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Land Systems / Battlefield

Bolinder-Munktell Bandvagn 202 (Bv 202)

All-Terrain Cold Weather Troop Transport Vehicle [ 1964 ]

Designed for cold weather operations and soft terrain, the Swedish Bv 202 more than proved its worth in such conditions.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/13/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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The Bandvagn Bv 202 was a special military transport vehicle developed by Swedish-based Bolinder-Munktell (est. 1932) to a Swedish Army requirement calling for an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) with a troop-carrying capability. The series went into production during 1964 and this continued into 1981. The vehicle was formally introduced in 1964 and has since been superseded by the similar-minded Hagglunds Bv 206 (detailed elsewhere on this site).

The 3.5 ton Bv 202 was specifically designed for operations in Arctic conditions, made capable of traveling over soft terrain. Designers were able to provide the vehicle with very low ground pressure in the finalized form, reducing the risk of the vehicle bogging down. Wide tracks also provided the frame in traversing various surface types. The overall design encompassed a forward and rear cab joined by a flexible center section. Running gear included five road wheels to a hull side for both the front and rear cabs. The operator managed control of the vehicle by way of a traditional steering wheel while hydraulic "rams" located between the two sections were used to "bend" the vehicle at its center to help drive it to the left or right. The front cab held the engine as well as the driver and vehicle commander while the aft-cab was used to transport up to eight combat-equipped infantry. No standard armament was carried on the Bv 202 frame. Windows were provided for some level of situational awareness.

The vehicle appeared in two major variants, Mk I and Mk II. The initial production model was offered with a Volvo B18 engine of 82.5 horsepower and the follow-up model moved to a Volvo B20B engine of 97 horsepower. An amphibious capability was also added giving the Bv 202 an additional layer of tactical flexibility.

The Bv 202 was eventually taken into service by several "cold-weather" nations including Canada, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. Russia also purchased a stock of former Norwegian Bv 202 vehicles to serve the Murmansk-area tourism industry. NATO was also a prime user of the vehicle series (through British Marines).©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

BASICS [+] MANUFACTURER(S) [+] OPERATORS [+] ROLES [+] DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS [+] POWER & PERFORMANCE [+] ARMAMENT [+] AMMUNITION [+] VARIANTS [+] HONORS [+]

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