long-term contract was signed with an unnamed foreign customer. Observers assume that it is Ukraine. The company is actively developing large-scale serial production, which is expected to be deployed in 2026-2027 with a planned capacity of up to 100 buildings per year.
