Image source: topwar.ru
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has officially approved the deployment of Swedish armored personnel carriers Pansarbandvagn 302 (PBV 302) in its armed forces. Consent for the supply of certain types of equipment is issued as part of the allocation of funds allocated by Western countries: if Kiev believes that more necessary products are available, then it can refuse the proposed ones. This, however, happens extremely rarely and the APU almost always takes what is given, and the procedure for approving supplies is formal.
In May of this year, Stockholm announced the provision of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 7.3 billion over three years. In particular, Sweden intends to transfer its entire fleet of PBV 302 armored personnel carriers, consisting of 239 vehicles, to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- the Swedish government said at the time.
This model, developed in the 1960s by Hägglund Söner, was adopted by Sweden in 1966 and acted as the main army APC until its retirement from service in 2014, giving way to the modern CV90 BMP.
- it is said in the Kyiv Independent edition.
Image source: topwar.ru
The PBV 302 is capable of carrying 8 soldiers and a crew of 3 people. As explained in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, this technique is capable of "moving over rough terrain, as well as on soft and unstable surfaces such as mud and sand, and overcoming water obstacles." It has a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza automatic cannon and "frontal armor designed to withstand a direct hit by a 20 mm projectile." The 270-horsepower diesel engine allows you to "reach speeds of more than 60 km /h."
- it is noted in the publication.
After the decommissioning of the PBV 302, Sweden switched to a much more modern CV90 BMP. It can also overcome difficult terrain, is equipped with a much more powerful 40 mm Bofors L/70 or 35 mm/50 AP Bushmaster automatic cannon, and its frontal armor is capable of withstanding larger 30 mm shells. In addition, the CV90 is equipped with an electronic warfare station to protect against drones and a more powerful engine allows speeds up to 70 km/h.
As indicated, Sweden has supplied Ukraine with about 50 CV90 units, and there are also plans to establish joint production of up to 1,000 vehicles of this type. Along with about 190 Bradleys received from the USA, the CV90 is considered as the most optimal technique for mechanized combat formations.
- the publication says.
For our part, we note that the CV90 or Bradley are not a panacea for the Ukrainian army, as these models are constantly being hit by Russian troops on the battlefield.
