Welcome to the "Pansarbandvagn 301 & Pansarbandvagn 302 // Hotspot!
This thread is your hub for everything related to the Pbv 301 and Pbv 302 in War Thunder. Here you can find and share historical research, gameplay tips, and technical discussions. It’s also the place to track bug report updates and collaborate on further vehicle research. Whether you’re here to share your knowledge, help improve the vehicles, or just learn more, everyone’s contributions are welcome!
Pansarbandvagn 301
Short overview.
Sammanfattning
The Pbv 301 was Sweden’s first purpose-built, armored personnel carrier for the armored infantry, introduced in the early 1960s under the PB 63 organization. Before its arrival, infantry mostly used bicycles, trucks, or rode on tanks for transport.
Developed by AB Landsverk and Hägglund & Söner AB using modified Strv m/41 chassis, the Pbv 301 featured a Bofors 20 mm automatic cannon m/45 (better known Akan m/45) rehoused from the Saab J 21 aircraft and converted for usage in the Pbv 301. Hägglund & Söner ultimately handled production, building 220 vehicles across three variants: troop transport, command, and fire control.
Although its service life was short (1962–1971), the Pbv 301 significantly modernized Sweden’s armored infantry tactics. However, it had limitations: cramped troop space, limited firing positions, and technical issues with its tracks and suspension. After retirement, many units were repurposed as targets and shelters on firing ranges.
Key Facts:
- In Service: 1962–1971
- Manufacturer: Hägglund & Söner
- Crew: 2 + 8 troops
- Weight: 11.7 tons
- Dimensions (L/W/H): 4.66 m / 2.23 m / 2.64 m
- Armor: 8–20 mm (front equivalent to 50 mm at 55° angle)
- Engine: Svenska Flygmotor B44, 150 hp, gasoline-powered
- Top Speed: 45 km/h
- Main Armament: 20 mm akan m/45B
- Smoke Launchers: 6
- Radios: Ra 105 or later Ra 421
Ammunition types.
Sammanfattning
- Spårljusspränggranat (slsgr m/42): High-explosive tracer rounds, with velocities around 835–855 m/s and small explosive charges.
- Spårljuspansarprojektil (slpprj m/42): Armor-piercing tracer rounds, with velocities between 830–885 m/s.
Images.
Pbv 301 Bug reports. (DM / comment @Karnitin75 me to have yours added here)
Sammanfattning
Pansarbandvagn 302
Short overview.
Sammanfattning
The Pbv 302 was developed as a modern successor to the interim Pbv 301, offering better off-road mobility, protection, and firepower. Ordered in 1963, the Pbv 302 incorporated cost-effective civilian parts to speed up development. Initially used mainly for troop transport to the battlefield, it later enabled vehicle-based fighting, leading to faster assaults and modernized armored infantry tactics.
(Akan m/47D)
The Pbv 302 served as a platform for many specialized roles beyond troop transport, including command, artillery fire control, radio relay, reconnaissance, and medical evacuation. It saw continuous upgrades over its life, such as improved armor, new sights, magazine-fed weapons, and automatic track tension systems.
The Pbv 302 remained a core vehicle of the Swedish Army from the late 1960s until 2010 and was also used in UN missions in Bosnia, where it withstood combat damage. In May 2024, Sweden announced the donation of its remaining 200 stored vehicles to Ukraine.
Key Facts:
- In Service: 1966– Now (In ukraine)
- Manufacturer: Hägglund & Söner
- Crew: 2 (driver, gunner) + 1 (commander) + 8–9 troops
- Weight: 13.5 tons
- Dimensions (L/W/H): 5.35 m / 2.86 m / 2.5 m
- Armor: up to 23 mm
- Engine: 6-cylinder Volvo PENTA THD 100B, 270 hp, diesel
- Top Speed: 66 km/h (8 km/h in water)
- Main Armament: 20 mm akan m/47 D
- Smoke Launchers: 6
- Radios: Ra 421 or later Ra 480
Ammunition types.
Sammanfattning
(Akan m/47D magazine feed)
The Pbv 302 initially used two types of 20 mm ammunition, as used in the Akan m/45B:
- Spårljusspränggranat (slsgr m/42, later m/71): High-explosive tracer rounds, with velocities around 835–855 m/s and small explosive charges (Hexotol in later versions).
- Spårljuspansarprojektil (slpprj m/42, later m/68): Armor-piercing tracer rounds, with velocities between 830–885 m/s.
Today, a “multi-purpose” round is used:
- 20/41 slbrhpgr 95: A tracer, incendiary, semi-armor-piercing shell with a hardened core, 905 m/s velocity, and about 2.3g of explosive filler.
The armor-piercing rounds are effective against armor roughly equivalent to the Pbv 302’s own protection, while the explosive rounds have a blast effect similar to a hand grenade.
Sources: Manuals for Pbv 302A, Patgb 203A, and the Army’s 1994 Ammunition Catalog.
Pbv 302 Bug reports. (DM / comment @Karnitin75 me to have yours added here)
Sammanfattning
Community Bug Reporting System
Community Bug Reporting System
Important War Thunder posts:
:Adding the internal walls to the PBV 302 (BILL 56)
Variants not in War thunder
Sammanfattning
Pbv 301 variants:
The Prototype version of the Pbv 301 armed only with a Ksp 39: Pbv 301 Ksp m/39 "The Prototype"
Pbv 302 Variants:
- Pbv 302 No. 4002 (25 mm Oerlikon Cannon)
- A prototype featuring a 25 mm Oerlikon automatic cannon, developed during the REMO project (1978–1983) aimed at modernizing the Pbv 302. : PBV 302 No.4002
- “Udes 08” Pbv 302 with Mauser MK25E
- Another prototype from the REMO project, this variant was fitted with a Mauser MK25E 25 mm cannon, enhancing its firepower. : Udes 08
- 5. Clip-on Thermal Imaging Device (Modification)
- A suggested upgrade for the Pbv 302 BILL variant, adding a clip-on thermal imaging device to improve target acquisition in low-visibility conditions. : Pbv 302 BILL thermal imaging device
Happy Reading / writing people and good luck out there!
Edit updates:
So you don’t have to comb the whole post
2025-04-26: added Bug report about Pbv 301 “Turret traverse”
2025.04-27: Added Image of ammo types. (Pbv 302, ammunition types)
