A modernized Soviet infantry fighting vehicle BMP was presented at the international defense exhibition MSPO-2021 in Poland. The company WZM S. A. demonstrated a new version of the machine with an upgraded body and tower, according to the Defense 24 portal.
The new model is based on the BWP-1 infantry fighting vehicle, which is a licensed copy of the Soviet BMP-1. Polish designers increased the body of the car, raising the roof level. Also, the fuel tanks were moved in the modernized BMP, and the base of the tower was removed. This made it possible to increase the volume of the landing compartment and improve the working conditions of the crew.
The ballistic protection of the upgraded vehicle corresponds to the third level of STANAG 4569, which provides protection from the fire of armor-piercing bullets of a 7.62 by 39 mm cartridge. Optionally, the security can be increased to the fourth level, which will allow you to withstand shelling with armor-piercing bullets of sniper rifles and large-caliber machine guns.
The car received a circular view system, which increases the situational awareness of the crew. The modernized BMP was equipped with new communication systems, air conditioning and fire-fighting equipment. The BMP also received the SSP-1 Obra 3 laser radiation warning system, which masks the vehicle from anti-tank missile guidance systems.
At the request of the customer, the standard engine can give way to the German MTU 6R 106 TD21 power unit with a capacity of 326 horsepower. In turn, the standard tower was replaced by an uninhabited John Cockerill 1030 combat module. The machine can be equipped with a Bushmaster Mk 44 gun of 30 or 40 mm caliber. The main gun is supplemented with a paired machine gun and an anti-tank guided missile launcher.
The authors of Defense 24 note that the prototype of the upgraded BMP has already passed numerous tests. If the military is interested in an upgraded vehicle, it will become an intermediate option between the outdated versions of the BWP-1 and the promising Borsuk BMP.
Earlier, it became known about the beginning of testing of promising armored vehicles on the "Boomerang" wheeled platform. The K-16 armored personnel carrier and the K-17 infantry fighting vehicle went to state tests. After their completion, a pilot batch of vehicles will go to the troops.
Daniil Irinin
