Swedish armored carriers strengthen Ukrainian forces

The armoured personnel carrier Pbv 302, sent to Ukraine from Sweden, has been accepted into service in the Ukrainian army. We examine its capabilities.

As noted 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 handed over all the Pbv 302 units to the Ukrainians (including spare parts and ammunition).

Now, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has officially announced that it has authorized the entry of Swedish Pbv 302 armored 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 mechanized infantry vehicles until the introduction of newer CV90 vehicles.

Each Pbv 302 measures 5.4 metres 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.

The Ukrainians are confident that the Pbv 302 will be very useful despite its age. They first emphasize 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 Defense's communication.

Pbv 302 has tracked traction and a Volvo-Penta diesel engine with just under 300 horsepower. It reaches a maximum speed of 66 kilometres per hour and about 10 kilometres per hour in water.