Great Britain is a conservative country, whose leadership has always been adept at counting money. Currently, the army of Foggy Albion is armed with the only tracked infantry fighting vehicle - BMP "Warrior". Serial production of this BMP began in 1985, and in 1987 the combat vehicle was officially adopted by the British army. It remains the only British infantry fighting vehicle in 2019.
From 1985 to 1995, during serial production, British enterprises handed over to customers more than 1000 Warrior vehicles in various modifications, this number also includes armored vehicles produced for Kuwait. Directly in the version of an infantry fighting vehicle for the British army, 489 units were produced, command and staff vehicles, armored repair and recovery vehicles, artillery observer vehicles and other options were also produced in separate series. Currently, these machines are being modernized, the British military expects to extend their life cycle until 2040, although when the machines were launched into mass production, the BMPs were going to be operated only until 2010. In total, it is planned to upgrade 380 Warrior units, of which 245 will receive a new turret with an updated weapon system, the rest will perform auxiliary functions.
The British BMP Warrior (from the English "Warrior") is the same age as the domestic BMP-3. British designers actively worked on a new tracked infantry fighting vehicle for Her Majesty's Armed Forces from 1977 to 1983. The operation of the new BMP in the troops began in 1987, at the same time that the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle was adopted by the Soviet Army. It is curious that Kuwait became the only export buyer of the new British BMP. Currently in service with this country are both the British BMP Desert Warrior (modification for the desert area) and Russian BMP-3.
BMP Warrior: from design to implementation
Work on the creation of a new infantry fighting vehicle began in the UK in 1972, it was then that the Project Definition 1 program was launched, which provided for the creation of an infantry fighting vehicle for the British army. Analysis and evaluation of the proposed projects continued until 1979, after which the military decided on the choice of the main contractor. Work on the creation of a tracked infantry fighting vehicle was headed by the company "GKN Sankey", at the same time the project received the official designation MCV-80 (Mechanized Combat Vehicle - 80). The first mock-up, and then three ready-made prototypes of the future infantry fighting vehicle, one of which received a two-man turret with a 30-mm automatic cannon installed inside, were handed over to the military already in 1980. It is curious that, in parallel with the development of its BMP, the British military also tested experimental American combat vehicles, early prototypes of the future M2 Bradley BMP, but in the end made a choice in favor of the British project.
The British military put forward a number of requirements for the future infantry fighting vehicle. The key ones were: capacity - up to 10 people, including three crew members of the BMP; maneuverability sufficient to interact with the Challenger main battle tank on the battlefield; security - from the fire of any small arms, as well as fragments of shells and mines; the presence of weapons that allows you to fight any lightly armored targets of a potential enemy. At the same time, the priority in terms of the main combat qualities of the future infantry fighting vehicle was placed as follows: 1. mobility, 2. security, 3. firepower.
The finished prototypes of the future BMP made a good impression on the British military, and already in June 1980, the first prototypes of the MCV-80 were recognized as satisfying all the basic requirements, but bringing the tracked BMP to a production model was delayed for several years. In the course of long-term tests, 12 pre-production combat vehicles successfully covered 200 thousand kilometers, and were also subjected to shelling tests. One sample of BMP with implemented remote control was tested by detonation on an anti-tank mine. Bringing the combat vehicle to a serial model that could be sent into production required the designers and engineers to re-develop 250 units, components and units of the BMP. Almost completely finished two combat vehicles passed the first tests in 1983 in the Middle East, and in the fall of 1984, four more BMPs participated in military exercises held in Germany.
According to the initial plans, the army was ready to purchase 1,900 new infantry fighting vehicles, and the total cost of the program was estimated at 1.2 billion pounds, but already in 1981, the order was cut to 1053 BMPs in order to reduce costs, of which only 602 combat vehicles were to receive a turret with a 30-mm automatic cannon. In the end, GKN Defense produced only 789 BMPs for the British army, according to the classification adopted in the army, they received the designation FV510 and their own name Warrior. At the same time, only 489 vehicles were manufactured in the linear, basic version with cannon armament.
The layout and capabilities of the BMP
The new British tracked infantry fighting vehicle received a classic layout typical of BMPs in other countries of the world. In the front part of the hull, the designers installed the engine, and there was also the driver's seat (to the left of the engine compartment). The middle part of the corps was occupied by the fighting compartment, which was crowned with a turret designed for the work of two crew members - the vehicle commander and the gunner. In the stern of the BMP there was a troop compartment, which could accommodate 7 infantrymen. The landing was carried out through a wide aft door, and the fighters could also use the double-leaf hatches in the roof of the troop compartment to leave the combat vehicle. At the same time, loopholes for firing small arms in the sides of the corps were absent, and the paratroopers sat facing each other (three along the left side, four along the right side). All places of the crew and landing received seat belts.
The BMP is powered by a four-stroke 8-cylinder multi-fuel Perkins-Rolls-Royce V8 Condor diesel engine. The V-engine is mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox. Engine power is sufficient to provide a vehicle with a combat weight of more than 25 tons a maximum speed of 75 km / h (highway). The cruising range on the highway is 660 km. An interesting feature is that the 12-cylinder version of the Condor diesel engine is installed on the British Challenger tanks. Thus, the designers have achieved the unification of the manufactured equipment, the engines of the infantry fighting vehicle and the main battle tank are included in one design series, which also simplifies the process of their operation and maintenance.
