Armored vehicles of Yugoslavia. Part of 7. The current state. Slovenia and Croatia
Slovenia
During the “Ten Day War” with JNA, the Slovenes managed to capture over 100 units of various armored vehicles (60 M-84, 90 T-55 and at least 40 T-34-85, BMP M-80, BTR M-60).
The obsolete T-34-85 and tracked armored personnel carriers M-60 were scrapped. Also removed from armament were captured 6 from the JNA floating tanks PT-76, 4 BRDM-2, 19 anti-tank self-propelled guns M36 Jackson, 8 122-mm SG 2S1 Gvozdika, 6 SAMs Strela-1M, 24 ZSU-57-2, 12 Yugoslav ZSU BOV 3, 24 M-53 / 59 "Prague".
T-55 Slovenes modernized with Western help, assigning them the index M-55S. The tank was equipped with an Israeli mounted “Blazer” dynamic protection on the tower and on the hull’s forehead, rubber-fabric side-mounted anti-cumulative screens, the English 105-mm gun L7, the modular turret on the tower of the Rafael machine with the DShK machine gun, the new Fotona SGS-XNUM fire control system. integrated digital ballistic computer, laser range finder, SGS-55 gunner's sight with two-plane stabilizer and atmosphere parameter sensor), surveillance system for commander Fotona COMTOS-55, driver Fotona CODRIS is equipped th NVG, two six-barrel smoke grenade launchers with a laser sensor system LIRD-55A. Engine upgraded, power increased to 1l.s. Track can be equipped with removable asphalt shoes. A further modification was the M-600S55 with the MAN engine with 1 horsepower.
M-55S are gradually being decommissioned by the Slovenian army, currently the last 30 tanks are in reserve and are in warehouses.
Of the 54 M-84 tanks, only 19 remained in the ranks, the rest are also in reserve.
Also in reserve are listed and 52 Yugoslav BMP M-80A.
On May 1, 2004 Slovenia became a NATO member. Its army is actively switching to NATO standards, getting rid of Soviet and Yugoslavian weapons. The main wheeled armored personnel carrier of the Slovenian army is the Valuk, which is a version of the Austrian wheeled armored personnel carrier Pandur, manufactured by the Slovenian company Sistemska Tehnika Armas Doo under license from Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG Spezialfahrzeug & Co KG in two versions - as an armored personnel carrier (APC) and as armored ambulances.
The VALUK armored personnel carrier is available with three weapon systems that are installed in the turret:
- Heavy machine gun (HMG) caliber 12,7 mm x 99 (0,50);
- automatic grenade launcher (ALG) caliber 40 mm;
- 25 mm M242 Bushmaster automatic gun coupled to a 7,62 mm machine gun in the OWS-25 module of the Israeli company RAFAEL.
In addition, the machine is equipped with grenade launchers for firing and fragmentation grenades mounted on the hull. The crew consists of 9 man - driver, commander, gunner and six infantrymen. The hull and tower provides protection from small-arms fire. weapons. The machine is equipped with a number of systems:
- automatic motion control system ADM;
- passive driver's night vision device;
- additional ballistic protection;
- fire extinguishing system, portable fire extinguisher;
- a fire extinguishing system in the fighting compartment;
- collective protection system;
- heating and ventilation system;
- central tire inflation system;
- external and internal communication equipment;
- awning;
- search light;
- smoke extraction system;
- rear hydraulic ramp.
All in all, the Slovenian army is armed with Valuk 85 armored personnel carriers.
The further development of the BTR Valuk became the Krpan armored personnel carrier with the wheel formula 8х8. Krpan was offered both to the Slovenian army (however, lost the competition to the Finnish AMV) and for export, however, according to current data, there were no orders for it, and the prospects for this car are foggy.
At the end of 2006, a contract was signed for the supply of 135 Finnish armored vehicles Patria AMV, called SKOV Svarun, in seven different versions. In this case, most of the machines had to be produced at the Rotis plant in the city of Nomads, and the planned deliveries were for the 2008-2012 years. However, due to corruption the contract was terminated. Total for 2009-2011. 30 machines that were produced in Finland were received.
In addition, 28 of the Yugoslav wheeled armored personnel carriers BOV-M, manufactured by TAM from the Slovenian city of Maribor, remained in the military units of the Slovenian military police; moreover, 16 BOV-VP is also in reserve. BOV-M are also removed from service and transferred to warehouses.
