BSCh-5

BSCh-5
Type	Infantry fighting vehicle
Place of origin	Menghe
Service history
In service	1980-present
Production history
Produced	1980-present
Specifications (BSCh-5R)
Weight	15.1 tonnes
Length	6.65 m
Width	2.85 m
Height	2.39 m to turret roof
Crew	3
Passengers	7
Armor	5-35mm
Main armament	30mm 2A72 autocannon
Secondary armament	7.5mm GCh-77 co-axial MG 7.5mm GCh-77 turret-mounted MG 4 × YDCh-70 ATGM
Engine	UTD-20, 6-cylinder 4-stroke V-shaped airless-injection water-cooled multifuel 15.8 liter diesel 300 hp
Power/weight	19.9 hp/ton
Suspension	torsion bar with shock absorbers on 1st and 6th roadwheel pairs
Ground clearance	450mm
Operational range	500 km (road)
Speed	65 km/h (road) 7 km/h (swimming)

The BSCh-5 (formal designation: 5호 분대 수송 장갑차 / 五號分隊輸送裝甲車, O-ho Bundae Susong Janggabcha, "No.5 Armored Squad Transport;" short designation: 분수차-5 Bunsucha-o) is a tracked, amphibious infantry fighting vehicle developed in the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe and inherited by the Socialist Republic of Menghe, which continued production until 2008. Despite its superficial resemblance to the BMP-2, it actually predates the latter vehicle by two years, and was developed independently to meet a requirement from the Menghean Army. This makes it Menghe's first domestically developed infantry fighting vehicle.

Though it has since been succeeded by the heavier BSCh-8, the BSCh-5 remains the most numerous IFV in service with the Menghean Army, with over 17,000 produced over the course of 30 years. Its hull forms the basis for a number of specialized vehicles, including tank destroyers, mortar carriers, and self-propelled artillery guns. Unlike the BSCh-8, it is fully amphibious, and it has been upgraded over the years to match its predecessor's firepower. Its main drawback is its relatively thin armor, though even in this regard it is broadly comparable to contemporary amphibious IFVs.

Development

In the late 1960s, the DPRM imported a batch of Letnian BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as the necessary equipment to license-produce the BMP-1 as the BSCh-1. Rugged, reliable, and among the first true IFVs, the BMP-1 design was generally well-liked, but Menghean commanders soon accumulated a number of complaints about the vehicle's configuration. First, its one-man turret gave the vehicle commander poor visibility to the rear and hindered communication with the gunner. This configuration also meant that the platoon commander had to either ride in the rear of the vehicle or trade places with the squad commander of one vehicle, in either case limiting the unit's effectiveness. The 73mm Grom cannon also earned a poor reputation among Menghean crews and commanders, who regarded it as too inaccurate to be effective against moving tank targets. Whether this was a result of poor manufacturing, inadequate training, incorrect wind correction, or a preference for longer-range engagements remains unclear, but the weapon appears to have left a negative impact on Menghean units. Harder to dispute is the 73mm Grom's lack of anti-aircraft capability, which leaves the vehicle defenseless against helicopters unless it is carrying a MANPADS squad.

Consequently, in the early 1970s the Menghean Army drew up a list of requirements for a new infantry fighting vehicle and submitted them to the Ministry of National Defense. Chief among the requirements was a two-person turret which seated the vehicle commander alongside the gunner under a cupola with 360-degree traverse coverage. The main armament of the vehicle would be an autocannon with sufficient elevation to engage helicopters and sufficient penetration to engage enemy APCs. In all other respects, the vehicle was expected to match or exceed the characteristics of the BMP-1: fully amphibious, armored against 23mm autocannon fire from the frontal arc, and equipped with firing ports to suppress enemy infantry in a breakthrough attack. Sim Jin-hwan, then General-Secretary of the Menghean People's Communist Party, signed off on the idea, anticipating that a domestically designed IFV would be a good way to test Menghe's industrial capability and showcase its economic progress.

