Rare BMP‑1TS boosts Ukrainian forces in tough Pokrowsk battle
Near Pokrowsk, a very rare Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle, the BMP-1TS, was spotted. This article showcases the performance of this interesting modernization of old vehicles, of which Ukraine has about a dozen units.
3:13 PM EDT, September 23, 2024
The situation near Pokrowsk is difficult, and in recent weeks, units that have been fighting there for months have been reinforced with new forces. This has led to the appearance of interesting vehicles on the front, one of which is the intriguing modernization of a 60-year-old infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) BMP-1.
You can see one of the dozen or so BMP-1TS IFVs produced in the photos below. Despite their weak armor, they have a modern turret with powerful armament, making them still a dangerous opponent.
BMP-1TS - How to make something useful from scrap at low cost
In Ukraine, after Russia annexed Crimea and parts of Donbas, work began or accelerated significantly in designing new weapons and improving those already in use.
One example of the latter category was the modernization of the archaic BMP-1, which involved a new turret with stronger armament and a better fire control system. The fruits of these efforts were first shown in 2021, and Zhytomyr Armored Vehicle Factory reportedly produced about a dozen vehicles until the full-scale war with Russia broke out.
The heart of the modernization is the unmanned turret BM-5 Spisa, which weighs only 3,300 pounds. However, it contains a powerful set of armaments: a ZTM-1 automatic cannon with a 30 mm caliber and a rate of fire of up to 330 rounds per minute, an AG-17 automatic grenade launcher with a 30 mm caliber, a 7.62x54R mm caliber machine gun, and a launcher for two Barrier anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).
These last ones enable striking tanks at a distance of up to 5 miles and can penetrate at least 31 inches of steel armor protected by reactive armor. A laser beam guides the missiles. In addition, a drone jammer creating an interference bubble with a diameter of about 1,300-1,600 feet, in which FPV drones cease to operate, is mounted on the turret. The only exceptions are drones operating via cable or those using computer vision supported by artificial intelligence, but these solutions are difficult for the Russians to access.
All this, combined with a two-person stabilization system and the Kazhan-3K15 fire control system with a thermal camera and laser rangefinder, creates a very lethal combination. Unfortunately, the BMP-1 hull itself has not been changed, so the side armor protects only against hand-held firearms and artillery shrapnel.
For this reason, large-caliber machine guns like the DSzK, Browning M2, or NSV pose a significant threat to the crew, which is not an issue for Western designs like the M2A2 Bradley or Marder 1A3.
