BMP-23

History

The BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) proved the success of the Soviet Army when it was introduced in 1966. He is employed by various national powers from South America and Africa to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

So when all variants are considered, the production of this product is in the tens of thousands.

Bulgaria was one of the many global customers that received the BMP-1, and in this practical context it went on to develop a new indigenous infantry fighting vehicle, the "BMP-23" - with the same relative form and Battlefield functionality is the same as its Soviet predecessor, modified to meet local requirements. The chassis and hull of the BMP-23 were borrowed from the 2S1 "Gvozdika" self-propelled gun (SPG) (detailed elsewhere on this page), allowing more interior space for troop transport.

The end result was a useful 15.2 ton vehicle measuring 7.28 meters long, 3 meters wide and 2.5 meters high. Inside, it is operated by a crew of three and has room for another seven elements ready for battle. A 2A14 series 23mm automatic cannon mounted in a turret mounted on top of the flat hull with combined capability to fire 9K111 Anti-Tank Missiles (ATGM) (original model fired (9K11 "Malyutka" series missiles) Secondary armament is 7 62mm PKT machine guns Coaxially mounted armor is steel (cast) to prevent large caliber small arms fire and artillery jets The chassis includes seven road wheels on one side of the hull, driving sprockets off the track at idle behind the front wheels. The vehicle is powered by a YaMZ-238N Turbocharged diesel engine provides 315 hp.

Road speed reaches 62 km/h and range is up to 600 km. Note the inherent amphibious mass.

The BMP-23 was unveiled at a military parade in 1984 (before the end of the Cold War, 1991), and it is believed that about (or less) 100 have been built since then. The series was in service with the Bulgarian Army in Iraq after the events of September 11, 2001.

Variants include the BMP-23D, which introduced 9K111 missile support, and the BMP-30, which featured the BMP's full turret. 2 IFV lines.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Performance

Armor

600 x 23mm bullets

1,000 x 7.62mm ammo

6 x Smoke Grenade

Changes