The Ryŏjin Machine Building Plant responded by producing a prototype vehicle designated Si.133, in effect a lengthened BSCh-2 with a two-person turret. The turret in question followed a truncated cone shape, like the turret of the BSCh-3, but was fitted with two 14.5mm heavy machine guns. This entry had good anti-aircraft performance at close range, and good suppressive effects, but poor range and a low top speed. The Taehwa Defense Plant's prototype, Si.134, used a new hull following the BSCh-3's general configuration, but fitted it with a new turret armed with a single 23mm autocannon. This weapon was taken from the twin-barreled DGP-23-2 anti-aircraft gun, and retains the distinctive flash hider at the end of the barrel. Si.134 was deemed more complex and expensive, but also more capable, as its main armament had a longer range and greater penetration.

Not coincidentally, the resulting vehicle resembled BMP-2, which emerged from similar requirements. Nevertheless, there are some prominent differences between the two vehicles. First, the BSCh-5 uses an entirely new hull and turret compared with the BSCh-3 (BMP-1), and can be identified by the steeper glacis plate and the lack of a "tapered" rear hull. Second, the BSCh-5 has an octagonal welded turret rather than the truncated cone turret seen on many Letnian vehicles. Third, within that turret, the commander is seated on the left and the gunner is seated on the right. This arrangement, which differs from all other Menghean two-person turrets, allows the platoon commander to climb backward into the vacant seat when the squad commander dismounts. The BSCh-5G and BSCh-5N also have distinct waist-mounted machine guns, unique among IFVs, though later variants deleted these in favor of conventional firing ports.

As on the BMP-2, these changes - especially the larger turret - required a reduction in squad size. The number of crew members remained at three, but the number of dismounts fell to seven, with six in the rear of the vehicle and the seventh sitting behind the driver. Mechanized squad structure changed accordingly: the machine gunner's assistant was removed, and extra magazines were instead distributed among the other squad members.

Description (BSCh-4G)

Layout

In terms of its general layout, the BSCh-5 is derived from the BSCh-3 which preceded it. The engine, a 6-cylinder 4-stroke UTD-20 300-horsepower engine, is located in the front-right side of the hull, and powers drive sprockets at the front of each track. Immediately to the left of the engine sits the driver, who has three forward-facing periscopes and one viewing port on the left side of the hull. Behind the driver is an additional seat, which on the BSCh-5 typically holds a member of the platoon headquarters: the platoon LT, platoon SSGT, or platoon marksman. This seat, like the driver's seat, has periscopes which give a good view ahead of the vehicle.

At the center of the vehicle is a two-person turret with a welded octagonal structure. In this turret, the commander sits on the left and the gunner sits on the right, reversing the arrangement found on other Menghean two-person turrets (e.g., the JCh-5 and JCh-6). This arrangement means that if the turret is facing roughly forward, the squad sergeant can easily climb from the commander's seat into the passenger compartment and out the rear, and the platoon LT or platoon SSGT can climb from his seat behind the driver into the commander's seat in the turret. The commander's cupola has only three periscopes, but it can rotate through 360 degrees, providing good coverage of the battlefield. The gunner has two additional periscopes, one facing to the rear and one facing to the right, for added situational awareness.

Behind the turret is the main passenger compartment, which seats six soldiers. These soldiers sit back-to-back in two groups of three. Each row exits through one door in the vehicle's rear. In adapting from the BSCh-3, Menghean designers opted to omit the auxiliary fuel tanks in the rear doors, instead using spaced metal plates. This change was apparently motivated by a concern that 12.7mm rounds from the rear could penetrate the fuel tanks and spill burning fuel into the passenger compartment. The passengers can also exit through two large spring-loaded hatches on the roof, or open these hatches while out of combat for better ventilation.

Armament

The main armament of the BSCh-5G and BSCh-5N is a 23mm autocannon mounted in the center of the turret. This weapon is derived from the DGP-23-2 anti-aircraft gun, and fires the same 23×152mm cartridge. Ammunition is stored in the front half of the turret, and feeds from two switchable belts: armor-piercing ammunition for engaging vehicles, and high-explosive ammunition for engaging aircraft and infantry. The 23mm AP-I projectile, first to see service, can penetrate 15 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armor angled at 30 degrees from a range of 1,000 meters. In 2004, Menghe introduced a 23mm APDS round with double the penetration. On G and N type vehicles, the gun has only a rudimentary stabilizer system, and loses most of its accuracy when fired from the move.

