State Enterprise “Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau”, which is a part of  UkrOboronProm,  is working with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine on a new generation of infantry fighting vehicle, that will be capable to replace ageing BMP-1 and BMP-2 in service of Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the SmartTender electronic trading platform,  SE “Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau” placed a production order on a demonstration mock-up (in scale 1:15) of a new tracked, medium-weight armoured fighting vehicle, called the BMP-U. In a request for proposal, there was an attachment the first official image of a new BMP-U infantry fighting vehicle.

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The BMP-U will be relatively inexpensive and simple to operate infantry fighting vehicle equipped with the new modular turret that can accommodate a wide range of weapons, including main guns of up to 30 mm in calibre as well as Barrier anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), 30 mm grenade launcher and 7,76 mm automatic gun.

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The BMP-U will be holding a crew of three (a gunner both seated in the turret and a commander with a driver seated in the front hull) along with seven or six fully equipped soldiers, who are seated facing each other in the rear hull compartment.

The new medium-weight armoured fighting vehicle has six pairs of tracked road wheels on either side.

The first BMP-U prototype is expected to perform its first test in 2018. The new generation of Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle designed as a private venture.