BOV (Combat Armored Vehicle)

History of BOV (Combat Armored Vehicle)

Local Serbian (former Yugoslavia) industry produces a powerful family of vehicles "BOV" (translated as "Combat Armored Vehicle"), which today (2020) is in service with several armed forces. The BOV is a multi-mission design capable of performing various sorties in different camouflages to match mission requirements.

To date (2020), nearly 600 such examples have been produced, with more to come. The vehicle was originally designed by the Belgrade Military-Technical Academy and subsequently mass-produced at the TAM Complex Combat Systems plant in Grand Plana, Serbia.

The BOV weighs 9.1 tons, has a barrel length of 5.7 meters, a width of 2.53 meters, and a height of 2.33 meters to the top line of the fuselage. Internally, it is piloted by a crew of two (driver and gunner/vehicle commander) and provides additional clearance for eight passengers under 10mm to 15mm armor protection (rated in some variants) for STANAG 4569).

Typical weapons are 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine guns mounted above the top of the turret. Power comes from a Deutz F6L413 6-cylinder 150hp diesel engine driving a 4x4 wheel arrangement. It can operate at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour on the road and has a range of up to 300 miles.

The BOV is versatile enough for military and security roles, and its armor provides adequate protection for low-risk missions. This makes it the perfect solution for riot control, border patrol and base defense missions, as needed.

More advanced forms are equipped with appropriate weapon systems to attack armored and low-flying aircraft.

The BOV entered service with the Yugoslav Armed Forces and quickly established itself as a capable light armored vehicle. It was used during the Yugoslav war in the 1990s, which eventually resulted in the vehicle falling into the inventories of all participating and neighbouring countries in the post-war period. As such, the vehicle remains in service outside Serbia and is available in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro.

Bangladesh is the only observation post with about 20 BOVs deployed to escort artillery units.

Throughout the war, the BOV proved adept at countering the threat of low-flying aircraft in its aerial deterrent role, although in most other roles its armor was weak enough to make it vulnerable to many casualties. It especially shines when accompanied by heavier tracked and wheeled mechanized power, and can be deployed to protect light vehicles.

The inherent versatility of the design allows BOV to branch out into multiple roles. The basic use is an armored personnel carrier (APC), which can provide varying degrees of protection for the crew and passengers while mounting variable machine gun and grenade launcher weapons.

There is also an anti-aircraft model with a 3 x 20mm automatic cannon in a powered turret. Another version is equipped with a 2 x 30mm automatic cannon, while a short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) is also used in this role.

Other variants include artillery support, armed/armored reconnaissance aircraft, military police models, mobile communication platforms, command and control (C2) variants and armoured battlefield ambulances for medical evacuation. In another form, the BOV-1 deploys 6 x AT-3 series Anti-Tank Missiles (ATGMs) as highly maneuverable missile delivery vehicles.

The BOV will be modernized in the form of a second-generation BOV under development. Larger and heavier than its predecessor, the vehicle is powered by an American Cummins diesel and is said to have the same features, with wider mission support and higher performance specs.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

1,000 x 7.62mm ammo or 500 x 12.7mm ammo.

Changes