To the left of the autocannon is a GCh-77 co-axial machine gun. It fires from a single 2,000 round belt stored in a box to the right of the commander's position. This weapon can be used to engage soft-skinned vehicles or infantry in the open.

To engage heavier targets, the BSCh-5G can launch the YDCh-10 anti-tank guided missile, also used by the BSCh-3. The mounting point for the missile is located on the rear of the turret. Out of combat, all missiles are stored inside the hull, as the missile on its launch rail can be damaged by branches, shrapnel, or prolonged exposure to the elements. When the vehicle approaches combat, a launch unit consisting of a missile on its launch rail is slid onto the rear mount. Normally one of the dismounts in the rear of the vehicle would load a missile by standing in the rear hatch, but the gunner can also load a missile by standing in his own hatch. In both cases, the time taken to load a missile is cited as no more than 50 seconds with a properly trained crew member. The gunner fires the YDCh-10 missile, and guides it to the target with MCLOS controls.

During an embarked assault, the dismounts can provide suppressive fire through four firing ports, two on each side. There are also two additional GCh-77 machine guns mounted in permanent firing ports on each side of the vehicle; these can pivot from 30 degrees off the centerline to directly outward, covering a wide swath of terrain ahead of the vehicle. One dismount aims each of these machine guns, correcting fire by watching the tracers through a periscope.

Protection

The hull is built of hardened steel plates, which are welded rather than cast. Independent measurements based on destroyed vehicles in Ummayah confirmed the armor thicknesses as:

• Upper hull front: 15mm at 75° from vertical
• Center hull front: 20mm at 15° from vertical
• Lower hull front: 15mm at 65° from vertical
• Turret face: 30mm at 45° from vertical
• Turret cheeks and sides: 20mm
• Turret rear corner and rear plates: 15mm
• Hull sides, above tracks: 10mm
• Roof, excluding upper hull front: 5mm
• Floor, excluding lower hull front: 5mm
• Rear: 7mm
• Rear doors: 5mm plus 2mm outer plate (spaced)

At a range of 1,000 meters, this armor is able to stop .50-caliber rounds over the 120-degree frontal arc and 23mm armor-piercing rounds over the 60-degree frontal arc. The sides are protected against 7.62mm armor-piercing rounds fired by GPMGs, as well as artillery fragments and small-arms fire, but are easily defeated by 12.7mm and 13.2mm ammunition.

Against heavier weapons, the BSCh-5's armor is very weak. It offers no real protection against man-portable anti-tank weapons such as the RPG-7 and M72 LAW, though it can be fitted with slat armor at the cost of hindering its amphibious mobility. Operational service in the Innominadan Crisis and the Ummayan Civil War also demonstrated that the BSCh-5’s thin, flat hull bottom was highly vulnerable to antivehicular mines and IEDs. The passenger arrangement, with benches attached to the floor and fuel and ammunition stored in between the backs of the seats, increases the risk of casualties once penetrated.

The BSCh-5 is capable of sealing itself against CBRN contaminants, although at the cost of preventing dismount unless the crew and passengers are wearing protective gear. In a sealed state the crew are still capable of using the firing ports, although a 1996 investigative report found that even when plugged with a rifle the BSCh-5’s firing ports leaked in a simulated smoke attack – something the Menghean Army attributed to the use of an old hull machined to lower standards. The stronger overpressure air pump of the BSCh-5R and BSCh-5D2 is claimed to generate enough internal air pressure to prevent gases from leaking inward through any small cracks or breaks in the seal.

Mobility

The BSCh-5 is powered by a 300-horsepower 6-cylinder diesel engine in the front right hull. When driving on a level paved road, it can reach a top speed of 65 kilometers per hour. The engine has limited multifuel capability but is most efficient when using diesel.

All variants of the BSCh-5 are fully amphibious. Preparation consists of tightening the doors and firing ports, raising the trim vane at the front of the vehicle, and switching out the standard driver’s periscope for a longer one to see over the trim vane’s top. The air intake for the engine is located to the front right of the turret, and it can be telescoped out about .4 meters above the roof to reduce water ingestion in rough seas, much as on the BMP-2. All of these changes can be performed from within the vehicle, though the periscope change requires the driver to temporarily break the CRBN seal. Once in the water, the vehicle can power itself forward at 6 km/h by running its treads.

