Kyiv Armoured Plant, a subsidiary of state-owned Ukroboronprom, has delivered nine BTR-80 APCs to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) following repairs.
The repairs also included upgrades to their communication and navigation systems as well as new 29-inch (74cm) tyres.
Igor Fomenko, deputy director general for production at Ukroboronprom, said: ‘The company was supposed to finish the contract last fall [2019], but due to delays in financing state guarantees and additional work that was revealed [to show the] deep defect, the work was delayed.’
The BTR-80 is an 8x8 amphibious APC which was developed in the Soviet era, although first deliveries were not made until 1995. The vehicle included new side doors which made it easier for infantry troops to embark and disembark quickly. The side doors had not been included in the earlier BTR-60 and BTR-70 models.
The One-Way Effector (OWE) is a ground-launched missile or drome designed to act as a swarm to overwhelm air defence systems. It was displayed for the first time in Paris this week.
The new artillery and howitzer factory pre-dates the emphasis on this capability from this month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The first joint industry-government meeting outlined in the review took place this week.
Romania received its first Cobra MkII 4×4 light tactical armoured vehicles, ordered Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and VAMTAC light vehicles, and is set to invest billions-of-dollars in infantry fighting vehicles.
The Italian Army operates Pumas in 6×6 and 4×4 configurations but the platforms are ageing and numbers have fallen with obsolescence also being an issue. Any replacement is likely to have a focus on the involvement of local industry.
The VAMTAC (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico or High Mobility Tactical Vehicle) 4×4 by Urovesa is in service with or has been ordered by eight countries, the most recent being Spain this month and Romania last month.
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile with the solid rocket motor (SRM) provided by Northrop Grumman. The company is working to boost its SRM production capability.
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