Defence equipment
The company had performed different levels of repairs of defence equipment since its establishment shortly after the WW2. Initially these were repairs of materiel used in the course of WW2, namely of German, British or American origin.
Subsequently repairs of soviet made equipment such as main battle tanks, self-propelled guns, artillery towers and armoured personnel carriers were introduced.
In mid 1960s the company launched refurbishing of the equipment newly introduced in the Czechoslovak Army, e.g. T-54 & T-55 MBTs, OT-62, OT-64 & BRDM APCs, tracked chassis for tactical rocket launchers, T-141 automobile towers, trailers and other defence equipment.
In the 1970s we began to manufacture teaching aids (cross sections, mock ups or wall charts), facilities required for training and maintenance and we also launched production of mission packages for armoured personnel carriers, (command posts, communications vehicles, mobile workshops, etc.). The main battle tanks and armoured personnel carriers were continuously upgraded.
The 1980s were significant for introduction of repairs of new generation materiel such as T-72 MBTs or BMP-1 & BMP-2 IFVs. In addition the company substantially enhanced production of teaching aids and simulators for this equipment.
In consequence of the Vienna documents the quantities of main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers were substantially reduced. Using the chassis of the obsolete vehicles we developed and manufactured several special mission kits. These were for instance fire fighting tanks, snow ploughs, earth moving machine, slag-removing machine. We built mobile workshops, command post vehicles, reconnaissance and observation systems, command post vehicles, all based upon BMP-1 chassis.
At the turn of the century, production of various mobile workshops of both containerised as well as box van type got a green light. We introduced repairs and manufacture of engineer equipment. We also developed and manufactured highly specialised mobile field laboratories, field hospitals, state-of-the art reconnaissance and observation devices, light-weight mortars or special ammunition.
Among the significant contracts awarded to VOP-026 Šternberk, s.p. is the refurbishing and upgrade of 350 BMP-1s for the Swedish Armed Forces or upgrade of the T-72 MBTs to the requirement of the Army of the Czech Republic.