Lviv Armored Vehicle Plant LBTZ

73 Stryiska str.,
c. Lviv, 79031, Ukraine
Telephone:+38(032)
234-44-90, 242-28-07

The Lviv Armored Plant [L'vivs'kyy Bronetankovyy Zavod LBTZ], created in 1944, belongs among the most stable and effective companies in Ukraine’s defense industry. The combination of high product quality and affordable prices has become the calling card of Lviv Armor Plant. LBTZ, which is incorporated with Ukroboronprom State Company, ranks among the flagship enterprises in the armor industry of Ukraine. LBTZ’s claim on leadership in its segment is confirmed by a wide range of products manufactured and repaired, as well as stable performances.

The mobile armored tank repair plant was created as military unit 33198 by the decision of the USSR Defense Committee and order No. 26 of the Main Armored Administration on May 9, 1944 , with a location in the Darnytsia district of Kyiv. The main task of the newly established plant was to repair armored vehicles damaged in battles during the Second World War and return them to the front as soon as possible. Moving west, being behind the front line and repairing armored vehicles, the mobile armored repair plant stopped on the outskirts of the city of Lviv, where it is still located. True, now it is no longer the outskirts of the city. The enterprise is located in a convenient geographical location - 90 kilometers from the border with the Republic of Poland. A railway track has been brought to the plant, warehouses have been built, and there are free production areas for the development of new types of products. The first commander was an experienced military engineer, Colonel M.F. Zavalishin. In the first year, more than a thousand T-34, SU-76 and other armored vehicles were repaired and sent to the front.

In the post-war 1950s, the plant mastered the overhaul of T-54 , T-55 tanks and engineering equipment based on the T-54, T-55 chassis, namely armored tractors BTS-4 , BTS-4A, BTS-4B, carried out development and production of bench and non-standard equipment. In the 1980s, overhaul of T-72 tanks and special engineering equipment based on them was mastered. The time came to modernize the previously repaired T-55 vehicles . This is how the modernized T-55M, T-55M-2 appeared with a reinforced undercarriage, the "Volna" fire control system, the B-46-5M engine of increased power and the KDT-2 quantum tank range finder.

A new BMR-1 demining combat vehicle was produced, and the overhaul of the IMR-1 engineering vehicle based on the T-55 tank was mastered. At the same time, the plant is engaged in the production of domestic machinery: the KGS-16 crawler crane, the GTU-1-05 crawler tractor, the LiAZ-5256 city passenger bus, the city minibus based on the Gazelle chassis, the LRMZ-460, LRMZ-580 crawler tractor with conversion equipment.

Since 1995 came the beginning of production for export. Production of spare parts for armored vehicles. Mastering and major overhaul of the modernized T-72B tank and production of the new Ukrainian tractor unit BTS-5B based on the T-72 , production of complex units for tractors. In the 2000s, the overhaul of the modernized T-72B tank and the production of the new Ukrainian tractor unit BTS-5B based on the T-72, the production of complex units for tractors were mastered. At the same time, work was carried out on the overhaul of the IMR-2 engineering machine based on the T-72 tank.

As of the end of 2012, more than 900 people worked at the enterprise. Orders for tank repairs are mainly from Asian and African countries. The enterprise employs highly qualified personnel of welders, turners, fitters, millers, and installers of electrical equipment. The design bureau employs experienced design engineers who use the tools of the "Compass" automated design system and the use of 3D modeling for numerically controlled machines in their work.

The plant performed complex work on the supply of spare parts and armored vehicles for many countries of the world and always received thanks for the high qualification of specialists and the quality of the work performed. The enterprise successfully implemented in-ground casting and casting of parts, which are cast on polystyrene foam models from ferrous and non-ferrous metals. For this purpose, it is possible to manufacture various molds for metal casting, manufacture rubber technical products and plastic products. The quality of the casting and the composition of the metal are controlled by a spark optical emission analyzer PolySpeak F (ARUN, Great Britain). Electroplating and rubber-technical products departments are working.

