A new Belarusian armored personnel carrier is being tested
The entry of the Volat-V2 APC into service doesn't mean that the equipment will be immediately delivered to the troops.
The State Authority for Military Industry reports that preliminary tests of prototypes of armored personnel carriers (APCs) developed as part of the BTR-V2 experimental design work are continuing. The Volat-V2 APCs are now undergoing firing tests at the 227th combined arms training ground at day and night.
The Volat-V2 APC (MZKT-690003) was developed by the Minsk Wheeled Tractor Plant to replace the Soviet-made combat vehicles in service with the Belarusian Armed Forces (BMP-2, BTR-80, etc.). It is designed for transportation of personnel to the place of combat missions, its fire support, protection from small arms fire, destruction of enemy anti-tank weapons, etc. It was first demonstrated at the MILEX-2021 exhibition.
It should be noted that the Belarusian Armed Forces received three battalion sets of BTR-82A in 2021-23. However, the purchase of APCs in Russia to upgrade the armored vehicle fleet was called a temporary measure. In the future, the Belarusian Armed Forces should receive Belarusian-made APCs, which won’t be more expensive than BTR-82A.
In May 2022, the chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry said that the Volat-V2 APC would enter service with the Belarusian Armed Forces in “a year and a half.” This statement was made on May 14, 2022. It turns out that the new APC should have entered service with the Belarusian Armed Forces on November 14, 2023. However, this hasn’t happened yet. Violation of deadlines in the production of military equipment is a common practice. It is important to emphasize that the entry of the Volat-V2 APC into service doesn’t mean that the equipment will be immediately delivered to the troops.
The APC is expected to be developed in two main variants:
- MZKT-690003-010 with the modernized turret from BMP-2.
- MZKT-690003-020 with the BM-30 Adunok combat module made in Belarus.
Both versions of the APC can be seen in the photos from the tests published by the State Authority for Military Industry.