The light armored vehicles are used 10 Turkish LBM Otokar Cobra (ordered in 2007, obtained in 2008 year) in the version of the machine radiation, chemical and biological reconnaissance.
And for reconnaissance, the American Hummer 42 (a total of 54 machines was transferred) in the HMMWV variant.
Croatia
After the war, Croatia sharply reduced its army. So, from the 393 units of armored vehicles, including 232 tanks, which were part of the Croatian army on August 1995 (the beginning of Operation "Storm"), only 76 М-84 remained in the ranks. All T-55 and T-34-85, M-60 and other obsolete vehicles were decommissioned and scrapped. 1 April 2009, Croatia joined the NATO bloc and also began to modernize its armed forces according to the standards of the alliance.
Currently, the Croatian army is 76 tanks M-84, previously produced in Croatia in the city of Slavonski Brod by JSC Djuro Djakovic, upgraded to the version M-84A4 Snajper. The M-84A4 tank is an improved version of the M-84A and M-84AB tanks, its valuable acquisitions are the new fire control system, the installation of the best stabilization mechanism for the aiming device and the main gun, the laser range finder. Armor, engine, gearbox, placement of warheads in M-84A4 remained the same as in M-84A / M-84AB. M-84A4 can be equipped with two engines of different power. The weak V46-6 motor has a 780 hp, and the powerful V-46TK has a 1000 hp, which allows the speed of 65 km / h. V-46TK is a 12-cylinder, four-stroke multi-fuel engine with water cooling. The main fuel is diesel, but it can also be refueled with gasoline with an octane rating of up to 72 and jet fuel.
It is interesting to note that on the basis of the M-84A4 armored chassis, Croatian specialists produced an unconventional prototype of the M95 Cobra tank, equipped with a load-lifting crane, on which sighting devices were installed along with anti-tank missiles.
A further development was the option M-84D. It is equipped with a new engine power 1200 l. with. (895 kW) and the new dynamic protection RRAK. The M-84D can be equipped with a remotely controlled Samsung "Samson" combat module manufactured by the Israeli company Rafael or with the Kongsberg module Protector M151, as well as with the Fotona digital ballistic computer Omega. The electric drive of the tower provides a quick transfer of fire, a new set of protection of vulnerable zones provides protection for the crew against biological, chemical and nuclear threats. Advanced thermal imaging cameras provide the ability to operate in reduced visibility conditions - at dusk, at night, in fog, smoke, etc. All new tanks M84D and M84A4 are equipped with the latest communication kit from Racal. The power reserve of the M-84A4 and M-84D is 700 km, the maximum speed is 65 km / h. Improving the autoloader increased the rate of fire from 8 to 9 rounds per minute, efficiency increased by 15%. The striker is protected by anti-cumulative screens, the engine at the rear is additionally protected by chains. For storage of additional ammunition added a tower basket, the protection of which is reinforced with anti-cumulative screens. The Israeli LAHAT ATGM and the LIRD-4B laser irradiation warning system are installed.
In total, up to the M-84D variant, the 4-8 tanks of the M-84 tanks have been upgraded, but it is planned to upgrade all the Croatian M-84A4 Snajper tanks to it. In addition, this modernization option has some export potential. Thus, the Kuwaiti army planned to upgrade the M84AB tanks supplied from Yugoslavia to the M-84D standard, but with 2007, this agreement was stopped. Iraq also plans to upgrade its T-72 to the level of M-84D or the standards of the Polish and Czech competitors of this Croatian design.
On the basis of an experienced Yugoslav tank M-91 Vihor, designed to replace the M-84 (as part of which only the 2 prototype was built by the Croats, the M-95 Degman tank was created. The M-95 was installed by the Israeli company Elbit Systems. The tank has not yet been launched. M-95 planned to install an 120-mm smoothbore gun that complies with NATO standards. It is assumed that the tank will be capable of firing Israeli LAHAT ATGMs through the gun barrel. Two prototypes of the tank were made: first in 2003 year, second in 2007, however, its further development was abandoned in favor of M-84D.
In total, according to the long-term defense plan, Croatia plans to have an 2015 tank battalion or at least a 2 modern tank by the 104 year.
