LOV-1

The LOV-1 is a wheeled non-amphibious armoured [personnel carrier] from Croatia.

History

During the Croatian War of Independence the Croatian army lacked a proper light armoured personnel carrier. The Croatian Ministry of Defense asked local firms to provide a solution for a light, fast and reliable armoured personnel carrier which could be produced quickly and in large quantities, without the need to import parts from abroad due to a UN arms embargo imposed on Croatia at the time.
Torpedo, a local firm from Rijeka, developed a basic armoured personnel carrier based on the TK-130 T-7 4x4 military truck, itself a licensed-produced and uprated TAM 110 from Slovenian TAM. The Army ordered 50 LOV-1 vehicles in late 1993, with the initial batch being delivered in 1994 and presented to the public on a military parade in May 1995 in Zagreb.
All LOV-1s were replaced by Patria AMV and MRAP vehicles.

LOV-OP - basic variant armed with M2 Browning machine gun for transporting up to eight infantrymenLOV-Z - unarmed command variant with additional radio equipment, air-conditioning and sound insulationLOV-IZV - reconnaissance and scout vehicle armed with a 20mm RT-20 heavy sniper rifle and a light 8-round 60mm MLRS called Obad LOV-ABK - NBC warfare vehicle LOV-RAK 24/128 mm - equipped with a 24-tube 128mm MLRS, only 2 prototypes builtLOV-UP1 - artillery observation vehicle for directing artillery fire and spotting enemy artillery positions equipped with GPS, thermal imaging, laser range finder and ground artillery radar LOV-UP2 - artillery command vehicleLOV-ED - electronic warfare vehicleLOV T2 - improved variant that entered service in 1997, only a few built

The LOV-1 saw action in the Croatian War of Independence, particularly in Operations Flash and Storm.