The Czech company EXCALIBUR ARMY spol. s r. o. is presenting, at the 11th International IDET 2011 Exhibition of Defence and Security Technologies, a technology demonstrator of the MGC-1 armoured personnel carrier. The presented spectrum of passive, reactive and active technologies of ballistic and mine protection an offer to potential customers enabling them to choose the appropriate system of vehicle protection against envisaged threats relevant to specific deployment roles. This technology demonstrator gives an opportunity for the considerable quantity of still existing original BMP-1s & BMP-2s (and other types of light and medium weight armoured vehicles) to continue in further full-featured operation under the service conditions of the current armed forces. It is possible to substantially improve the protection of the crews of these vehicles that can compare to at least the level of protection of recently introduced combat vehicles whilst requiring considerably lower procurement funds.

These combat vehicles are currently used mostly in operations that are referred to as asymmetric wars or asymmetric operations, in which modern equipped troops are effectively opposed by an enemy equipped with weapons several generations older (e.g. RPG-7 introduced in 1962) or frequently using improvised explosive devices (IED). In 2010 more than 75 % of casualties among the allied troops deployed to Afghanistan were caused by RPG or IED, this in spite of the fact that the allied forces are equipped with the latest types of armoured vehicles whose protection is continuously being enhanced. In this regard, advanced countries´ armed forces pay the utmost attention to the protection of personnel. The displayed technology demonstrator offers several elements/systems increasing the Vehicle‘s ballistic protection. These systems may either be combined in different ways or the chosen protection systems may be applied to the entire vehicle.

• New MGC-14.5 turret equipped with a 14.5 mm machine gun and coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, equipped with reactive add-on armour of the ERA or NXRA type on the sides and rear of the turret (protection against RPG and ATGM)

• Active ballistic protection system of the rear of the vehicle (protection against RPG and ATGM)

• Add-on passive armour package (protection against armour piercing projectiles on level 4 to STANAG 4569)

• Increased mine resistance of the bottom, installation of suspended seats (protection on level 2 to STANAG 4569)

• SLAT armour (protection against RPG)