The IKV 91 used to be amphibious in-game, and its removal hasn’t been accompanied by any historical justification I’m aware of. Given the vehicle’s documented characteristics, I think this warrants revisiting.
The IKV 91 was light enough to cross calm lakes and rivers with minimal preparation — primarily the deployment of engine air intake screens. The heavier IKV 91-105 needed these more consistently, but the base variant could manage without them under suitable conditions. The attached photograph shows one doing exactly that.
Rather than arguing over whether the preparation requirement makes it “truly” amphibious, I’d propose modeling it directly: a stationary ~10–15 second deployment action, after which the amphibious trait activates. The vehicle can’t move or fire during that window. This already exists in the game in analogous forms — the Strv 103’s earth spade, dozer blade deployment — so it’s not a new mechanic, just an application of one.
The PT-76 comparison also matters here. Its bow trim vane plate deployment is modeled, and nobody argues it shouldn’t be amphibious because of it being raised. The IKV 91 sits in the same category of “low-prep amphibious vehicle” and is being treated inconsistently.
The IKV 91-105 case is harder to defend in the current state: it was specifically designed with a stabilized gun for accurate fire while in water. A vehicle purpose-built for aquatic combat that can’t float is a strange outcome.
Happy to hear if anyone has documentation supporting the removal. But absent that, I think restoring this via a deployable screen mechanic is a clean and historically grounded fix.
