According to Radio Television of Serbia Dozvolite, Serbian Army plans to modernize its fleet of BVP-M80A tracked armored infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) that enters in service with the Serbian Army in 1982. The BVP M-80AB1 is a backbone of the Mechanized Infantry Units of the Serbian Armed Forces, and its modernization is a priority for the Military Technical Institute’s development along with the Serbian Defense Industry. One of the basic requirements for modernization is to significantly increase the level of ballistic protection of this device and to increase the firepower. In order to increase the ballistic protection of the armored body, a complete reorganization of the interior space and elements for the accommodation of the crew of the vehicle was carried out and to compensate for the increase in the vehicle mass, the engine power was increased.
The roof of the turret on the BVP M-80AB1 armored infantry fighting vehicle is a brand new structure, with significantly higher levels of ballistic protection, more powerful weapons, 30 mm cannon, 30 mm automatic missile launcher, 2T5 radio guided missile family and wire guided modernized 2F and 2T Malyutka anti-tank guided missiles. The 2T5 features a semi-automatic command-to-line of sight (SACLOS) guidance system and has a maximum range of up to 5,000 m at a maximum velocity of 200 m/s. The previous version of the BVP M-80 is armed with a Hispano-Suiza HS.804 20mm automatic cannon that has an effective range of about 1500 meters and a twin launcher for the Yugoslav-built Sagger ATGM Anti-Tank Guided Missile.
The turret is also fitted with new gun control equipment and the new day/night optronics package can detect targets out to a range of 2,000 m under most weather conditions. Two 82 mm electrically operated smoke grenade launchers are mounted on either side of the turret but at present these are not linked to any laser detectors to provide a baseline defensive aids system. The turret is located in the middle of the hull with the troop compartment extending to the rear. A new passive applique armour package has been fitted to the hull and turret effective against 30 mm armour-piercing (AP) projectiles over the frontal arc, 14.5 mm AP projectiles over the sides, and 7.62 mm AP projectiles to the rear.
The BVP M-80 is a tracked Yugoslavian-made infantry fighting vehicle, produced from the 1980s until the country’s collapse in the 1990s. At the time it was produced, M-80A had similar characteristics with existing IFVs like Russian BMP-1 or French AMX 10P. Unlike the Russian BMP-1 which had 6 support wheels and was armed with 73 mm gun, M-80A had 5 support 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. . Around 1000 vehicles were produced before the breakup of the country.
