Dear Sirs, One photograph of a wooden model and a few pieces of information are circulating on Bulgarian servers, indicating that it was a separate development of a light floating tank of unknown name, which was intended for combat in mountainous terrain.
Short history According to witnesses and historian Anton Orush, it all began in the second half of the 1980s, when the Bulgarian army demanded a light armored vehicle that would be suitable for use in the Balkan mountains. A light mountain tank (лек планински танк), which was to be mobile, floating, difficult to recognize by radar and equipped with a powerful firing system. Everything indicated that Bulgaria was able to successfully solve this design task. Because industry and research institutes have been developed in the country for decades.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense commissioned the Sofia Military Science and Technology Institute to develop a light floating tank and committed other companies to cooperating. Surprisingly, there is no further information on this challenging task and the official or cover name of the project is not even known. Witnesses only suggest that the tank was supposed to be a serious opponent of the Yugoslav medium tank M-84 and the Greek and Turkish Leopard 2 tanks.
At that time it was produced in Kazanlak BMP-23, which allegedly became a model for the creation of a light mountain tank . The designers' design provided for a shorter chassis with a greater ground clearance. These modifications were to ensure higher maneuverability and passability through rocky terrain. The hull was to be fitted with thicker armor with ceramic inserts made of local zeolite mineral, which were very resistant to cumulative ammunition. A stealth effect was required for the vehicle to prevent radar detection. Belts equipped with rubber feet were intended to reduce noise and prevent damage to the road. Originally, the use of engines from T-55 or T-72 tanks was assumed, but this intention was abandoned due to the high demands on the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, a British multi-fuel engine Perkins (unknown type) was designed for installation, which was manufactured under license by the factory in Varna.
The project was ready by the end of 1988 and was also submitted for assessment by Soviet military experts, who approved it with reservations, even though they knew that the light mountain tank was also planned for export to Warsaw Pact partners and friendly powers such as Brazil in South America.
A great supporter of the light mountain tank was the Deputy Minister of Defense, Gen. Lt. Col. Boris Todorov, who insisted on the development and production of Bulgarian technology even against the will of the Soviets. Development continued, scale models and possibly wooden models in real size were produced. The production of the first prototypes was planned, which were expected to be delivered for simultaneous tests in Bulgaria and the Soviet Union.
However, on November 10, 1989, political changes took place that affected the local economy. Nevertheless, the military has begun working with Israeli manufacturers on new optoelectronic battlefield reconnaissance and fire control systems. However, the tank project began to suffer from a lack of funds, which caused the closure of the Military Scientific and Technical Institute. The designers were released and all technical documentation was destroyed and then taken to the collection points for secondary raw materials. Fortunately, a small wooden model of a light tank survived in private hands by some inadvertence, or rather by seeing.
Tank production was to be divided into several companies The Military Science and Technology Institute in Sofia (Военен научнотехнически институт, ВНТИ, София) was in charge of vehicle development and production coordination. The Zebra factory from Kurila - Novi Iskăr (Зебра, Курило - Нови Искър) was commissioned to manufacture belts with rubber feet. The propulsion unit of the Perkins system was to be supplied by Vasil Kolarov from Varna (ЗПДД Васил Коларов, Варна). Machine guns were manufactured at the Arsenal Military Repair Plant in Kazanlăk (ВРЗ Арсенал, Казанлък). The ammunition was in charge of Vazovské strojírny in Sopot (ВМЗ Сопот). The armored elements were to be supplied by the Foundries and Rolling Mills in Pernik (ДМЗ Ленин, Перник), the Khan Krum Military Repair Plant in Targovishte (ВРЗ Хан Крум, Търговище) and the Beta Military Factory in Červen (Берен). The final assembly of the vehicle and the production of 100mm cannons was to take place in the heavy engineering factory Red Mogil in Radomir (ЗТМ Червена могила, Радомир).
Known ZTD - weight: 18 tonnes - crew: 3 (commander, shooter, driver) - power unit: Bulgarian Perkins diesel license, - estimated power: 440-515 kW (600-700 hp), - calculated speed on land: 70 km, - calculated cruising speed: 6 km/h, Equipment: - 100mm cannon with a smooth bore derived from the Soviet MT-12 (40 rounds ) - machine guns: 7,62mm PKT, 12,7mm NSVT, nebo 14,5mm KPVT, - smoke grenade launchers, - armor with zeolite ceramic inserts, - Radar protection was provided by a special lining of the vehicle surface.
1 - protilokační obšívka, 2 - zeolitová keramická vložka, 3 - ocelový pancíř. Autor fotografie: Anton Oruš.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/BGR-Bezejmenny-projekt-horskeho-tanku-t239318#661416
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