Since 2014, there have been many vehicle modifications on both sides on the #Ukrainian battlefield. One of the most frequently modified vehicles is the MT-LB, originally intended as an artillery tractor.
Of course, many mass-produced vehicles were built on the MT-LB chassis, such as the 9k35 Strela-10, the 9P149 Shturm-S, or the 2S1 Gvozdika.
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Since the beginning of the war in #Donbas, soldiers have been forced to use the MT-LB for tasks other than those for which it was intended. They used it, and still do, for example as an APC. They immediately began to feel the weakness of the vehicle's firepower and armour.
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So the soldiers began to modify their MT-LBs. They welded on additional armor and increased firepower. The πΊπ¦#Ukrainian army itself attempted to increase firepower by adding a 12.7mm DshKM machine gun in the armoured turret. Thatβs how MT-LB-AT was born.
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However, this modification was only in very limited numbers, so field modifications were created. The easiest way was to weld Slat armor, additional armor and machine gun on the vehicle.
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On this particular MT-LB, the soldiers welded on additional armor, Slat armor, and a pair of 14.5mm KPVT machine guns. The gunner operated the machine guns manually and was protected by the welded armor.
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#LPR/#DPR fitted this MT-LB with a 12.7mm DShKM machine gun and welded on a couple of plates.
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The separatists also fitted several MT-LBs with mounts for the RPO-A Shmel thermobaric warhead rocket launcherβs.
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#Ukrainian MT-LB was also seen with #Turkish Aselsan 'Serdar' RCWS which features an NSVT and PK machine guns and can also carry two Skif ATGMs.
The turret was probably a demonstrator and after the outbreak of war it was fitted to the first vehicle they found.
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However, more complex modifications began to appear. Several MT-LBs were built for the Dnepr-1 battalion with a raised superstructure, slat armor and a turret with a 14.5mm KPVT machine gun from a BTR-60.
Several similar MT-LBs with BTR-60 turrets also served in Azov.
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Another monstrosity. A cut off part of BRDM-2 with BPU-1 turret and welded on MT-LB. First seen during summer 2022 in UAF service.
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Another popular modification is to mount the 23mm ZU-23-2 on the superstructure. Many of these vehicles have been built and operated by both sides.
The photos show the cannons mounted on captured Russian MT-LBVM(K)βs.
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The #LNR/#LPR even operated at least two MT-LBs that had a turret made from decommissioned BMP-1 IFVs.
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There were also a few "self-propelled mortars", where an automatic 82mm 2B9 Vasilek mortar was added to the MT-LB superstructure. They were sometimes mounted in their own turret as well. They were manually operated, and some pieces could be operated from the inside.
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At least one MT-LB was fitted with a turret from a 2S9 Nona by the #separatists, creating an interesting improvised self-propelled mortar.
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This is a very interesting modification. In 2015, the #Ukrainians modified the decommissioned Strela-10s by mounting two B-8 rocket pods firing 80mm S-8 rockets instead of anti-air missiles. These improvised MLRS were intended to shell an area rather than specific targets.
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Another improvised MLRS, with #Ukrainian soldiers creating their own version of the Soviet Grad-1. Both vehicles were on MT-LB chassis and used Grad rocket launchers. They can be distinguished by the fact that the Ukrainian modification has all 40 tubes, the Grad-1 "only" 36
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A 2022 modification in which a MT-12 Rapira 100 mm anti-tank gun was mounted on top of the vehicle with an open-topped superstructure for cover. This modification is called MT-LB-12.
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Earth is full of states and factions using MT-LB and its versions. Some mass produced, some improvised. For example Armenian MT-LB with S-60 cannon, Bulgarian BMP-23 IFV, Russian MT-LBM 6MB prototype etc.
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If you made it this far, thank you for reading.
I'll be glad for the RT too.
Special thanks to @BuschModelar for some photos and informations!
Do you know what these two vehicles have in common?
Both were made by the π¨πΏCzech company called PRAGA.
On the left is the Praga LT vz. 38 light tank, known as PzKpfw 38(t) in the Wehrmacht service, and on the right is the Praga Bohema.
π§΅Thread
Praga was founded in 1907 as a joint project of the PrvnΓ ΔeskomoravskΓ‘ tovΓ‘rna na stroje v Praze (later ΔKD) and Ringhofferovy zΓ‘vody a.s. and produced cars under license from the Italian Isotta Fraschini and the French Charon and Renault. However, only a few cars were sold and production was expensive and inefficient so Ringhoffer terminated the contract.
However, a breakthrough came in 1911, when chief designer FrantiΕ‘ek Kec designed a high-quality and reliable military truck, the Praga V, with which he won a public contract for the Austro-Hungarian army. Subsequently, Praga began to produce its own models of passenger cars, such as the Praga Mignon, the Praga Grand, which was driven by the Austrian Emperor Charles I, and the Praga Alfa, which were very popular, high-quality and reliable.
In the 1920s, Praga began to produce aircraft engines, which were used in the Aero, Avia, Letov, and later in the 1930s in aircraft of its own design, such as the Praga E-39, Praga E-51, Praga BH-111, and Praga E-114 Air Baby.
The 1930s were very interesting for Praga, when, in addition to the aforementioned aircraft, it also produced several successful models of passenger cars, such as the Praga Piccolo, Praga Golden, Praga Baby, or Praga Alfa, civilian trucks, military trucks Praga RV, T-series artillery tractors (which were widely used by the Wehrmacht in World War II), trolleybus Praga TOT, or truck Praga TO, which mostly served as a bus.
However, the most interesting for us will probably be the production of tanks and armoured vehicles.
