Image source: topwar.ru
Germany and Slovenia have agreed to speed up the round-trip exchange procedure, as a result of which Slovak BVP M-80 infantry fighting vehicles will be sent to Ukraine. This was announced at a joint press conference of the heads of state.
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have agreed on a round-robin exchange, as a result of which Slovenia will receive Boxer 8x8 armored vehicles, Ukraine - Slovenian BVP-80A infantry fighting vehicles. What Germany will receive is not reported. When asked why Germany does not send modern German armored vehicles to Ukraine, but replaces them with obsolete Soviet-style ones, Scholz referred to the country's obligations to European countries.
The delivery of a batch of Yugoslav-made M-80A combat vehicles to Kiev in Slovenia was reported back in June 20, stating that they had delivered a batch of 35 IFVs removed from storage. According to Slovenian Defense Minister Marjan Sarek, Slovenia has exhausted its capabilities to provide military assistance, handing over everything it could to the Armed Forces. According to Sarek, Kalashnikov assault rifles, protective helmets, bulletproof vests and 35 M-80A infantry fighting vehicles removed from storage were sent to Ukraine.
The M-80A infantry fighting vehicle was developed in Yugoslavia and adopted in 1982. It was mass-produced at the FAMOS enterprise in Hrasnica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) until 1991, in total about 900 units were manufactured. Although the M-80A is compared to the Soviet BMP-1, it has an original design and is closer to the French AMX-10P, from which it borrowed many elements. The BMP has five ice rinks, whereas the Soviet BMP-1 has six.
The M-80 BMP is equipped with a single turret armed with one 20 mm automatic cannon, one 7.62mm twin machine gun and two Sagger anti-tank guided missile launchers mounted on the right side of the turret. The crew is 3 people.
