Infantry fighting vehicles of Bulgaria

The BMP-23 (бойна машина на пехотата) is a Bulgarian infantry fighting vehicle which was first introduced in the early 1980s. It was based on a design from the Bulgarian design bureau from the 1970s, being presented in the 1980s. The hull is based on that of the Soviet 2S1 self-propelled howitzer (also produced by Bulgaria) with thicker armour and a more powerful diesel engine, which is itself based on a stretched MT-LB chassis. Since the 2S1 is a larger vehicle, the troop transport compartment is not as cramped as that of the BMP-1. The armour is made of welded rolled steel, capable of withst