Like the BSCh-7, the BSCh-5 has somewhat uncomfortable amphibious performance, as the engine and frontal armor shift the center of gravity forward. When the passenger compartment is empty, this balance problem is even more severe, and training guides instruct the crew to ballast the passenger compartment with dirt, sand, or sandbags if making an amphibious crossing. Even when loaded with an infantry squad, the BSCh-5 sits relatively low in the water and is easily swamped by waves coming over the front. As such, it is only suitable for river crossings in calm conditions. The Marine Infantry of the Menghean Navy repeatedly turned down the BSCh-5, even in its later variants, after judging that it could not reliably and safely swim from landing craft to a beachhead.

Variants

Infantry fighting vehicles

• BSCh-5G - Initial production variant. Armed with a rail launcher for the YDCh-10 MCLOS ATGM. This launcher is located on the rear of the turret and reloaded by the passengers through the passenger compartment roof hatches.
  • BSCh-5G1 - Designation for BSCh-5Gs which were refitted with YDCh-14 ATGM launchers in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The base of the ATGM pintle mount is slightly different on these models - it is mounted to a ledge on the rear of the turret, rather than to the turret roof.
• BSCh-5N - Upgraded variant introduced in 1985. The YDCh-10 rail launcher is replaced by a pintle mount for a YDCh-14 SACLOS ATGM. Unlike the YDCh-10, this weapon cannot be guided from below armor; the commander must open his hatch and operate the launcher's controls manually. The forward-opening hatch does provide the commander with some protection against small-arms fire, and the gunner can still independently engage targets while the commander guides the missile, but this breaks the vehicle's CBRN seal.
• BSCh-5D - The first post-coup variant of the BSCh-5, introduced in 1995. It has an all-new turret with a 30mm 2A72 autocannon. This turret also gives the commander a better cupola with seven periscopes covering 300 degrees. On the center rear of the turret is a remote weapon station with a dual-spectrum electro-optical sight for the commander and a remotely operated 7.5mm GCh-77 medium machine gun. On the right side of the turret are two YDCh-14 ATGM tubes and their sighting and guidance mechanism. The sighting and guidance mechanism is crude but straightforward: a sideways periscope cuts through the pivot ring of the ATGM mount and protrudes into the turret, allowing the gunner to manually aim the beam guidance point in elevation while controlling its traverse by rotating the turret. The gunner's main sight has improved magnification and an infrared imaging mode; the latter allows for the deletion of the active night vision illuminators. Many of these changes added to the vehicle's weight, so foam-filled skirts were added over the tracks. In addition to improving flotation, these skirts offer a small degree of protection against autocannon and HMG fire from the frontal arc.
  • BSCh-5D1 - This designation applies to BSCh-5Ds which carry the YDCh-18 ATGM (licensed 9M134 Valtorna) in place of the YDCh-14. The setup of the ATGM launcher is otherwise identical. The designation applies to both new-build and refitted BSCh-5Ds with the YDCh-18.
  • BSCh-5D2 - Designation for BSCh-5Ds and D1s refitted with YDCh-70 ATGMs (two, on the right side only), turret applique armor mounting points, and the MChGJ-0800 radio.
• BSCh-5R - Next-generation variant introduced in 2008 as a response to tensions with Maverica. It uses the same turret as the BSCh-5D, but carries four YDCh-70 ATGMs, two on each side of the turret. The turret face has mounting points for applique armor, which, when mounted, protects the turret against 25mm APDS ammunition from the frontal arc. The hull armor is of the same thickness, so the vehicle can only withstand 25mm autocannon fire from a hull-down position. The remote weapon port can support a new type of turret, with four smoke grenade launchers and mounting equipment for either a 30mm AGS-30 automatic grenade launcher or a GCh-75 12.7mm HMG. The former is more common, apparently a response to Maverica's manpower-heavy assault tactics. Finally, both the gunner's optics and the commander's optics were upgraded.

