Tag Archives: bvp

Cold War to Battle for Ukraine: Slovak BMP (BVP) & OT-90

Cold War: Approximately 1947 (due to U.S. President Harry Truman’s Truman Doctrine) to 1991 (Operation Desert Storm, collapse of Soviet Union).

A Indiana Army National Guard soldier gets a lesson on how the BVP works, 15SEP2015. Indiana Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Daniel Dyer.

Slovak BVP (BMP) based ambulance. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Micah VanDyke, 12OCT2016.

During the ‘Cold War’, Czech-o-Slovakia was one country created by the victors of World War Two by forcing Slovakia and Czech Republic together (just as they did after World War One).  Czech-o-Slovakia became a member of the Warsaw Pact in response to the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Slovak BVP-1 (BMP-1). U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Micah VanDyke, 12OCT2016.

Slovak BVP-1 during a NATO CBRN exercise near Lešť, 20MAR2017. U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Justin Geiger.

In the Czech-o-Slovak language the BMP became Bojové Vozidlo Pěchoty (BVP), which means basically the same thing as the Russian BMP; Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV).  Like most users of the BMP/BVP, Czech-o-Slovakia made many different versions, including their unique OT-90.

Slovak OT-90 crew launches an S2M anti-aircraft missile, October 2013. Photo via Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic.

According to the current Ministry of Defense of Czech Republic (aka Chechia), the OT-90 was developed to carry a squad of infantry equipped with anti-aircraft weapons.

The man/woman portable S2M missile. Photo via Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic, October 2013.

The large turret of the BMP/BVP was replaced with a smaller turret (same used on the Czech-o-Slovak designed OT-64 armored car), to make room for the specialized anti-aircraft weapons.

S2M launch from OT-90. Photo via Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic, October 2013.

After the so-called Cold War ended, Czech Republic and Slovakia went their separate ways, and since there was no more Soviet-Warsaw Pact, they both joined NATO (NATO felt it necessary to remain in existence, even though its stated enemy the Soviet Union no longer existed). Today’s NATO-Czechia replaced their OT-90s with NATO-United Kingdom designed Land Rover vehicles. NATO-Slovakia still uses the OT-90.

Battle for Ukraine: February 2014 (NATO backed coup) to present.

U.S. Army video (by Sergeant Alan Brutus) of Slovak BVP-2 live-fire, during wargame Dragoon Crossing, 16SEP2015:

More live-fire video (by Christoph Koppers), 16SEP2015:

NATO video of rail off-load of Slovak BVP-2s and OT-90s, in NATO-Latvia, 13APR2017:

NATO video of Slovak BVP-1s and OT-90s, assigned to a newly formed ‘anti-Russia’ NATO Battle Group, 21SEP2022:

On 29NOV2022, the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic announced that 30 BVP-1s had been sent to Ukraine. Officially it is part of a NATO weapons deal, in which Slovakia would get 15 upgraded Leopard 2A4 battle tanks from Germany.

Cold War to Battle for Ukraine: NATO-ROMÂNIA GARDIENII CERULUI GEPARD

H-A-W-K, HOMING ALL-THE WAY KILLER

NATO Vehicle I-D: BMP AMBULANCE, ROMÂNIA STYLE

Vehicle I-D: GEORGIAN T-72 & BMP