From the 128 BMP M-80A 104 captured from the JNA, BMP are expected to be upgraded, plus another 24 - write-off or conversion.
The Croatists developed a variant of the modernization of the BMP under the designation M-80А1, on which the 30-mm gun and the new MSA are installed. Also created a prototype of the BRM-M80AI and 20-mm ZSU M80A SPAAG.
In October, 2007 was contracted to supply 84 Finnish armored vehicles Patria AMV, and in December 2008, another 42. Thus, the whole of Croatia has so far received 126 armored vehicles. However, only 6 machines were produced in Finland, and the rest of the machines are assembled at the Duro Dakovic Special Vehicle (DDSV) plant in Croatia. From the middle of 2010, four cars are produced per month, however, Croatia’s declared need is 252 of an armored personnel carrier. Therefore, it is likely that a third batch of machines will be ordered. All vehicles were supplied with a heavy base configuration of the hull - equipped with additional armor (like the Finnish Army's XC360 BTR) and deprived of the opportunity to swim. Patria AMV is armed with the American remotely controlled M151 "Protector" combat modules, 36 of which will be equipped with Spike ER anti-tank missile systems, and 24 40-mm grenade launchers, 24 with turrets with 30-mm Spike ER anti-tank missile systems with Spike anti-tank missiles. Konensberg, or Raphael), the remaining 6 will be armored ambulances and armored repair and recovery vehicles without weapons.
In 2012, the Norwegian company Kongsberg, engaged in the production of combat modules and the Croatian holding Đuro Đaković (Djuro аковaković) presented a new combat module for those manufactured in Croatia under the license of the AMV combat vehicles of the company Patria. The PROTECTOR Medium Caliber RWS (MCRWS) combat module is equipped with a 30-mm cannon and a PROTECTOR M151 combat module with an 12,7-mm machine gun. Thus, multichannel weapons are implemented.
For reconnaissance, the Croatian army purchased the 93 Italian Iveco LMV light armored vehicles, of which 10 vehicles were delivered in the 2007 year, another 84 should be delivered by the 2017 year.
In 2007, the US Army donated the 12 Hummers to the Croats, another 30 in the 2008 year, and then the 30 in the 2009 year, which are mainly used by forces of the Croatian contingent in Afghanistan, but some of them are deployed in Croatia. In 2011, the Croats received the 40 new armored M1151 to partially replace the outdated M1114, and the 13 was also delivered in February of the 2012 year. Currently, the Croatian army has 84 "Hammer" in service.
In July, 2014 was donated by the US Army 40 MRAP International MaxxPro, of which 10 is based in Afghanistan and 30 in Croatia.
At the same time, the Americans transferred 20 RG-33 with the wheel formula 6 х6.
The 18 Soviet BTR-50PU captured from the JNA in 2012 were retired and replaced by the Finnish Patria AMV.
A similar fate befell 10 from MT-LB delivered from Poland during the war.
The fate of the 54 Yugoslav BOV-VP BTRs and the 37 self-propelled BOV-1 ATGMs based on them is unclear. According to some data, they are decommissioned and transferred to warehouses. Others are used by the Croatian military police, including in Afghanistan.
The further fate and 72 light wheeled armored personnel carriers LOV of Croatian production and vehicles based on them are also unclear, according to some data, they were decommissioned, according to others - not.
However, all sources agree that the Croatian army is still 44 ZSU BOV-3.
Also in service are the 9 (according to other 12 data) launchers of the Soviet 9K35 “Strela-10” air defense system, received from Germany, mounted on the chassis of the Yugoslav army truck TAM-150, which received a homemade armored case made of armored steel. This “product” is called the 10 CROA1 Arrow. The complex is currently undergoing modernization and testing, it will probably be installed on Patria AMV armored personnel carriers to increase maneuverability.
1991 9-mm SG 122X2 “Gvozdika” captured in 1 year, it is planned to replace this year 12 with German 155-mm self-propelled howitzers Panzerhaubitze 2000, set in the framework of bringing the Croatian army to NATO standards.
On the materials of the sites:
http://samlib.ru
http://shushpanzer-ru.livejournal.com
http://www.tankfront.ru/allies/jugoslavija/april1941.html
http://stef124.tripod.com/,
http://www.vojska.net/
http://srpsko.fastbb.ru/
http://m1kozhemyakin.livejournal.com/4580.html
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