Excalibur Army to provide Ukrainian Army with 2S1 howitzers and BMP-1 IFVs.

The Czech defense company Excalibur Army, a subsidiary of the Czechoslovak Group holding (CSG), landed a contract for the delivery of overhauled BVP-1 (BMP-1) amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicles and 2S1 122 mm tracked self-propelled howitzers to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Ukrainian Army's BMP-1 Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicles
(Credit: Ukraine MoD/Ruslan Lynny/Mykola Lazarenko)

According to CSG spokesman talking, the contract "is worth hundred of millions of crowns and involves dozens of vehicle platforms". The CSG group did not want to publish the exact number and value of the ordered vehicles.

The 2S1 SPHs and BMP-1 IFV will be overhauled at VOP 026 Sternberk before being transported to Excalibur Army's partner in Poland, Wtorplast, which will then deliver them to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the spokesman added.

The 2S1 Gvozdika is a Russian-made 122mm self-propelled howitzer tracked armoured vehicle. The 2S1 is armed with a modified version of the 2A31 cannon which is also fitted to the D-30 towed howitzer. The Gvosdika is compatible with all 122-mm munitions developed for the D-30 howitzer. These include fragmentation, HE-FRAG, HEAT, cluster, smoke and illumination projectiles. A total of 40 rounds are carried, usually 35 HE-FRAG and 5 HEAT. Maximum range of fire with HE-FRAG projectile is 15.2 km. The 2S1 is fully amphibious, being propelled in the water by its tracks at a maximum speed of 4.5 km/h.

The BMP-1 is a Russian-made tracked armoured infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle was adopted for service in 1966 with Russian army. It is designed to carry the infantrymen, engage in combat and support the dismounted infantrymen by fire when they fight on foot. The BMP-1 is fitted with a one-man turret. Main armament of the BMP-1 IFV is a 73 mm Model 2A28 smoothbore, low-pressure, short-recoil gun which weighs 115 kg. The BMP-1 is fully amphibious being propelled in the water by its tracks at a maximum speed of 7km/h.