Ukrainian state-owned companies Kharkov Morozov Design Bureau (KMDB) and the Malyshev Plant have qualified as manufacturers of the BTR-4 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), according to a press release from UkrOboronProm released on 25 February.
The ability of Ukraine to mass produce BTR-4s is vital, given that at present it is overly reliant on the lighter BTR-3 family, which lacks the protection of the heavier BTR-4 (UkrOboronProm)
The release states that “Malyshev Plant and KMDB are ready to start mass production of the BTR-4 … this year. This allows a significant increase in the pace of the transfer of these combat vehicles to the Ukrainian Army.”
It explains that the Ukrainian Army was previously reliant upon a single private enterprise, understood to be the Lozovskyi Forge-Mechanical Plant, for the production of the BTR-4, which is the most capable IFV available to the country.
The KMDB/Malyshev-produced vehicles were completed a series of tests to ensure they had been manufactured to a satisfactory standard, including “several hundred kilometres” on both hard road and off-road surfaces, as well as ballistic tests with large-calibre machine guns.
The Malyshev Plant started the process of expanding its production to include the BTR-4 in 2018. A press release dated 26 April 2018 stated that “all equipment has been purchased, bench equipment has been installed”.
This news follows reports that Ukraine’s military export agency, Ukrspecexport, started work last year to establish a plant for the production of BTR-4s in Myanmar.
This article, first published on 12 March 2019, is subject to a correction and has been amended.
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