Notes:
This light wheeled APC is found in service only with the various former
Yugoslavian republics, and in Croatia, they have been mostly replaced with the
LOV APC. The BOV can be mistaken at
a distance with the basic version of the LAV-150, and is in fact roughly the
same size and shape as that vehicle.
There are several known variants, with the antiaircraft versions (BOV-3
and BOV-30) being more common by 2010 than the APC or ATGM carriers.
(The AAA and ATGM variants will not be covered on this page.) APC
variants are often used by home defense units these days. The BOV-VP and several
of its subtypes is being replaced by the Finnish AMV and possibly the Lazar
MRAP.
The Basic
BOV APC – The BOV-VP
The driver’s
compartment is in the front center, and is surrounded on three sides by large
bullet-resistant windows. He has a
hatch above his position, though he doesn’t need to drive much with the hatch
open due to the excellent visibility given to him by his windows. The driver has
a large, wide-angle vision block on the hatch, which may be replaced by an IR
vision block. The commander is to the tight, and has no armament of his own,
though he has a firing port to the rear of his windshield under the side window.
A gunner is behind this position, armed with a pintle-mounted weapon and
often surrounded by AV2 gun shields.
(Later versions have an RWS.)
The gunner is taken from one of the troops in the rear, but does not
normally leave the vehicle, providing fire support instead. The troop
compartment is in the rear, with troops seated down the center of the vehicle.
There are three firing ports on each side of the vehicle; instead of
simple vision blocks, the troops have small bullet-resistant windows above each
firing port. The rear has a
bullet-resistant window, but not a firing port.
The troops enter and leave through a large clamshell door in each side of
the troop compartment; each door carries one of the firing ports and window.
On each side of the forward hull is a cluster of three smoke grenade
launchers.
The engine is a
Deutz F6L413 diesel engine developing 150 horsepower.
This is adequate for the weight of the vehicle.
The driver has a conventional control set, though the transmission is
manual. Steering is power-assisted
on the front wheels, though all four wheels are steerable to reduce turn radius.
The tires have a central tire pressure regulation system.
Brakes are air-hydraulic with a manual parking brake.
Suspension is 4x4 and of the off-road type, though the ground clearance
is rather high and this helps protect against mines.
Suspension is by simple leaf springs, which can lead to a bouncy off-road
ride. The suspension has a locking
differential. Armor is light, and a
superstructure extends from the driver/commander’s position to about halfway
back.
APC-Type
Variants
The BOV-M is
designed for the Milicja (sort of a
more heavily-armed SWAT team also used for antiriot duties). It is essentially
the same externally as the BOV-VP, though the interior troop space is often
taken up with a cage for a police dog and a locker for CS grenades.
They are normally equipped with flashing lights, a siren, and a PA
system, as well as an extra spotlight used by the commander.
The BOV-SN is an
armored ambulance version which is unarmed, though the cupola with its vision
blocks is retained. The BOV-SN has
room for four stretcher patients, two stretcher patients and three seated
patients, or six seated patients, plus a medic in the rear.
Space is at a premium, and the BOV-SN has the equivalent of one doctor’s
medical bag, 10 personal medical kits, and a small assortment of splints,
bandages, burn kits, cravats, and minor medical supplies.
It carries four blankets, though it has no capacity to warm them, or give
warm fluids.
Yugoimport
(Yugoslavia/Serbia’s current company for military weapons) has recently offered
an armored reconnaissance version, which has no designation as of yet.
This version has a much-reduced dismount crew, and instead has much
heavier armament – a turret with an M-55 autocannon, a coaxial PKT, and a
launcher on either side of the turret for a Malyutka ATGM.
