APC, IFV and other light armoured vehicles

[PN79]

Reconnaissance vehicles in Czechoslovak army:

BRDM-1
- delivered from the USSR in 1961
- disappeared from service in 1970s

OT-65
- produced in Hungary, modified for Czechoslovak army
- two sub variants were OT-65R and OT-65M (minor improvements to chassis)
- in service from 1965/1966 to 1990s (in recon units however replaced by OT-65A by 1970s)

OT-65A
- modernization of OT-65
- equipped with turret from OT-62 armed with 7.62mm UK-59T and 82mm T-21 (cannot be fired while buttoned)
- in service probably from 1967 to 1990s

There were further variants for chemical warfare, artillery observation, command vehicles, etc. There was also variant equipped with GSR (PSNR-1) OT-65RL.

BPzV Svatava
- in service from 1988 and replacing OT-65 vehicles in divisional and regimental reconnaissance units

BRM-1K
- in service from 1987
- Soviet produced
- 15 delivered and used as command vehicles in reconnaissance companies (but this is unclear)

Czechoslovak army had also BRDM-2rch for chemical recon.

[nikolas93TS]

Interesting, I was not aware of OT-65RL. Currently we don’t have GSRs, but they will be introduced eventually. Do you have some more data about this vehicle?

I guess there is no much need for introducing BRDM-1, as it is pretty much identical to FUG in functionality.

Also, I have done already some preliminary research on CZ data sheet on my own, so you can check that if you haven’t already.

[PN79]

OT-65RL was unarmed and just equipped with PSNR-1. Divisional recon battalions had at some point radiotechnical recon company with various GSRs, radio locators, etc.

I have some data for recon unit organization before BRM-1K and BPzV. New heavy recon companies (one directly under regiment HQ and two in divisional recon battalion) had just BPzV and BVP-1 or later BVP-2 (probably later than 1991). Unfortunately I don't have TOE of new recon company.

I am looking at the changes in the sheet. I have still same remarks to it like minor one that some T-54AM could be still found here in 1991. Some more needs to be said about OT-64 variant designation (military vs factory), soviet produced BMP-2 were available earlier (they can be seen in CS military parade in 1985 in youtube. RM-70 doesn't have to be on map unit as only RM-51 was deployed in motorized rifle battalions and in some regimental artillery battalions. Missing here is AT-4 Spigot. SA-7A (basic Strela-2) should not be in game as it was not in service just evaluation at best. With aircrafts I will add here now that MiG-15 was used so long because it was modified to attack plane in fighter-bomber regiments. So when I have time I will continue with this. May be someone will add something that I am missing or I have incomplete info or I will just remind myself what I have forget already.

[PN79]

APCs and IFVs:

OT-810
- in service from 1959/60
- gradually transferred to reserve and to different tasks from carrying infantry squad
- withdrawn completely in 1990s

BTR-50PK
- delivered from the USSR
- in service from 1959
- disappeared in 1970s

OT-62
- in service from 1962/63
- this is combat variant with turret with 7.62mm UK-59T and 82mm T-21 (cannot be fired while buttoned)
- later variant OT-62A was without turret and was used as support vehicle (i.e. it was not used for infantry squad transport)
- scrapped in 1990s, support variants probably stayed longer

OT-64
- in service from 1964
- this is variant without turret, military designation is just OT-64 but factory is SKOT A which is often written as OT-64 A
- it was relegated to other duties once turreted variant become available
- there were other support variants like command, technical, medical
- in service till 2000s

OT-64A
- this is correct military designation for turreted variant while factory designation is SKOT 2A
- in service from 1967
- used only for infantry squad transport
- withdrawn in 1990s

OT-90
- in service from 1990
- based on BVP-1 with turret from OT-64A
- the reason for this was CFE treaty which set max limits of armaments this way: maximum of APCs, IFVs and HACVs together: 2050, from that however the IFVs could be max 1430 and from that HACVs max 103. SD-100 which belonged to HACVs category were to be scrapped but there were still more than 2000 BVP-1 alone not counting other vehicles. So it was decided to scrap OT-64A (and also OT-62) and make new OT-90 which can be in APC category while BVP-2, BPzV, BRM-1K and rest of BVP-1 were in IFV category.

BVP-1
- small number in service from 1972, large deliveries from 1974
- in service till 2000s
- battalion command version is BVP-1K, there was also medical variant

BVP-2
- 30 delivered from the USSR in 1983
- domestic production from 1987

MT-LB
- few basic MT-LB were delivered for drivers training for units with vehicles based on this APC

There was also PU-12 vehicle (mobile air defence command post based on BTR-60).

[PN79]

Regarding ammunition for BVP-1, there was only PG-15V available for its 73mm gun. There weren't HE rounds or more advanced HEAT rounds.

The ATGMs in BVP-1 and BPzV were 9M14M. BVP-2 carries 9M113.

[nikolas93TS]

Thanks a lot, the spreadsheet has been updated. I think this pretty much completes the vehicles?

[PN79]

Yes. There can be found some extra support variants but for the game this is complete.