BMP-23
| BMP-23 | |
|---|---|
BMP-23 during Combined Resolve XIII maneuver on February 1, 2020 |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 3 (driver, commander, gunner) + 7 infantrymen |
| length | 7.285 m |
| width | 2.85 m |
| height | 2.53 m |
| Dimensions | 15.2 tons (combat weight) |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 3–20 mm armor steel |
| Main armament | 1 × 23-mm automatic cannon (2A14) and in later versions
with 9K111 Fagot - and 9K113 bankruptcy - anti-tank missile |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 7.62 mm PKT - machine gun (coaxial) |
| agility | |
| drive | JaMZ-238N diesel engine 315 HP (232 kW) |
| suspension | Torsion bar |
| Top speed | 61.5 km / h (road), 28–30 km / h (terrain), 4.5 km / h (water) |
| Power / weight | |
| Range | 600 km (road) |
The BMP-23 (Bulgarian: БМП-23 ) is a buoyant armored personnel carrier from a Bulgarian development. The abbreviation BMP-23 stands in Bulgarian for бойна машина на пехотата-23 , which means "combat vehicle of infantry 23" and numerically indicates the caliber of the main weapon.
Development history
In the mid-1970s, the People's Republic of Bulgaria acquired the license from the Soviet Union to manufacture the 122 mm 2S1 Gwosdika 122 mm self-propelled gun , which was based on the MT-LB troop transporter. On this basis, the Bulgarian state company Terem developed various types of military vehicles, including the BMP-23 and BMP-30 armored personnel carriers . The BMP-23 armored personnel carrier was first presented to the public at a military parade in 1984 and was fully introduced into the Bulgarian army by 1985 . As part of the " coalition of the willing ", a Bulgarian contingent was sent to Iraq , which used the BMP-23 as an armored personnel carrier. Documented exports are not known.
Technology and armament
Like the 2S1 self-propelled gun, the chassis of the BMP-23 has seven wheels on each side, while the original MT-LB multi-purpose armored car is shorter and only has six wheels. In addition, the more powerful was JAMS 238 - diesel engine installed, which the Russian engine manufacturer Jamz was delivered. The turret of the armored personnel carrier is a purely Bulgarian development. Armed of this is with a 23 mm automatic cannon of the type 2A14 and a 7.62-mm PKT - machine gun , which is mounted coaxially with the main weapon. The 23mm gun was originally designed as an anti-aircraft gun for the SU-23 . The cadence is virtually 400 rounds per minute with an effective firing range of 2,500 meters against aerial targets and 2,000 meters against ground targets. Later versions were additionally equipped with the Soviet anti-tank guided weapons of the types 9K111 Fagot and 9K113 Konkurs to enable fighting tanks . The tank can float without preparation, only the surge board at the bow has to be folded down to cross a water hazard. The crew consists of three men. The driver sits in the front left next to the drive unit, the commander and the gunner in the turret. The seven-man rifle group board the vehicle through two outward-opening rear doors and sit back to back across the direction of travel in the rear area of the BMP-23. The soldiers can intervene in the battle with their firearms through shooting hatches.
variants
- BMP-23A : Improved version of the BMP-23 with three smoke throw cups , which are attached to the tower on the left and right. Additional armament with anti-tank missiles.
- BRM-23 : Reconnaissance tank version with additional observation equipment and a total of five men.
- BMP-30 : Successor to the BMP-23 with heavy armament.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Българското БМП - 23 (Bulgarian)
- ↑ novinite.com: US Analyst Expects Bulgaria to Renew Production of BMP Armored Vehicles (English)
- ↑ Russell Phillips: Weapons and Equipment of the Warsaw Pact, Volume 1. Shilka Publishing, 2018, 317 pages.
- ↑ a b c army-guide.com: BMP-23 (English)
- ↑ Antiaircraft Artillery Systems - gulflink.health.mil (English)