As customer request, the double Malyutka launcher may be replaced by a
single AT-5 launcher. The Armored
Reconnaissance variant has one extra long-range radio.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
BOV-VP |
$36,444 |
D, A |
1
ton |
9.1
tons |
3+7 |
6 |
Passive (D), WL Spotlight (G) |
Enclosed |
BOV-SN |
$41,911 |
D, A |
500
kg |
9.3
tons |
** |
6 |
Passive (D), WL Spotlight (Cupola) |
Enclosed |
Armored Reconnaissance |
$36,018 |
D, A |
1
ton |
9.6
tons |
3+3 |
6 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G), Thermal Imaging (G) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
BOV-VP |
139/70 |
32/16 |
220 |
60 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF4
HS3 HR 2* |
BOV-SN |
136/69 |
31/16 |
220 |
61 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF4
HS3 HR 2* |
Armored Reconnaissance |
132/67 |
30/15 |
220 |
63 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF3
TS3 TR2
HF4 HS3
HR 2* |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
BOV-VP |
None |
None |
M-2HB or DShK or PKT |
500x.50 or 500x12.7mm or 850x7.62mm |
Armored Reconnaissance |
+2 |
Fair |
20mm M-55 Autocannon, PKT, 2xMalyutka ATGM Launchers |
500x20mm, 1000x7.62mm, 4xMalyutka ATGM |
*Floor AV is
2Sp.
**See Notes
for Crew and passenger capacity.
Yugoimport
Lazar BVT
Notes: Not
currently yet in service with any nation, the Lazar (named after a 14th
century prince of Serbia) is being aggressively marketed both to the Serbian
Army and on the international market (Yugoimport, for example, has been pursuing
Iraq hard). Designed for urban and rural anti-infantry patrol and transport, the
Lazar is an MRAP. The chassis
started as a simple redesign and armored version of the TAM-150 truck, but the
design quickly moved away from these roots and the vehicle became larger,
taller, more robust, and grew from a 4x4 to an 8x8 configuration.
In testing, the Lazar met all parameters except weight (especially with
appliqué armor), but with its powerful engine this was not seen as a severe
deficit. The Lazar may have a big future – several countries are interested in
it – or it may fade away in the face of competing and in many cases more
advanced MRAP designs; the Lazar’s novel armor may give it an edge.
There is also a tendency for the worldwide arms market not to trust
Serbian or former Yugoslavian designs.
In keeping
with its truck roots, the Lazar has a frontal cab containing the driver and
commander. They have doors in each
side of the cab. Those doors have
large bullet-resistant windows, and the front has a large double
bullet-resistant windshield. From
the roof of the driver’s and commander’s positions are brackets to allow the
mounting of night vision blocks. To the rear of the cab is the gunner’s
position, which may have as armament a number of cupolas or small turrets.
The small turrets are almost RWSs; the gunner only has his head and
shoulders inside the turret. The
cupolas are like smaller versions of this, with a ring of vision blocks and the
gunner placing his head inside the cupola to aim and fire.
Both have small hatches in the roofs. The rear area has its troops
sitting down the center. The troops
not only have three firing ports down each side and two in the rear; the sides
may be hinged upwards at the top to give the troops inside more visibility and
the ability to fire heavy weapons from inside such as grenade launchers and
machineguns. The troop compartment
also has a large double hatch on the rear deck, and a large double hatch on the
rear face (each with a firing port in it).
A cluster of four smoke grenade launchers are found on the ends of each
front bumper; these launchers can fire normal smoke, IR smoke, or chaff,
depending what is loaded in the tubes.
The Lazar is
powered by a 440-horsepower turbocharged diesel of new design; this engine is
said to have rapid power response both up and down, giving excellent
acceleration and deceleration, and the ability to operate at long periods of
high speed and low speed. The
engine is coupled to an automatic transmission, though manual transmission is
available as a backup of to those who prefer it.
