BOV (APC)

The BOV (Borbeno Oklopno Vozilo), literally "Combat Armored Vehicle", is an all-wheel drive armoured vehicle manufactured in the former Yugoslavia and today in Serbia.^[2]

Description

The BOV has a capacity of 10, including a driver, gunner and eight infantrymen.^[1] The vehicle has a four-wheel drive and is powered by the Deutz type F 6L 413 F six-cylinder diesel engine developing 150 hp (110 kW) at 2650 rpm.^[1]

Service history

The BOV was used for internal security and military duties. It was most commonly used by territorial defence units, in several variants equipped with machine guns, water cannons, smoke and tear gas dispensers for crowd control and riots.

BOV has a long combat use on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. At the beginning of the first riots in Slovenia and Croatia military police units of the JNA often used BOVs that have mainly served to protect convoys of the JNA. Also many airplanes were shot down over Croatia by self-propelled guns PSC BOV -3. In Bosnia various modifications such as setting NRZ launchers and machine guns to mount stronger dome. Many BOV armored vehicles were lost mainly due to their weak armor protection. BOVs have also been massively used during the Kosovo conflict by the Army of Yugoslavia and the MUP of Serbia. In combination with T-55 tanks, M-80 infantry fighting vehicles and supported by infantry, mainly the AA version BOV-3 was used to clear villages of members of the KLA .

Today, the BOVs in the Serbian Army are used by the Military Police (BOV M-86), in army mechanized armor battalions (BOV M-83) and in a reserve artillery rocket battalion PVO (BOV-3). BOVs are also used by special forces of the MUP Serbia, Republika Srpska, Croatia and BiH Federation. The Slovenian and Croatian armies used the BOV during peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan.

Variants

• BOV-1 - anti-tank vehicle armed with 6x AT-3 missiles. Also known as POLO (protivoklopno lansirno orudje) M-83.^[3]
• BOV-3 - air-defence version with triple M55A4B1 20mm cannon and 1,500 rounds.
• BOV-30 - prototype air-defence vehicle with twin mounted 30mm guns.
• BOV-M - armoured personnel carrier for the Milicija. This version is armed with smoke-grenade launchers and a 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun.
• BOV-SN - ambulance version.
• BOV-VP - armoured personnel carrier for the military police. Also known as M-86.

New developed

• BOV M10 - armored vehicle for artillery systems command and control.
• BOV M11 - armored reconnaissance vehicle.
• BOV M15 - armoured personnel carrier for the military police based on BOV-VP with new engine, transmission, run-flat tires, RCWS and better armour protection.^[4]
• HS M09 BOV-3 - hybrid air-defense system based on BOV-3 with 8 x Strela 2 SAM's mounted on turret.
• MRČKB BOV-3 - mobile radio communication for battalion commander integrated in to BOV-3 vehicle.

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  BOV-1 anti-tank vehicle.

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  BOV-3 anti-aircraft vehicle.

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  BOV-M riot control vehicle.

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  BOV-SN armored vehicle.

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  BOV-VP armoured personnel carrier.

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  BOV M10 for artillery systems command and control.

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  BOV M11

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  MRČKB BOV-3

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  HS M09 BOV-3

Operators

Map of BOV operators in blue with former operators in red

Current operators

•  Bosnia and Herzegovina - 42 BOV-VP and 39 BOV-3
•  Croatia - 44 BOV-3, 37 BOV-1 and 54 BOV-VP, 36 BOV-M are used by the Police. Two dozen BOV-3 and BOV-1 presented on the military parade held in Zagreb in 2015. To be replaced in the upcoming years by recently received MRAP vehicles.
•  Montenegro - BOV-VP (In service)
•  Serbia - 74 BOV-VP, 86 BOV-1 and 73 BOV-3, 12+ BOV M11, MRČKB 4+ BOV M15 12+
•  Slovenia - 12 BOV-3 (In reserve), 16 BOV-VP and 28 BOV-M

Former operators

•  Yugoslavia - Passed on to successor states

See also

• Armoured personnel carrier
• Lists of armoured fighting vehicles

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to BOV (APC).