YPR-765

The YPR-765 is a Dutch infantry fighting vehicle that is based on the AIFV design that was developed by the FMC Corporation.[1] It replaced the AMX-13 and YP-408 of the Royal Netherlands Army and entered service in 1977.[2][3] The Dutch YPR-765s were later replaced by the CV90, Fennek and Boxer.[4][5]

YPR-765

History

In 1973 the Royal Netherlands Army started a project to look for a new infantry fighting vehicle to replace the AMX-13.[6] During the course of this project several countries made proposals to sell their infantry fighting vehicles to the Netherlands.[7] In 1974 the Royal Netherlands Army started to show interest in the improved M113, later named Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV), which was developed by the FMC Corporation.[8] After performing tests with the vehicle in that same year and making several adjustments to the design to meet the Royal Netherlands Army requirements, the Dutch Ministry of Defence placed a order in 1975 for 889 YPR-765s at a cost of around 700 million Dutch guilders.[6][8][9] The order included twelve different variants of the vehicle, such as an armored medical evacuation vehicle and an armored personnel carrier.[10]

The vehicles were built by the FMC Corporation together with several Dutch companies such as DAF and Philips.[7] The division of labor was that FMC Corporation built the chassis of the vehicle, while DAF was responsible for the interior and constructed the 227 specially designed turrets that were equipped with an 25 mm Oerlikon KBA-B02 cannon.[2][6][11] In addition, Philips designed the fire control system of the YPR-765.[2] The final assembly of putting all the different parts together was also done by DAF.[12]

A follow-up order for 160 YPR-765s was placed in 1978 at a cost of 63 million Dutch guilders.[13] 116 of these vehicles were equipped with TOW launchers, while 36 would be built as command vehicles and 8 as recovery vehicles.[14] The additional cost of equipping the 116 vehicles with turrets that can launch TOW missiles was estimated at 55 million Dutch guilders.[14]

The Dutch government placed a third order in 1980 for 185 YPR-765s at a cost of 256 million Dutch guilders.[15] 107 of these vehicles were to be equipped with TOW launchers.[16] Like previous orders the YPR-765s would be built by FMC Corporation together with Dutch companies, which in this order would be DAF and RSV.[15]

In 1980 the Dutch Ministry of Defence was also looking at four different vehicles that could replace the 743 YP-408s of the Royal Netherlands Army, which included the Marder, TPZ-1, YPR-765 and XM-2.[17] For the replacement of the YP-408 the Dutch government had reserved around 1.1 billion Dutch guilders.[15] The following year, in 1981, it was decided to order 841 YPR-765s as a replacement.[3] However, unlike the first series of YPR-765s that replaced the AMX-13, this series would be fully built in the Netherlands by a consortium of DAF and RSV.[18] This was the result of the consortium acquiring the license rights to built the vehicles.[19] FMC Corporation had offered to built the vehicles for a lower price than the DAF-RSV consortium, but the Dutch government wanted to stimulate employment in the Netherlands.[18]

Around 1990 the Royal Netherlands Army had 2140 YPR-765s in service.[20]

Service history

More than 100 YPR-765s of the Royal Netherlands Army were active in Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the Dutch troops that participated in the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[21]

Export

Ukraine

In early April 2023 it was reported that the Netherlands had donated 196 YPR-765s to Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[22][23][24]Egypt bought a total of 599 second hand YPR-765’s in 1994, that had formerly been used by the Netherlands ‘Koninklijke Landmacht’. Other export customers were:: Chile (150), Bahrein (25), Jordan (441).

Belgium also operated 1.189 YPR-765’s.

Notes

Citations
  1. "YPR-765 tracked armored vehicles donated by Netherlands are now deployed with Ukraine army, Army Recognition". Army Recognition. 13 May 2022.
  2. "Nieuwe gevechtsvoertuigen voor Nederlandse infanterie". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 13 October 1977.
  3. "Contract legerorder getekend". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 3 June 1981.
  4. "YPR-pantserrupsvoertuig". Ministerie van Defensie (in Dutch).
  5. Staarman (2009), p. 126.
  6. H.F. van Loon (17 December 1977). "Majoor P.S. Heikoop: „Nieuwe gevechtswagen van Nederlandse leger een optimaal voertuig"". De Telegraaf (in Dutch).
  7. "Gevechtsvoertuigen bij DAF overgedragen: Stemerdink belooft nieuwe opdrachten". De Waarheid (in Dutch). 12 October 1977.
  8. Staarman (2009), p. 128.
  9. "Opdrachten voor industrie van Navo op komst". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 12 October 1977.
  10. "Eerste nieuwe gevechtswagens voor minister Stemerdink". Het Vrije Volk (in Dutch). 12 October 1977.
  11. Staarman (2009), p. 130.
  12. Staarman (2009), p. 129.
  13. "Aanvullende bestelling pantserrupsvoertuigen". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 28 October 1978.
  14. "Eerste Legerkorps KL krijgt nieuwe pantserrupsvoertuigen". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 1 November 1978.
  15. "Defensie wil voor f 265 miljoen aan pantserwagens kopen". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 10 December 1980.
  16. "Kabinet wil voor 256 miljoen pantserrupsvoertuigen". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 10 December 1980.
  17. "Defensie zoekt nieuw pantsergevechtsvoertuig". Nederlands Dagblad (in Dutch). 11 December 1980.
  18. "Kabinet aanvaardt meerkosten van honderd miljoen: Pantserorder toch naar DAF-RSV". Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 16 May 1981.
  19. "Extra werkgelegenheid gaf doorslag: Pantserorder naar DAF-RSV". Limburgsch Dagblad (in Dutch). 16 May 1981.
  20. Staarman (2009), p. 132.
  21. Tubaas, Peter (23 September 1998). "The versatile YPR 765". SFOR Informer (45).
  22. Mitchell van de Klundert (13 April 2023). "Defensie publiceert lijst met wapenleveranties aan Oekraïne". Nieuwsuur (in Dutch).
  23. "Militaire steun aan Oekraïne". Ministerie van Defensie (in Dutch).
  24. "Netherlands reveals list of weapons & combat vehicles sent to Ukraine". Army Recognition. 14 April 2023.

References

Staarman, Alfred (2009). "De YPR-765 in de Koninklijke Landmacht". Armamentaria 2008-2009. Jaarboek Legermuseum (in Dutch) (43).

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