BOV 8x8 Patria

BOV 8×8 Patria
BOV 8×8 Patria on IDET 2019 exhibition.
TypeInfantry fighting vehicle
Place of origin Finland
Slovakia
Service history
Used by Slovakia
Production history
Developed fromPatria AMV
Unit cost4,7 million €
Specifications
Mass28,000 kg (62,000 lb)
Length8.2 m (27 ft)
Width3.0 m (9.8 ft)
Height3.7 m (12 ft)
Crew3 (commander, driver, gunner)
7 passengers
Main
armament
1 x 30×173mm GTS-30/N Autocannon
Secondary
armament
1 x 7.62×51mm NATO FN MAG coaxial general purpose machinegun
EngineDI 12 Scania diesel
360 kW (480 hp) or 450 kW (600 hp)
Power/weight16.07 kW/t (21.85 PS/t) (max weight)
Suspension8×8
Operational
range
700 km (430 mi)
Maximum speedover 100 km/h (60 mph) on land
up to 8 km/h (5.0 mph) in water
TURRA 30 turret mounted on a BMP-1

The BOV 8×8 Patria (Slovak: Bojové Obrnené Vozidlo 8×8 Patria, lit. 'Patria 8×8 Armoured fighting vehicle') is an 8×8 multi-role military vehicle produced by Patria, Konštrukta – Defence, in Dubnica nad Váhom in cooperation with DMD Group and ZTS Špeciál. The vehicle is a licensed variant of the Finnish Patria AMVXP.

History

The Slovak Ministry of Defence already wanted to buy 8×8 vehicles in 2015. The first 8×8 vehicle was meant to be based on the KTO Rosomak, and not on the original Patria AMV platform. The vehicle was designed by the Polish Armaments Group and Slovak company ZTS Špeciál, under the name Scipio. Slovakia wanted to buy around 30 of these vehicles, but due to financial reasons the project was cancelled.[1][2]

Then again in 2017, the government started a procurement of an 8×8 platform, which is till today is known as one of the least transparent procurements in Slovak history.[3] The vehicle carried the name BOV 8×8 Vydra.[4][5] However, after the elections, the new Minister of Defence Jaroslav Naď completely rejected the procurement of the BOV Vydra in 2019. Then in 2022, the Ministry of Defence under Jaroslav Naď started a tendre in which the Patria AMVXP won. The BOV Patria has many similarities with its predecessor but, the main difference being the greater protection due to the improved armor. Additionally, a NATO compatible caliber cannon and also the fact that the old Vydra was based on Patria AMV while the BOV Patria is based on the newer Patria AMVXP are some other differences between the two.[6][7]

Orders and Service

In August 2022, the Slovak Minister of Defence Jaroslav Naď signed a contract to buy 76 Patria AMVXP vehicles, that are being partly manufactured in Slovakia. Main competitors of the Patria AMVXP were the Pandur II and Mowag Piranha V. In the original order, Slovakia bought 60 infantry fighting vehicles, 10 ambulance vehicles and 6 command and control vehicles.[8] All vehicles are to be delivered between 2025 and 2027.

The BOV 8×8 Patria will replace outdated Soviet era BMP-1s and OT-90s that serve in the 2nd Mechanized Brigade of the Slovak Ground Forces.[9]

Armament

The BOV 8×8 Patria is armed with a Slovak derivative of the Shipunov 2A42 named GTS-30/N which can fire standard NATO 30×173mm caliber coupled with 7.62×51mm NATO FN MAG machine gun and Spike LR missiles .[10][11]

The cannon and machine gun is installed in the Slovak-made TURRA 30 turret. It uses advanced fire-control systems with thermal sights and an 81mm GALIX or TUČA smoke grenade launcher.[12]

Variants

  • BOV 8×8 - Standard infantry fighting vehicle variant that uses a 30 mm caliber cannon and can carry up to seven people.
  • BOV 8×8 V - Command and control post version of BOV Patria vehicle, with more advanced communication equipment and less space for carrying troops.[7]
  • BOV 8×8 AMBS - Armoured ambulance version with medical equipment. The vehicle comes without the turret and machine gun.[9]

Future of the vehicle

In the long-term development plans, the Slovak Armed Forces plan to procure up to 500 8×8 vehicles. The procurement is divided into five phases. These phases will be implemented gradually between 2022 and 2035.

