IBV-75 & IBV-81 Infantry Fighting Vehicle
| IBV-75 Fighting Vehicle | |
|---|---|
 IBV-75 and IBV-75/02 vehicles | |
| Place of origin |  Elatia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1975-present |
| Used by | Elatian Army |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1973-75 |
| Produced | 1975-present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 13.3 tonnes |
| Length | 6.74m |
| Width | 2.97 m |
| Height | 1.9 m |
| Crew | 3 |
| Passengers | 7-8 |
| Armor | Welded steel |
Main armament | 73mm smoothbore gun or 30mm autocannon |
Secondary armament | 7.65x53mm co-axial machine gun, anti-tank missiles |
| Engine | 6-cylinder diesel 300 bhp |
| Transmission | Torsion bars with hydraulic shock absorbers |
Operational range | 600km on roads |
| Speed | 65 kph on roads |
The IBV-75 is an Elatian infantry fighting vehicle, which was placed into service in the mid-70's with the Elatian Army.
Elatia's disastrous showing in the Second Elatian-Enyaman War involved many factors, but one was the significant inadequacy of mechanised infantry tactics. Still largely equipped with open-top half-tracks, Elatian mechanised forces were completely outmatched in the field. Later in the year, the Elatian Army obtained samples of the Suvarovan BMP-1 and decided to put a pirated version into production on an urgent basis.
In upgraded form, the IBV-75 remains common in Elatian heavy units. In the future, it is likely to be replaced by the IBV-05.
IBV-75 design
The IBV-75 is by and large a straightforward copy of the BMP-1. It is armed with a 73mm smoothbore gun which could perforate the frontal armour of all main battle tanks of the 1970's, although it is only accurate up to around 500m. Beyond that, it relies on a local pirated copy of the AT-3 Sagger to combat tanks. Its major difference with the BMP-1 is its lack of an autoloader - Elatian authorities regarded this gadget to be dangerous, overcomplicated and on the whole unneessary, as the gun's rate of fire is actually slightly higher when loaded by hand. The frontal aspect of the vehicle is resistant towards 23mm autocannons, although its flanks are only proof against small arms and shrapnel.
The IBV-75 remains by far the most common infantry fighting vehicle of the Elatian Army. This is primarily because of the significant impact of the Elatian Great Freeze of 1984-1988 upon armoured vehicle production. Subsequently, during the period of economic recovery in the 1990's, the great reduction in the size of the army meant that priority went to maintaining a measure of combat effectiveness in the few remaining standing units, rather than equipment modernisation.
Nevertheless, a measure updating did occur in the interim. The IBV-75B upgrade of 1990 added smoke grenade dispensers on the flanks of the turret. Fire control was also updated with an infrared searchlight and nightsight. The old AT-3 Sagger clone was replaced by a launch unit for the SACLOS TDM-80 anti-tank missile, which has a maximum range of 2km . Its launch unit could be detached from its mount atop the turret and carried by the vehicle's squad of dismounted riflemen. Finally, applique spaced armour of hardened steel was installed on the vehicle's flanks to render it resistant towards heavy machine guns of up to 15mm from all aspects, at the cost of amphibious mobility.
IBV-75/02
The IBV-75/02 was a refurbished and upgraded version of the IBV-75. The program was embarked upon in the mid-1990's. It features a new, one-man turret, armed with a 3D-stabilised 30mm autocannon, which significantly increased the engagement range of the vehicle, especially against helicopters. Fire control has also been significantly updated, and the vehicle is now equipped with laser range-finder and thermal imaging sight. It received its greatest enhancement in relation to anti-tank armament, as the turret is capable of carrying a pod of four laser-guided Kornet missiles which are capable of defeating most modern armour.
As of 2015, the IBV-75/02 is the most common infantry fighting vehicle in Elatian service among heavy brigades.
Variants
The IBV-75 design is prolific in Elatian service and has spawned a number of variants. The most important of these include the following:
MO-75
The MO-75 is a self-propelled mortar variant, equipped with a 120mm tube which fires through a hatch in the raised roof of the passenger compartment.
MK-75
The MK-75 is a 122mm self-propelled gun which equipped the artillery complements of tank regiments. Following the 'brigadisation' reform of the Elatian Army in the 2000's, most of these vehicles have been placed into storage.
TC-75
The TC-75 tank destroyer entered service in the early-1980's to equip division-level anti-tank units and now serve at the brigade-level. It is armed with a twin-rail launcher for anti-tank missiles, together with an under-armour autoloader feeding from a magazine with eight spare rounds. Originally designed for the AT-6 Spiral, it is now typically armed with the new TDM-93 anti-tank missile. All vehicles in service have been upgraded with thermal imaging.
ADV-75
The ADV-75 was developed in the late-70's to equip the regimental air defence battalions of second line and low-readiness units as a cheap SPAAG substitute. Its primary armament is a twin-23mm mount bolted to the open roof of the vehicle. There is also space in the passenger compartment for a pair of MANPADS teams plus spare missiles. The high elevation angle of the anti-air gun makes these vehicles useful as fire support platforms in urban combat, although the gun crew is very vulnerable owing to the lack of armour protection.
RBV-75
The RBV-75 is a dedicated reconaissance version of the IBV-75. It is equipped with an enhanced communications suite, as well as space for dismounted scouts in the rear. The RBV-75B version, which carries the platoon commander, is equipped with a ground-surveillance radar, which is stored in a slot at the back of the turret. It pops up when needed and is retracted when it is not. All versions of the RBV have been upgraded with thermal imaging equipment in recent years.