Special combat vehicles

• BSCh-5HB (화염 방사기, Hwayŏm Balsagi) - Flamethrower variant produced in small numbers from 1980 to 1984. It has a high-pressure flamethrower in place of the 23mm autocannon. In addition to the four crew members, it can carry four dismounts, with one-third of the original dismount compartment occupied by flamethrower fuel tanks. These vehicles served in assault engineer units, and were retired in the 1990s.
• BSCh-5JHG (전방 항공 관제소, Jŏngbang Hanggong Gwanjaeso) - Forward air support control vehicle introduced in the early 2000s. It is based on the BSCh-5D, but has a larger electro-optical sight with no remote-operated machine gun. This large optics unit has better visibility at long ranges, and it is also fitted with a laser designator and a laser rangefinder, the latter of which can generate approximate CSNS coordinates for a target. Additional radios in the troop compartment allow communication with aircraft or headquarters units. The gunner's side ATGM box is replaced by a box launcher carrying eight H-8 80mm rockets, with additional rockets stored in the rear. These unguided rockets can fire illumination flares or colored smoke to mark targets for aircraft and helicopters.
• BSCh-5PTG (포병화력 통제 관제소, Pobyŏnghwalyŏg Tongje Gwanjeso) - Forward artillery control vehicle similar to the BSCh-5JHG. Retains the ATGMs in place of the former’s rocket launchers, and is capable of designating targets for laser-guided shells and accurately determining the CSNS coordinates of a distant target.
• BSCh-5SB - Artillery vehicle with a 120mm muzzle-loading mortar. The vehicle commander sits behind the driver in an expanded cupola with a 12.7mm HMG. Behind him is an open-roofed compartment with the mortar, the gunner, and two loaders, for a crew of five.
• JCh-7 prototypes - Initial prototypes for the JCh-7 light tank used the BSCh-5 chassis, though the final version uses the JCh-6 chassis instead.
• JJCh-3 - Armored reconnaissance vehicle based on the BSCh-5.
  • JJCh-3G - Early variant introduced in 1982, based on the BSCh-5G. It has improved optics for the commander and long-range radio equipment in the rear compartment. The dismount group is reduced to four personnel.
  • JJCh-3N - Improved variant introduced in 1998, based on the BSCh-5D1. It has a longer turret bustle supporting a ground-surveillance radar. This radar system can either scan a wide sector for moving vehicles and personnel, scan a particular sector with greater accuracy, or produce a survey of the terrain. When not in use, the radar antenna retracts into the turret bustle. As on the JJCh-3G, the dismount unit is reduced to four soldiers.
  • JJCh-3D - Improved variant introduced in 2009. It incorporates some changes from the BSCh-5R, including the YDCh-70 ATGM and turret face applique armor.

Special support vehicles

• BSCh-5DGP - Anti-aircraft vehicle with a DGP-23-2 anti-air gun in an open turret. Produced in small numbers in the 1980s.
• BSCh-5JG (장갑 구급차, Janggab Gugŭbcha) - Armored ambulance used to evacuate wounded soldiers from the front line. Has a crew of one driver and three medical personnel, and can carry four stretchers in a turretless rear compartment with a higher roof.
• BSCh-5SG (수리 및 구난 장갑차, Suri mit Gunanjanggabcha) - ARV with a 7.5-tonne crane in place of the turret and repair equipment in the passenger compartment. Has a crew of five: driver, commander, crane operator, and two mechanics transported in the rear compartment.
• BSCh-5SD - Battalion command post with a crew of five, including one officer. Has long-range radio equipment and a command planning room.
  • BSCh-5SD1 - Improved version of the battalion command post introduced in 1997. Uses the D1-model turret and side skirts.

Service

Socialist Republic of Menghe

In total, at least 17,000 BSCh-5s of all variants were produced for the Menghean Army and Marine Infantry, making it the most numerous IFV in Menghean service and one of the most numerous in Septentrion. As of 2017, all of these have been upgraded to "D1," "M," or "B" standard.

Since 2008, the Menghean Army has been replacing its BSCh-5s with the new BSCh-9 IFV, which carries greatly improved armor but sacrifices its amphibious capability. Due to the high production cost of the BSCh-9, the BSCh-5 still equips about a third of active divisions (2015 estimate), and makes up all IFVs in the mechanized units of the Army Reserves. The Marine Infantry and the Army's River Crossing Brigades both retain the BSCh-5 for its amphibious capability.