Engineering:BVP M-80

Short description: Yugoslav infantry fighting vehicle

BVP M-80 infantry fighting vehicle
Serbian M-80A
Type	Infantry fighting vehicle
Place of origin	Yugoslavia
Service history
In service	1979–present
Wars	Yugoslav Wars Russo-Ukrainian War Russian invasion of Ukraine
Production history
Designer	Military Technical Institute
Designed	1971
Specifications
Mass	13,850 kg
Length	6.42 meters
Width	2.90 meters
Height	2.20 meters
Crew	3+7
Armour	Aluminum/Aluminum oxide/Titanium boride
Main armament	20 mm M-55 cannon 2 Missiles/ATGM launcher
Secondary armament	coaxial 7.62 machine-gun 2,000 rounds
Engine	Daimler Benz OM-403 320 hp
Power/weight	22.6 hp/ton
Suspension	torsion bar
Operational range	500 km
Speed	65 km/h on land 8 km/h in water

The BVP M-80 (Serbo-Croatian: Borbeno vozilo pešadije М-80), is a tracked Yugoslav-made infantry fighting vehicle, produced from the 1980s until the country's collapse in the 1990s.

Development

Early research and development of the M-80 began in 1969, with testing of the first completed prototype in 1974. It was first presented publicly in 1975. First examples of the BVP M-80 rolled out in 1979 but full entry to service with Yugoslav People's Army was in 1982.

The first production variant was the M-80 which was only made in small numbers. The vehicle used a French-built engine with an output of 260 hp, the same engine as used in AMX-10P. After only a year, Yugoslavia started license production of Daimler-Benz's 315 hp engine in domestic FAMOS factories. This variant received a new designation as M-80A. Around 1000 vehicles were produced before the breakup of the country.

At the time it was produced, M-80A had similar characteristics with existing IFVs like Russian BMP-1 or French AMX 10P. Although many foreign experts compare M-80A with Russian BMP-1, the Yugoslav IFV is a true original design. Unlike the BMP-1 which had 6 road wheels and was armed with 73 mm gun, M-80A had 5 road wheels and had 20 mm gun. M-80A incorporates numerous elements from the French AMX-10P giving it more power and better protection over its counterpart. All M-80s are amphibious and are equipped with twin AT-3 launchers.

It was used extensively during the Yugoslav Wars.

Characteristics

The M-80A is armed with one 20 mm gun, co-axial machine gun 7.62 mm and twin launcher for wire-guided anti-tank missiles. It is NBC protected, fire suppression system, inside heating and water ejecting system. It is fully amphibious and can perform crossing of any water barrier without previous preparations. Max. speed at water is 7 km/h. Crew consist of three, driver, commander and gun operator and in the after compartment, there is space for six fully equipped infantrymen who can engage the enemy with personal armament through six gun slits on both vehicle sides and back doors and one squad leader who commands infantry upon exiting the vehicle. Infantry leaves IFV through two doors at the back of the vehicle.

The standard versions (BVP M-80 and M-80A) mounted a Hispano-Suiza HS.804 20mm autocannon that has an effective range of about 1500 meters and, depending on ammunition type, is able to penetrate around 20mm of RHAe (Rolled Homogeneous Armour equivalency).

In 1978 the technical-military council of Yugoslav People's Army decided that a larger caliber gun would be necessary to counter the increasingly heavy armor of possible enemy armored fighting vehicles and began development of a new turret to house the larger weapon. This requirement led to the development of the Zastava 30mm autocannon M86 in 1985 and a new turret "Vidra" – later designated: M91. In addition to the new gyro stabilized 30mm auto-cannon, the new turret was equipped with smoke grenade launchers, improved day/night sights, and the ability to fire SACLOS 9M14 Malyutka ATGMs. The turret is rotated by servo-hydraulics and the main gun is elevated and depressed by electric motor.

Incremental improvements were made to the design of the Vidra turret throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. These improvements would eventually be standardized and incorporated into a thoroughly updated turret and designated M91E. Besides being able to mount the original M86 30mm autocannon, the M91E-I and MM91E-II turrets able to accommodate the dual feed Zastava M89 30mm autocannon.

Development is ongoing on a further modernized turret incorporating more effective ATGM armament. Besides BVP M-80 versions, the Vidra turret is offered for modernization or production with other vehicles such as BTR-50.

Variants

Croatian BVP M-80A

Serbian BVP M-80AB1

• M-80 – first production model with 260 hp engine, replaced after one year.
• M-80A – improved version with 320 hp engine; serial production.
• M-80A/98 – improved version of M-80A1 with new turret "Vidra" first designated as M-96 later changed to M80A/98, officially unveiled in 2004; prototype only.
• M-80A KC – company commander's vehicle.
• M-80A KB – battalion commander's vehicle.
• M-80A VK - commander's vehicle, no turret.
• M-80A Sn – medical vehicle carrying 4 stretcher patients or 8 seated patients; no turret and with single oblong hatch in the roof and single rear door
• M-80A LT – tank destroyer with six AT-3 launchers.
• Sava M-90 – SA-13 (designated Strela-10MJ) surface-to-air-missile launcher, prototype only.
• MOS – self-propelled mine layer.
• M-80AK/M-98A – equipped with turret with 30 mm M86 cannon or 30 mm dual feed M89 cannon.
• SPAT 30/2 – self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. New turret model called "Foka" with two Zastava 30 mm autocannons with elevation from -5 to +85 degrees. The aim-scan gear is J-171 or Motorola 6800. Included receiver of radar data gathered from external observations radar. Three crew members and four soldiers could be transported. Planned as successor of M-53/59 Praga – 4 models produced.
• M-80AB1 – modernized variant with more advanced armour, turret gun control equipment, optronics package, smoke grenade launchers and the ability to mount and launch upgraded 9M14 Malyutka missiles. Entered in service with Serbian Army in 2024.

Operators

Map of M-80 operators in blue with former operators in red

Current operators

• Croatia – 70 BVP M80A, to be replaced by M2 Bradley by 2025–2026.
• Serbia – 296 BVP M-80A and 29 BVP М-80АB1; plans to upgrade 220 vehicles to BVP М-80АB1 standard.
• Ukraine – 68 BVP M80A; 38 donated by Slovenia in 2024; 30 donated by Croatia in 2024 in a swap deal with Germany.

Former operators

• Yugoslavia – Passed on to successor states.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina – 30+ in 1998
• North Macedonia – 2 in 1998
• Slovenia – 62 in 1998, 52 in 2002, 35 vehicles were donated in 2022 and 3 in 2023 as donation to Ukraine.
• Serbia and Montenegro – 568 in 1998.

Gallery

• 
  BVP M80 SPAT 30/2 with Foka turret
• 
  BVP M80A1 with Vidra turret
• 
  Sava M-90 with Strela 10 launcher
• 
  Ukrainian BVP M-80A of the 24th Mechanized Brigade
• 
  Interior of the BVP M-80A

References

• Foss, Christopher F. (2000). Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide. Harper Collins Publishers. 
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2016). The Military Balance 2016. 116. Routlegde. ISBN 9781857438352. 
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (14 February 2022) (in en). The Military Balance 2022. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-62003-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=vOFeEAAAQBAJ.