The engine gives the Lazar excellent speed and mobility in its base form;
however, put on the appliqué armor package, and the Lazar turns into a dud. The
8x8 suspension is of the off-road type; steering is on the first four wheels,
and the tires are run-flat, puncture-resistant, and have central tire pressure
regulation. Particular attention
has been given to the strength of the suspension, as well as its mobility – each
wheel has independent suspension and can move up and down and to a very limited
extent side-to-side independently of the other wheels.
The engine compartment and fuel tanks have an automatic fire detection
and suppression system, as does the cab and troop compartment.
Perhaps the most
interesting part about the Lazar is its armor.
Armor is moderately angled on the front, and a little less angled on the
sides, though enough to benefit protection. The base outer armor is of steel,
but it also incorporates the new concept of NERA (Non-Explosive Reactive Armor).
NERA uses a classified composition of rubber with a specific (and also
classified) composition and consistency, sandwiched between light metal plates.
NERA has almost no effect against KE penetrators (acting as a mere 4
points of extra armor against these projectiles), but against HE and HEAT-type
rounds, the protection is dramatic – the equivalent of an extra 60 points of
armor against these rounds. In
addition, NERA is only about a quarter of the weight and half the cost of ERA.
(In addition, the lack of the use of explosives in NERA means that it
could also be used on soft-skinned vehicles.) Finally, since there are no
explosives to detonate, a NERA tile is not destroyed on that first hit by an
incoming round – studies have shown that a NERA tile can remain effective after
6-12 hits (I’ll use the figure of 8 hits for game purposes).
And just to round things out, a tandem warhead will not destroy a NERA
tile so that the main charge can penetrate the vehicle’s skin – in game terms,
each individual warhead in a tandem warhead fired against NERA is resolved as a
separate attack, with that same NERA tile getting in the way of penetration.
Lugs are
attached to the hull front, hull sides, and if equipped with a turret, turret
front and sides for conventional ERA modules.
In addition, the Lazar can take a pretty comprehensive (and heavy)
appliqué armor package – it almost doubles the weight of the Lazar so equipped,
and provides protection similar to the MEXAS composite armor package.
Projected and
demonstrated variants include non-APC- types (not covered here) such as an
AAA/SAM vehicle and cancelled variants such as a light howitzer, a tracked
version, and an amphibious version.
APC-type versions projected and/or demonstrated include a shorter, lighter 4x4
version, and an armored ambulance.
The armored ambulance has the equivalent of two doctor’s medical bags, 20
personal medical kits, an assortment of bandages, splints, cravats, burn
treatment kits, and minor medical supplies, as well as a small refrigerator for
perishable medical supplies. It can
carry four stretcher patients, two stretcher patients and four seated patients,
or eight seated patients, plus a medic in the rear.
It is unarmed, though it retains a rotating cupola with all-around vision
blocks. I have not been able to
find enough solid information on the 4x4 version, so it will not be presented
here until I find some.
Twilight 2000
Notes: the Lazar is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Lazar BVT (Cupola) |
