LOV-1
The LOV-1 (Croatian: Lako Oklopno Vozilo or Light Armoured Vehicle) is a wheeled non-amphibious armoured personnel carrier currently in use with the Croatian army and EULEX.
| BVP LOV-1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | Croatia |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 8,800 kilograms (8.7 long tons) |
| Length | 5.89 metres (19 ft 4 in) |
| Width | 2.36 metres (7 ft 9 in) |
| Height | 2.10 metres (6 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 2 + 8 |
| Armor | 7 - 8 mm steel |
Main armament | 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun 1000 rounds |
| Engine | Torpedo BT6L 912S (diesel) 97 kW (132 hp) |
| Power/weight | 15.0 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
Operational range | 500 kilometres (310 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 85 kilometres per hour (53 mph) on land |
History
During the Croatian War of Independence the Croatian army lacked a proper light armoured personnel carrier. The Croatian Ministry of Defense asked local firms to provide a solution for a light, fast and reliable armoured personnel carrier which could be produced quickly and in large quantities, without the need to import parts from abroad due to a UN arms embargo imposed on Croatia at the time.
Torpedo, a local firm from Rijeka, developed a basic armoured personnel carrier based on the TK-130 T-7 4x4 military truck, itself a licensed-produced and uprated TAM 110 from Slovenian TAM. The Army ordered 50 LOV-1 vehicles in late 1993, with the initial batch being delivered in 1994 and presented to the public on a military parade in May 1995 in Zagreb.
All LOV-1s are currently being replaced by numerous Patria AMV and MRAP vehicles recently acquired. However, several specialized vehicles are still being actively used as of 2015-2016. The remainder, along with other older but operable equipment, are to be kept stored but in operational state for the needs of the 20,000-strong reserve force presently being created. For this, annual check-ups and basic maintenance works are performed regularly with vehicles kept in hangars and under roofed shelters.
Versions
- LOV-OP - basic variant armed with M2 Browning machine gun for transporting up to eight infantrymen
- LOV-Z - unarmed command variant with additional radio equipment, air-conditioning and sound insulation
- LOV-IZV - reconnaissance and scout vehicle armed with a 20mm RT-20 heavy sniper rifle and a light 8-round 60mm MLRS called Obad (Horse-fly)
- LOV-ABK - NBC warfare vehicle
- LOV-RAK 24/128 mm - equipped with a 24-tube 128mm MLRS, only 2 prototypes built
- LOV-UP1 - artillery observation vehicle for directing artillery fire and spotting enemy artillery positions equipped with GPS, thermal imaging, laser range finder and ground artillery radar
- LOV-UP2 - artillery command vehicle
- LOV-ED - electronic warfare vehicle
- LOV T2 - improved variant that entered service in 1997, only a few built
Combat history
The LOV-1 saw action in the Croatian War of Independence, particularly in Operations Flash and Storm.