The first phase has already been implemented. After the completion of every phase, the Slovak Armed Forces should have around 20 variants of the BOV 8×8 Patria in service.[13][14][15]

Table of all phases with vehicle variants

Phase Vehicle name Vehicle type Number of vehicles In sun
First phase BOV 8×8 Infantry fighting vehicle 60 76[13]
BOV 8×8 V Command and control 6
BOV 8×8 AMBS Armoured ambulance 10
Second phase BOV 8×8 ER Electromagnetic disturbance 9 92[13]
BOV 8×8 EPZ Electronic reconnaissance 24
BOV 8×8 EB Electromagnetic warfare 3
BOV 8×8 PVO Anti-aircraft warfare 56
Third phase BOV 8×8 Infantry fighting vehicle 17 97[13]
BOV 8×8 P Reconnaissance 6
BOV 8×8 V Command and control 9
BOV 8×8 ShM 120 Self-propelled mortar 36
BOV 8×8 AMBS Armoured ambulance 29
Fourth phase BOV 8×8 ŠMV Armoured personnel carrier 81 93[13]
BOV 8×8 AMP Anti-materiel rifleman squad 3
BOV 8×8 GM Grenadier squad 9
Fifth phase BOV 8×8 VOV Armoured recovery vehicle 13 142[13]
BOV 8×8 DTP Technical help plant 11
BOV 8×8 RCHBO CBRN defense 4
BOV 8×8 RCHBO VPP CBRN defense search and help 2
BOV 8×8 Ž Military engineering vehicle 45
BOV 8×8 ŽMV Minelayer 29
BOV 8×8 ŽVO Demining mechanical clearance 29
BOV 8×8 ŽČC Engineering road cleaner 9

Operators

Current operators

 Slovakia (10 in service, 66 more on order)
A total of 76 vehicles were ordered in 2022 across three different variants. The three variants ordered were an, infantry fighting vehicle, an ambulance, and a command and control post variant.

Deliveries

  • The first vehicle, an ambulance variant was delivered in September 2025, with all 10 BOV 8×8 AMBS vehicles being delivered to Slovakia in June 2026.[9] This completed the order and delivery of all BOV 8×8 AMBS vehicles that were ordered in the initial phase.[16]

Technical Data

Armour protection

The basic structure of the vehicle provides protection for every person inside the vehicle according to STANAG 4569 Level 4a/b. (explosion of a 10 kg TNT anti-personnel mine under any wheel or under the floor of the vehicle).[17] The hull of the vehicle is protected according to STANAG 4569 Level 3a/b and the turret is protected according to STANAG 4569 Level 1.[18][19]

Vehicle specifications

Vehicle is about 8.2 meters long, around three meters wide and 3.7 meters high. The maximum combat weight of the vehicle is about 28 tonnes and maximum weight for swimming is 25 tonnes.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Aktuality.sk (2015-07-04). "FOTO: Do slovenskej armády pustia Rosomaky - Scipio 8×8". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  2. ↑ Teraz.sk (2015-07-03). "R.Fico v Poľsku dohodol druhú najväčšiu modernizáciu slovenskej armády". TERAZ.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  3. ↑ a.s, Petit Press. "Výber vozidiel pre armádu nie je transparentný, tvrdia obyčajní". domov.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  4. ↑ Teraz.sk (2017-11-10). "GALKO: Nákup vozidiel pre ministerstvo obrany je pokútny obchod". TERAZ.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  5. ↑ "BOV 8×8 VYDRA – KONŠTRUKTA – Defence" (in Slovak). Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  6. ↑ "Slovensko je o krok bližšie k novým bojovým obrneným vozidlám, ponuku poslalo päť krajín". www.trend.sk (in Slovak). 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  7. 1 2 Aktuality.sk (2021-07-12). "Obrnená Vydra už nemusí byť favorit. Obrana plánuje nakúpiť vyše 700 transportérov". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  8. ↑ "Naď podpísal nákup fínskych transportérov. Slovensko zaplatí Patrii pol miliardy eur". Pravda.sk (in Slovak). 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  9. 1 2 3 "Na Slovensku je prvé zo 76 bojových obrnených vozidiel 8x8 :: Ministerstvo obrany SR". www.mosr.sk (in Slovak). Archived from the original on 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
  10. ↑ Šnídl, Vladimír (2022-08-25). "Nové transportéry chce Naď vyzbrojiť nevyskúšaným kanónom z Považia". Denník E (in Slovak). Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  11. ↑ "GTS-30/N: new Slovak 30mm automatic cannon enters serial production". 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  12. ↑ "Diaľkovo ovládaná veža TURRA30". EVPÚ a.s. - Elektrotechnický výskumný a projektový ústav (in Slovak). Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "ZÁMER PROJEKTU PRE „Obstaranie Bojových obrnených vozidiel 8×8" (BOV 8×8)" (PDF). 2021.
  14. ↑ "ŠTÚDIA USKUTOČNITEĽNOSTI PRE „Obstaranie Bojových obrnených vozidiel 8×8"" (PDF). March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Vláda schválila vyše dvojmiliardový nákup. Rezort obrany tak získa obrnené vozidlá aj pásovú techniku | TVNOVINY.sk". 8 September 2021.
  16. ↑ Aktuality.sk (2026-06-04). "Míľnik v zbrojení dosiahnutý: Fínska spoločnosť Patria dodala Slovensku všetky obrnené sanitky". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  17. 1 2 "legislativne procesy". www.slov-lex.sk.
  18. ↑ "Rosomak and EVPU unveil the Scipio project, a Turra 30 turret fitted on Rosomak armoured vehicle 1905152 | IDET 2015 News Official Online Show Daily Coverage | Defence security military exhibition 2015". Army Recognition. 2015-05-19. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  19. ↑ "Slov-Lex".
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