$86,274 |
D, A |
1.5
tons |
16.3
tons |
3+10 |
6 |
Thermal Imaging (D, C) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT (Cupola) w/Appliqué |
$90,894 |
D, A |
770
kg |
28
tons |
3+10 |
16 |
Thermal Imaging (D, C) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT (Turret 1) |
$144,751 |
D, A |
1.5
tons |
16.5
tons |
3+10 |
6 |
Thermal Imaging (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT (Turret 1) w/Appliqué |
$149,971 |
D, A |
770
kg |
28.2
tons |
3+10 |
16 |
Thermal Imaging (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT (Turret 2) |
$147,787 |
D, A |
900
kg |
16.6
tons |
3+10 |
8 |
Thermal Imaging (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT (Turret 2) w/Appliqué |
$153,007 |
D, A |
670
kg |
28.3
tons |
3+10 |
18 |
Thermal Imaging (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT (Turret 3) |
$154,036 |
D, A |
900
kg |
16.7
tons |
3+10 |
8 |
Thermal Imaging (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT (Turret 3) w/Appliqué |
$159,256 |
D, A |
670
kg |
28.4
tons |
3+10 |
18 |
Thermal Imaging (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT (Turret 4) |
$152,385 |
D, A |
900
kg |
16.7
tons |
3+10 |
8 |
Thermal Imaging (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT (Turret 4) w/Appliqué |
$157,605 |
D, A |
670
kg |
28.4
tons |
3+10 |
18 |
Thermal Imaging (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT Ambulance |
$99,216 |
D, A |
450
kg |
16.6
tons |
*** |
9 |
Thermal Imaging (D, C) |
Enclosed |
Lazar BVT Ambulance w/Appliqué |
$103,836 |
D, A |
335
kg |
28.3
tons |
*** |
19 |
Thermal Imaging (D, C) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Lazar BVT (Cupola) |
168/105 |
48/24 |
400 |
234 |
Stnd |
W(8) |
HF11Ne HS8Ne
HR 6* |
Lazar BVT (Cupola) w/Appliqué |
97/61 |
28/14 |
400 |
400 |
Stnd |
W(8) |
HF19Cp HS13Cp
HR 10** |
Lazar BVT (Turret 1) |
166/104 |
48/24 |
400 |
236 |
CiH |
W(8) |
TF5Sp TS5Sp
TR3 HF11Ne
HS8Ne HR 6* |
Lazar BVT (Turret 1) w/Appliqué |
97/61 |
28/14 |
400 |
405 |
CiH |
W(8) |
TF6Sp TS6Sp
TR3 HF19Cp
HS13Cp HR 10** |
Lazar BVT (Turret 2) |
165/103 |
47/24 |
400 |
239 |
CiH |
W(8) |
TF5Sp TS5Sp
TR3 HF11Ne
HS8Ne HR 6* |
Lazar BVT (Turret 2) w/Appliqué |
97/61 |
28/14 |
400 |
408 |
CiH |
W(8) |
TF6Sp TS6Sp
TR3 HF19Cp
HS13Cp HR 10** |
Lazar BVT (Turret 3/4) |
165/103 |
47/24 |
400 |
239 |
CiH |
W(8) |
TF5Sp TS5Sp
TR3 HF11Ne
HS8Ne HR 6* |
Lazar BVT (Turret 3/4) w/Appliqué |
96/60 |
27/14 |
400 |
408 |
CiH |
W(8) |
TF6Sp TS6Sp
TR3 HF19Cp
HS13Cp HR 10** |
Lazar BVT Ambulance |
165/103 |
47/24 |
400 |
239 |
Stnd |
W(8) |
HF11Ne HS8Ne
HR 6* |
Lazar BVT Ambulance w/Appliqué |
97/61 |
28/14 |
400 |
408 |
Stnd |
W(8) |
HF19Cp HS13Cp
HR 10** |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Lazar BVT (Cupola) |
None |
None |
PKT or AG-17 |
1500x7.62mm or 380x30mm Grenades |
Lazar BVT (Turret 1) |
+2 |
Fair |
NSVT, PKT |
900x12.7mm, 1500x7.62mm |
Lazar BVT (Turret 2) |
+2 |
Fair |
20mm M-55 Autocannon, PKT |
570x20mm, 1500x7.62mm |
Lazar BVT (Turret 3) |
+2 |
Fair |
30mm KCB Autocannon, PKT |
380x30mm, 1500x7.62mm |
Lazar BVT (Turret 4) |
+2 |
Fair |
20mm M-55 Autocannon, AG-17 |
570x20mm, 380x30mm Grenades |
*Roof AV is
4; Floor AV is 6Sp. The “Ne” refers
to NERA armor.
**Roof AV is
5, Floor AV is 7Sp. Hits to the
hull front and hull sides have sort of a “double armor” effect – first the
special protection of composite armor is applied, then the special protection of
NERA is applied.
***See Notes
for Crew and passenger capacity.