The technology of manufacturing metal tags using the sublimation (thermo) printing method and the technology of galvanic coating with "white" zinc has been implemented, oxidation, anodization of aluminum, chrome plating, copper plating, nickel plating and electropolishing of copper and brass parts are carried out, we manufacture complex reducers and parts of hydraulic equipment. The enterprise carried out welding of steel, cast iron and aluminum with modern semi-automatic machines of the company "Fronius" (Austria). For the manufacture of products, a portal gas-plasma high-precision cutting of metal with a thickness of 0.5 to 200 mm is used on a RUR 3000GP machine (Czech Republic) with numerical software control.

Lviv Armor Vehicle Factory is engaged in repairing of armored vehicles, production of new types of armored vehicles, repair and sale of spare parts. Lviv Armored Plant produces, repairs and upgrades armored vehicles and spare parts for them. It is engaged in the overhaul and modernization of T-72, T-64, T-55 tanks, the manufacture and overhaul of tracked fire fighting vehicles GPM-72 and GPM-54, the production of armored repair and recovery vehicles Lev and Zubr, the overhaul of BREM-1 repair and recovery vehicles, IMR-2 combat engineering vehicles and BMR-1 mine clearing armored vehicles, and the repair of tank engines and components. Lviv Armored Plant has adjusted the serial modernization of T-64 tanks to the 2017 standard, which is equipped with thermal imagers, digital radio stations, satellite navigation and new dynamic protection.

The Lviv Armored Plant has carried out serial modernization of T-64 tanks to the 2017 model modification, which is currently the main tank of this type in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The T-64 tank of the 2017 model, equipped with a new sighting system with a thermal imager, thermal imaging means of observation for all crew members, digital radio stations, satellite navigation and new dynamic protection. Previously, the modernization of T-64 tanks to this level was carried out only by the Kharkiv Armored Plant "Ukroboronprom", which has already sent more than one and a half hundred T-64s of the 2017 model to the Ukrainian army. Thanks to the capacities of the Lviv plant, the process of re-arming the army with modernized machines will go much faster.

Lviv Armored Plant, part of Ukraine's state-owned defense company Ukroboronprom, turned a profit of UAH 64 million in the first half of 2020, the company's press service has reported. "In the first half of the year, the plant manufactured UAH 204 million worth of products and sold almost UAH 542 million worth of products," Director of Lviv Armored Plant Viktor Androshchuk said during an official visit to the company by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleh Urusky and Deputy General Directors of Ukroboronprom Oleh Fomenko, Mustafa Nayyem and Mykhailo Morozov. According to Androshchuk, the plant paid UAH 29 million in taxes and duties to the budget in the first six months of 2020.

The Solomyansky District Court of Kyiv satisfied the petition filed by the Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) and dismissed from his post the Director of the Lviv Armor Vehicle Factory (LBTZ) until September 13, 2017. The official is suspected of committing a crime under Part 5 Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Misappropriation, embezzlement or conversion of property by the abuse of office”). He was given a notice of suspicion in terms of investigation of the criminal proceeding as of the fact of funds embezzlement while purchasing engines for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There are 4 more persons among other suspects.

On 06 March 2020, the High Anti-Corruption Court will hold a hearing on the merits of the case regarding the embezzlement of over 14 million hryvnias during the purchase of engines for the needs of the Armed Forces. This is reported by ArmiyaInform with reference to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP).

"On March 2, 2020, in the High Anti-Corruption Court, with the participation of SAP prosecutors, another preparatory meeting was held to consider the indictment in the criminal proceedings against the director (Roman Tymkiv. — Ed.) and the deputy director of the SE "Lviv Armored Plant", the head of the Central Armored Department of the Armed Forces, the head of the department of this department and the founder of "Bulet Line" LLC in committing the crimes provided for in Part 5 of Art. 191, Part 2 of Art. 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the message read.

