The war in Ukraine has offered an excellent opportunity to assess the capabilities of Western weapon systems in a state-on-state war.  

Although the United States has been the main supporter of the Ukrainian military, dozens of other countries have sent Kyiv weapon systems. And one of those weapon systems is performing quite well in the fighting.  

The Dutch YPR-756 

With a name similar to that of a Star Wars robot, the YPR-756 is a reliable infantry fighting vehicle that can perform on the modern battlefield. Made for the Dutch military and now in service with the Ukrainian forces, the YPR-756 is an unusual but honest infantry fighting vehicle.  

The Dutch military first introduced the YPR-765 in 1977 as a replacement for the French-made AMX-VCI light tank. Soon, it became the Dutch military’s main infantry fighting vehicle designed to support maneuver warfare on European fields in the event of a conflict with Russia. 

It has a crew of three (commander, gunner, and driver) and can carry up to seven fully-equipped mechanized infantrymen.  

The YPR-756 is relatively fast and can achieve speeds of about thirty-eight miles per hour, or sixty-one kilometers per hour, and has an operational range of around 300 miles, or 490 kilometers. 

In terms of weapons systems, the Dutch-made infantry fighting vehicle packs a 25mm autocannon and a 7.62mm machine gun. The armored vehicle can also be fitted with additional weapon systems, including 120mm mortar and M2 0.5 caliber heavy machine guns, and sensors depending on the battlefield requirements.  

As far as mission sets go, the YPR-765 is mainly designed to transport mechanized infantry into the fight and cover them with its weapons. However, it can also conduct armored reconnaissance and medical transport.  

Fighting In Ukraine  

Over the summer, the Dutch government announced another transfer of YPR-756 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. 

“These types of armored vehicles are very important for Ukraine. They are agile, can move troops quickly, and can be deployed in exploratory, offensive,e and defensive roles,” Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren had said about the transfer of the infantry fighting vehicles to the Ukrainian military.  

The Netherlands has transferred over 350 YPR-756s to the Ukrainian military and helped it defend against Russian aggression. The Netherlands will likely send additional infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv down the line since it has a remaining inventory of approximately 1,500 YPR-756s.  

The fighting in Ukraine has shown the great value of infantry fighting vehicles on the modern battlefield. They offer protection, mobility, and firepower to mechanized infantry and are ideal for maneuver warfare. The Ukrainian military has been using infantry fighting vehicles profusely, and they have made a difference in Kyiv’s offensive operations. Although infantry fighting vehicles can’t carry as many troops as armored personnel carriers, they can use their weapon systems and sensors to better support a dismounted infantry assault.  

In addition, with the right training and weapon systems (and luck), infantry fighting vehicles can even take on main battle tanks. 

 Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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