Weight 13 tonnes, 300 HP diesel engine, fuel consumption 3 gall per mile. Dates from the late 1990’s
Max speed on road 40 MPH, off road 28MPH.
This is a fully refurbished working example (Excluding Armaments) from Czechoslovakian Reserve Stock.
Based on the Russian BNP Design, 18,000 were produced in Czechoslovakia between 1966 and 1982.
The OBSC weapons convention of 1983 required the Czechoslovakian BNP machines to be surrendered if their shell firing capability was not removed. Machine gun turrets were fitted as an alternative. Whilst carrying out this conversion, a full overall was undertaken, including new engine, transmission etc. the cost was in excess of 200,000 euros per vehicle. The units were renamed OT90.
After the 1990’s Balkan conflict military hardware stocks had to reflect a reduction in troops from 250,000 to 40,000. Much of the equipment was warehoused, only to be sold off as surplus over the next 20 years, not having fired a shot in anger.
Sourced from Richard Moore, Russian Military, March, Cambridgeshire, November 2011.