From the beginning Praga experimented, prototyped and produced several armoured vehicles, for example the armoured car on the chassis of Praga R, of which 10 pieces were produced and in 1917 they were delivered to the Ottoman Empire for the police, or the armoured car Praga L, of which only one prototype piece was produced.
Video of the π¨πΏ#Czech-made 155mm/L45 wheeled self-propelled howitzer DITA, made by @excaliburarmycz, in the service of the State Border Guard of πΊπ¦#Ukraine.
(The video is edited from a longer report. Below you can find screenshots from the video and the full report with a link).
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The DITA is a wheeled self-propelled howitzer on the Tatra 815 8x8 chassis, which was created by deep modernization of the original ShKH vz.77 DANA.
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The howitzer uses a new crewless turret operated from the cabin, which means that DITA has only two crew members as standard, but an emergency workstation located in the turret can also be used for a third crew member.
π¨πΏ#Czechia: The army is looking for a replacement for 107 Pandur II 8x8 CZ wheeled IFVs, which it purchased in 2009 for CZK 14.4 billion (~$640 million).
Originally, the Ministry of Defence wanted to upgrade 107 of 127 Pandur II 8x8 CZs and buy dozens of new ones for the new mechanised battalion. However, it now looks like the current Pandurs will be taken out of service and replaced with new wheeled IFVs. The Ministry has already approached several manufacturers.
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The first is a Czech company Tatra Defence Vehicle (TDV), from the Czechoslovak Group (CSG) consortium, which holds the licence for the production of the Pandur II 8x8 CZ and is offering the army a new version of the Pandur II 8x8 EVO.
It was TDV that two years ago offered the Ministry the modernisation of older Pandur IIs for 136 million CZK apiece and the delivery of 68 new Pandur II EVOs for 200 million CZK apiece.
Another TDV proposal was to buy old Pandur IIs and supply the Army with complete new Pandury II EVOs, which would reduce the unit price and give the MoD additional funds from the sold-off older Pandur IIs.
In addition, CSG is finalising the transfer of the complete production of a foreign turret for the Pandur II EVO in the Czech Republic (probably the UT30MK2 from Israel's Elbit Systems).
With the Army operating 20 new liaison Pandur IIs as of 2020 and no plans to replace them, the Pandur II EVO is the biggest candidate for the "new" wheeled IFV.
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Another big candidate is the Finnish Patria in cooperation with the Czech STV Group - together they offer the Patria AMV XP.
Patria promises a large involvement of domestic industry and is reportedly already in talks with several Czech companies.
Slovakia chose Patria AMV XP in 2022, beating the Pandur II 8x8 from Czech CSG. Slovakia has so far ordered 76 Patria AMV XPs worth β¬447 million.
π¨πΏ#Czechia: News from the Czech defence industry, specifically STV Group (@stv_group).
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1) Ammunition production (I already touched on this topic in a recent thread about the Czech artillery regiment, link below at the end of the thread).
STV Group will complete a new artillery ammunition production line by the end of this year, which will increase production capacity by 100,000 artillery shells per year. At least one more production line will be built next year, so the production of artillery ammunition should reach at least 300,000 shells per year. Together with other large-calibre ammunition, including mortar and tank ammunition, the annual production capacity should thus be 500,000.
Also next year, STV Group wants to produce 500 million pieces of small-caliber ammunition annually.
But back to large-calibre ammunition. STV Group is upgrading the equipment for casting explosives into mortar shell bodies. Several Czech companies are now also involved in the production of shell bodies to reduce dependence on imports from foreign countries. STV Group is also planning to produce its own smokeless powder for large-calibre ammunition, with a target of 1,500 tonnes per year. A project is also underway to produce initiators, known as igniters, for ammunition.
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2) New acquisitions and portfolio expansion with new products.
In the second half of this year, STV Group bought the Slovak company MATADOR Industries - a company engaged in automation, production of parts for the Zuzana-2 SpGH and machinery and equipment for the rubber industry. As STV Group, or rather the parent STV Invest, is not a pure defence industry company, MATADOR Industries fits into its portfolio.
However, the reason for the acquisition is probably quite different. The STV Group plans to start the complete development and production of AFVs and heavy weapons at MATADOR Industries, including towed howitzers. Production should start next year and annual production should be several dozen vehicles per year.
STV Group has also launched new unspecified projects - for example for the Israeli company Elta Systems or for the Swedish company BAE Systems AB.
π¨πΏ BVP-1MA & BVP-1MB - Czech modernization of BVP-1 from the turn of the millennium
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In the 1990s, the state enterprise VOP-026 tried to modernize the old BVP-1 (licensed Czechoslovakian-made BMP-1). This modernized BVP-1 was to form the backbone of the mechanized units of the Czech Army.
The first and only prototype was presented in May 1999 in Brno at IDET β99. The aim of the modernisation was to improve and increase the combat value of the vehicle at the lowest possible cost - firepower, ballistic and mine protection, handling and reliability were to be improved.
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Specifically, the bottom of the hull was strengthened to increase mine resistance and the possibility of installing additional armour. Automatic fire extinguisher and explosion prevention equipment from the German company Kidde-Deugra was installed, the fuel tanks received anti-detonation fillings from the Greek company KAPA SA, a laser warning system, and laser filters for sights, independent heating, thermal insulation and anti-slip surface was installed. Suspension dampers were added and torsion bars replaced. The vehicle was modified for operation on public roads, i.e. the exterior lighting and turn signals were replaced, rear-view mirrors were added, brakes were refurbished and the tracks received rubber pads.