A Ukrainian prototype weapon was spotted on the battlefield

What is the BMP-55?

A rare Ukrainian prototype infantry fighting vehicle developed from the remains of older Soviet-era tanks was spotted possibly destroyed on the battlefield in Ukraine according to photo evidence published online. 

Photos circulated online

Photos of a damaged BMP-55 began circulating social media as early as April 22nd. They might have first been posted by the Vodohrai Telegram channel. The images appear to show that a prototype Ukrainian weapon, the BMP-55, had been destroyed somewhere in Ukraine.

Photo Credit: X @T_90AK

Partially destroyed?

“It still has tracks, mortars for setting up smoke screens, and the remains of an anti-tank missile launcher,” explained Militarnyi about the weird prototype infantry fighting vehicle. However, how the BMP-55 made its way onto the battlefield is unclear. 

Photo Credit: X @T_90AK

An odd prototype

The BMP-55 combat vehicle is an odd prototype weapon that was developed from the chassis of a Soviet T-55 tank but upgraded with modern systems to make it a more formidable modern weapon.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons, Uncedited, Public Domain

Converting older tanks

“The main idea was to convert outdated tanks that no longer met the requirements of the modern battlefield into armored vehicles for infantry transportation,” Militarnyi noted. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Khaosaming, Own Work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Little information is known

There isn’t a lot of information about the BMP-55 but we do know that it was developed by the Kharkiv Machine Building Design Bureau (KMBD) according to the Defence Blog. 

Modernization efforts

The BMP-55 is a prototype combat vehicle that was part of a Ukrianian modernization effort aimed at repurposing the chassis of older Soviet-era T-55 tanks so they could be deployed in battle. 

The main gun was removed

The main turret of the T-55 was scrapped and the vehicle’s engine and transmission were relocated to the front section of the BMP-55’s hull, giving it an odd appearance but room to carry infantry soldiers. 

Photo Credit: X @T_90AK

Shifting the engine placement

Shifting the engine placement allowed for a rear mounted ramp to be added, which in turn facilitates the faster dismount of infantry while the BMP-55 is operating in battle.  

Photo Credit: X @T_90AK

Thick armor

According to Defence Blog, what specifications we have rate the BMP-55’s armor at 40mm, meaning it can withstand 14.5mm armor piercing rounds to NATO Level 4 standards. 

Photo Credit: X @T_90AK

Mine resistance

The BMP-55 was also given a significant upgrade to its hull armor, which can reportedly protect against a TM-57 anti-tank mine, which meets the  NATO Level 5 standard. 

Better than other IFVs

Militarnyi reported that the BMP-55 was given better armor protection than older Soviet BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). 

A powerful weapon

All-in-all, the BMP-55 is a powerful infantry fighting vehicle designed to ferry up to ten soldiers into battle while being crewed by three operators who can provided a significant amount of firepower while on mission. 

Offensive capabilities

The War Zone reported images of the BMP-55 suggest it was fitted with a remote weapon station featuring a 12.7mm heavy machine gun and pair of anti-tank missile launchers. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @mag_vodogray / Edited by The Daily Digest

The idea behind the BMP-55

The BMP-55 was only a prototype and conceived mainly as a possible export upgrade option that offered a buying nation a cost-effective way to update and repurpose older T-55s tanks into heavy infantry fighting vehicles according to Defence Blog.