It is noted that, based on the results of the preparatory meetings, the panel of judges of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry decided to appoint the specified case for consideration. "The hearing on the consideration of the indictment is scheduled for March 6, 2020," reports the press service of the SAP. Such effective stealing from the armed forces was considered by the Ukrainian media at the time as being a new low for the Ukrainian ‘elite’.

The essence of the scheme was that instead of new engines for T-72 tanks , engines that were already in use were actually purchased. In addition, in 2008-2009, these used, and sometimes non-working, engines were already sold to enterprises on the domestic market as surplus property of the Ministry of Defense. In addition, the production of this model of engines has been discontinued since the 1990s, which the initiators of the scheme were well aware of.

The SE "Lviv Armored Plant" won the tender for the supply of new B-46-6 engines to the Central Armored Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the documents, "LBTZ" purchased 40 engines from "Bulet Line" LLC and delivered them to the Central Military District Technical University of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, the evidence collected by the investigation shows that the engines actually arrived at the plant from a third party without any documentation; the contract with the LLC was fictitious, and the engines were not new, but used. In addition, these same engines were already sold on the domestic market in 2008-2009 as surplus property of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. "The amount of damages caused to the state due to the corruption offense reaches more than 14 million hryvnias," the prosecutor's office reports.

Ukraine’s state-owned defense industrial holding UkrOboronProm, in January 2016, held several rounds of negotiations with Poland’s Polski Holding Obronny (Polish Defence Holdings - PHO) on possible participation in an upgrade program centered on Poland’s PT-91 Twardy (Hard) main battle tanks, Polish Radio reported. A PHO delegation was expected to visit the Lviv Armor Vehicle Factory in western Ukraine, which undertakes a range of maintenance, upgrade, and modernization work on the T-72 tank. The PT-91 was developed from the Russian-designed T-72M1, which was built under license in Poland until 1994.

The Lviv Armored Plant repairs equipment for the ATO. More than half a dozen vehicles have already been repaired by September 2021, to go to the military and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The factory also makes separate parts for artillery installations. They say they are ready to work twice as much, there would be orders. There are 4 new T-72 tanks in the yard of the armored plant. At the plant, they say, if the Ministry of Defense had the will and the order, they would send it to the ATO at least tomorrow.

Ukrainian state-owned defense industrial group UkrOboronProm has unveiled an upgraded BTS-4 multi-purpose recovery vehicle on 27 November 2020. The BTS-4 is an advanced version of the Soviet armored recovery vehicle developed by the State Enterprise “Lviv Armored Plant” (part of the UkrOboronProm). It is designed to recover and tow heavy vehicles and handle heavy loads.

According to a UkrOboronProm news release, the BTS-4 developed to perform mechanical support on the battlefield, emergency evacuation of the damaged tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from the combat zone, withdrawal of stuck vehicles. The recovery vehicle can lift loads, dig, weld and perform technical support of tank units in the field conditions.

“Currently, the upgraded BTS-4 has successfully passed series tests and sent to the troops. I want to note that we have carried out pre-contractual work with the Ministry of Defense to restore the batch of BTS-4 armored vehicles next year, the company’s production facilities are ready,” director of “Lviv Armored Plant”, Victor Androschuk said.

The BTS-4 is based on the chassis of the T-55 tank. Mounted at the front of the hull on the left side is a hydraulic crane that can lift 12 tonnes. Other equipment of the vehicle includes also a winch capable of a 100-ton, an auxiliary winch, a hydraulically operated dozer/stabilizing blade at the front of the hull, towing equipment and a complete range of tools and recovery equipment.

In 2021, the State Enterprise “Lviv Armored Plant” also mastered the repair and modernization of the main combat tanks of the T-80. In Ukraine, tanks are T-80BV in service with units of the Air Assault Forces and the Marines of Ukraine.