The welded hull of the British BMP is made of rolled sheet armor, the basis of which is an aluminum-magnesium alloy, the octagonal tower is made of steel. The first versions of the combat vehicle provided the crew and the landing force with reliable protection from small arms fire up to large-caliber 14, 5-mm machine guns, inclusive. In addition, the Warrior's armor provided reliable protection against shrapnel from shells and mines, including 155-mm caliber. Additional protection for the crew was provided by an internal anti-splinter lining, additional protection for the paratroopers is the spare parts and equipment of the infantrymen themselves, which is stored in the space between their seats and the sides of the hull. During the modernization, the vehicle's protection was strengthened by installing additional armor, which provided protection against 30-mm projectiles in the frontal projection. The British designers also thought about protecting the crew and troops from the effects of anti-tank mines and land mines. The bottom of the combat vehicle is able to withstand the detonation of a 9-kg anti-tank mine.
The main weapon of the new BMP was the 30-mm automatic cannon L21A1, with which the 7.62-mm L94A1 machine gun is paired. It was believed that the capabilities of this weapon and the armor-piercing ammunition developed for it would be enough to fight the Soviet BMP-2. A curious feature of the infantry fighting vehicle was that its weapons were not stabilized. According to British ideas about such military equipment, it could effectively fire at the enemy only from stops. In part, the lack of stabilization of the gun, and this is certainly a disadvantage for the second generation BMP, was compensated by the low rate of fire, which is 80-90 rounds per minute. At the same time, it is possible to fire from a 30-mm gun either with single shots or in bursts of 3-6 shells, this is due to the fact that the gun is powered by a cluster (cassettes for 3 shells). In addition to the low rate of fire, dampers, which the designers placed at the end of the barrel casing, were responsible for increasing the accuracy of fire. These devices dampen the vibrations of the gun barrel when firing.
BMP Warrior has proven to be a reliable and well-protected vehicle. They took an active part in the hostilities in Iraq as part of Operation Desert Storm. They also participated in the conflict in Bosnia on the territory of the former Republic of Yugoslavia. In the course of hostilities, the infantry fighting vehicle demonstrated good survivability, reliably protecting the crew and the landing force from fragments of shells and mines, anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades, explosions on land mines.
Modernization projects of BMP "Warrior"
Projects for the modernization of the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle appeared almost immediately after the start of its mass production. The first step of modernization was taken already in 1990-1991, when the British sent three motorized infantry battalions armed with FV510 Warrior infantry fighting vehicles to participate in the operation against Iraq. To participate in hostilities, the vehicles were modernized, their armament was expanded by installing two Milan ATGMs, which were placed on the tower. In the future, these ATGMs will be replaced by the American Javelin complex.
Also, British designers have strengthened the protection of the vehicle by installing additional armor on the BMP. The infantry fighting vehicle now has the same armor as the Challenger tank. It was a composite armor, which in the UK and English-speaking countries is called "Chobham" after the Chobham Tank Research Center, where it was developed in the 1960s. This armor consists of many ceramic tiles placed in a special metal matrix, they are connected to the base plate with several elastic layers. Such armor shows high efficiency when protecting armored vehicles from both cumulative and sub-caliber ammunition. There is a known case when, during the military campaign in Iraq, one Warrior BMP equipped with similar armor successfully survived 12 hits from hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers.
After the end of Operation Desert Storm, interest in the British BMP predictably showed Kuwait, which was liberated from Iraqi occupation. Especially for Kuwait, the British created a version of the combat vehicle adapted for use in hot desert climates. This BMP received its own name "Desert Warrior". The main difference is not adaptation to the desert climate, but the new LAV-25TOW tower, in which the 25-mm M242 automatic cannon of the American company Bushmaster was installed. Also, two launchers appeared on the tower to launch TOW anti-tank guided missiles.
One of the unrealized options for modernization remains the version of the combat reconnaissance vehicle (BRM), presented in the second half of the 1990s, based on the Warrior BMP. This model was also distinguished by the presence of the LAV-25TOW turret and an updated chassis, the number of road wheels in which was reduced from six to five pieces, which made it possible to reduce the dimensions of the combat vehicle. This version was to be completed with a new complex for collecting reconnaissance data, the center of the complex was a telescopic mast, which was located behind the tower. A special feature of the machine, which was demonstrated at the 1997 exhibition of equipment for the British land and naval forces, was also an unusual color. The car was completely black, as conceived by the engineers of the GKN Defense company, this was supposed to increase the stealth of the BRM.
The latest version of the modernization of the "Warrior" infantry fighting vehicle, which is being implemented today in Great Britain and should extend the service life of the vehicles until 2040, involves the installation of a new turret with a 40-mm automatic cannon. This modification has already received the unofficial designation Warrior 2. The first eight modernized infantry fighting vehicles entered for military trials at the British Army Test Center, located in Dorset in January 2018. The updated BMP receives at its disposal a more powerful 40-mm automatic cannon CTA International CT40, together with which telescopic ammunition is used. The fire control system is also being seriously updated, which provides the combat vehicle with the possibility of all-weather and all-day use.
