Slovenia boosts Ukraine's defences with vintage BOV‑3 systems
The military aid provided to Ukraine includes well-known equipment, such as Leopard 2 tanks or M113 carriers, and lesser-known vehicles produced locally by some countries for their own needs. This group includes BOV-3 anti-aircraft systems donated to Ukraine by Slovenia and produced in a country that has not existed for over 30 years.
Although the Slovenian army consists of just 6,200 soldiers, the country regularly supports Ukraine with arms deliveries. Thanks to agreements concluded with countries like Germany, Slovenia can technically modernize its armed forces.
Old equipment from the Cold War era is being transferred to Ukraine, and in its place, Ljubljana receives newer weapons, including those from Germany. This way, Ukraine has received M-55S tanks (a variant of the T-55), M-80A infantry fighting vehicles (a combination of local solutions and the French AMX-10P), and old M2A1 howitzers.
Among the equipment delivered to Ukraine were also BOV armoured carriers, produced since the mid-80s in Yugoslavia and used by the armies of countries that emerged after its breakup.
BOV-3 anti-aircraft system
The latest batch of Slovenian aid for Ukraine includes, among other things, the anti-aircraft variant of these vehicles, which means six BOV-3 systems. They are built on a four-wheeled BOV chassis with a length of approximately 6 metres and a weight slightly exceeding 9,000 kilograms.
A large turret, open from the top, is mounted on the wheeled chassis, which houses the M55 A4 M1 cannon. This is a variant of the Zastava M55 cannon, an unknown number of which have also been transferred to the Ukrainian armed forces. The M55 A4 M1 is a version with three 20 mm calibre barrels powered by 60-round drum magazines. The maximum barrel elevation angle is 83 degrees.
The cannon is equipped with a Galileo J171 ballistic computer, allowing it to engage aerial targets at a distance of 1.6 to 2 kilometres.
