Boost for Ukrainian defence: Sweden's Pbv 302 carriers join the fight
Armoured personnel carriers Pbv 302, sent to Ukraine from Sweden, have been accepted into service in the Ukrainian army. We examine their capabilities.
As recalled on the Ukrainian portal Militarnyj, the Pbv 302 armoured personnel carriers were part of the 16th Swedish aid package announced in May of this year. Notably, the Swedes decided to hand over all their Pbv 302 units to the Ukrainians (including spare parts and ammunition).
Pbv 302 in the Ukrainian army
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has officially announced that it has authorised the entry of Swedish Pbv 302 armoured personnel carriers into service in the Ukrainian army.
Pbv 302 are armoured personnel carriers that were produced between 1966 and 1971. Swedish arms factories manufactured a few hundred units. For years, they were used only by the Swedes, who employed them as primary mechanised infantry vehicles until the introduction of newer CV90 vehicles.
Each Pbv 302 measures 5.4 meters in length and can transport up to 10 soldiers (in addition to a three-person crew). It is equipped with a 20 mm automatic cannon with over 500 rounds of ammunition and a smoke grenade launcher.
Transporter for tough terrain
The Ukrainians are confident that the Pbv 302 will be very useful despite its age. They emphasise, first and foremost, the adaptation of these armoured personnel carriers for movement in difficult terrains.
"The armoured transporter, weighing over 13,000 kilograms, has wide tracks, which exert less pressure on the ground. As a result, this armoured vehicle can move over difficult terrains, soft and loose soils, particularly swamps and sands, and overcome water obstacles," states the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence's communication.
Pbv 302 has tracked traction and a Volvo-Penta diesel engine with just under 300 HP. It reaches a maximum speed of 66 km/h and about 10 km/h in water.
