Where are the bridge numbers of BTR 80. Heavy armored personnel carriers of different countries

The military conflicts of recent decades, in which the center of combat clashes has mostly moved to urban areas, have made adjustments to the development trends of armored vehicles. In addition, the rapid development of anti-tank weapons and the appearance in the armies of many countries of large-caliber snipers, or as they are called in the West, “antimaterial guns,” which can be translated as rifles against equipment, also played a role. In this regard, armored vehicle designers began developing armored vehicles designed to equip motorized infantry (motorized rifle) units, with a higher level of protection, approximately the same as a tank. The most rational way to create such combat vehicles for infantry was to convert obsolete tank models into armored personnel carriers. By a strange coincidence (and perhaps quite naturally), the most common type of tank, which served as the basis for the creation of heavy armored personnel carriers, was the Soviet T-55. In this issue, we offer readers materials about the transformation of the T-55 into an infantry vehicle, and will also tell you about some other types of heavy armored personnel carriers.

RUSSIA. HEAVY ARMORED TRANSPORTER BTR-T

Creation
To provide a higher level of protection for infantrymen of motorized rifle units operating in conjunction with tanks, in Russia, based on the T-55 tank chassis, the Omsk Design Bureau of Transport Engineering (KBTM) developed a prototype of a new heavy armored personnel carrier, designated BTR-T (heavy armored personnel carrier). It was first demonstrated at the VTTV-97 arms exhibition in Omsk in 1997.

The construction of the BTR-T heavy armored personnel carrier was carried out at the Omsk Transport Engineering Plant (Omsktransmash).

According to the designers, large number of the T-55 tanks available in Russia, which can be converted into BTR-T, would provide the army with relatively inexpensive and highly protected infantry fighting vehicles. According to some sources, the export price of the BTR-T is 600 thousand USD; accordingly, the conversion of the T-55 tank into the BTR-T is much cheaper.

Design
New heavy armored personnel carrier BTR-T is based on the chassis of the T-55 tank, from which the turret was removed and the hull was expanded to provide additional space for the crew and troops in the front of the vehicle and the engine and transmission compartment was retained in the rear of the vehicle.
The crew of the car consists of two people. The driver is in the front part in the same place and the commander-gunner is in the turret. The troop compartment can carry five fully equipped infantrymen.

For landing and landing of troops there are hatches in the roof: in front on the right and behind the turret. Since the roof of the habitable compartment is higher than the level of the hull roof, two more hatches were made in the rear part of the cabin. The covers of these hatches open upward and have built-in prism blocks for observation. For the same purpose, the troop compartment is also equipped with periscope devices.

The BTR-T heavy armored personnel carrier has a combat weight of 38.5 tons (compared to 36 tons of the standard T-55 tank). If we take into account that the BTR-T body has a mass of 27 tons, it becomes clear that the bulk of the BTR-T’s increased weight by more than 10 tons went to strengthening the armor protection of the vehicle.
Frontal armor parts and sides are equipped with the latest generation Kontakt-5 dynamic protection package, which provides high level protection not only from cumulative, but also from armor-piercing sub-caliber ammunition. A similar remote sensing device is used on modern Russian tanks T-80U and T-90S.

In addition, the BTR-T has a reinforced hull bottom to increase the vehicle’s survivability when detonated by anti-tank mines. This is ensured by additional armoring of the bottom, which is welded to it at intervals, forming an air gap between the additional armor and the bottom itself, which significantly reduces the impact of a blast wave when detonated by a mine.

In order to compensate for the increased mass and maintain mobility at the same level, no lower than it was on the T-55 tank, a more powerful V-46-6 engine was installed on the vehicle, developing a power of 780 hp. The car's transmission has also been improved.

A low-profile turret is installed in the front part of the hull, on which elements of the weapon system are mounted.

The weapon system on the BTR-T may have a different composition, because it is made in the form of various modules that can be installed on the machine depending on its purpose or customer requirements.

Weapon options for installation on the BTR-T

The following armament options for the BTR-T are provided:
1. 30-mm 2A42 automatic cannon and two Konkurs ATGM launchers;
2. 30-mm automatic cannon 2A42 and 30-mm automatic grenade launcher AG-17;
3. Two double-barreled 30-mm machine guns 2A38;
4. 12.7 mm NSVT-12.7 “Utes” (or “Kord”) machine gun and two “Konkurs” ATGM launchers;
5. 12.7-mm machine gun NSVT-12.7 “Utes” (or “Kord”) and 30-mm automatic grenade launcher AG-17.

In addition, in addition to being used as part of modules with a weapons complex, Russian development and production, they can also be equipped with Western-made weapons.

Like many armored fighting vehicles Russian production The BTR-T has thermal smoke equipment for setting up smoke screens by injecting fuel into the exhaust tract. In addition, there are four blocks (three launchers each) for launching smoke or aerosol grenades. Smoke (aerosol) curtains from these blocks are placed in front of the vehicle.

Basic tactics technical specifications heavy BTR-T:
Combat weight, t - 38,5
Crew + troops, persons - 2+5
Maximum speed, km/h - 50
Engine
- brand- B-46-6
- power, hp - 780
Armament (option):
- basic- 30 mm automatic cannon 2A42
- additional- 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun
- PU ATGM "Konkurs-M"
Ammunition, (shots):
- for 30 mm gun 2A42 - 200
- for PKT machine gun - 2000
- for ATGM - 3
Armor protection- provides protection against RPGs and ATGMs

JORDAN. HEAVY APC AB14 TEMSAH

"Temsah", armed with a 20 mm cannon and a 4-pod ATGM launcher

If just two decades ago the construction and even modernization of armored vehicles was the fate of only small quantity states with a high level of industry, then in lately There is an increase in manufacturers of such equipment. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has recently joined their ranks. For almost ten recent years The Jordanian company KADDB (King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau) presents its developments in the field of armored vehicles at international arms exhibitions.

With regard to tanks, KADDB was modernizing them, but with regard to heavy infantry fighting vehicles, it was able to present a new development. However, this is understandable; heavy armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles were born in the Middle East, although they first appeared on the other side of the Jordan. Due to certain circumstances Arab countries they do not adopt Israeli experience and do not invite specialists from this country. In addition, there are no Soviet-built tanks in Jordan. With the participation of the Mechanology Design Bureau (MDB) from South Africa, the American General Dynamics Land Systems and the Jordanian CLS, a highly protected fighting machine for infantry AB14 "Temsah". It is designed on the basis of the Centurion tank chassis. However, it had to be considerably rearranged, so we can say that “Temsah” is a purely Jordanian creation.

Layout
The layout of the new machine is made with a front-mounted power plant. In other words, the hull of the Centurion tank was turned 180 degrees. The vehicle's power plant uses an American AVDS 1790 diesel engine with a power of 950 hp, which is also used in the modernization of M60A1 tanks in Jordan. The transmission is automatic CD 1000, has two forward gears and one reverse gear. The suspension of the armored personnel carrier is hydropneumatic balanced. The dynamic stroke of the roller is +350 and -100 mm.

Interior "Temsah"

The vehicle's armor has been significantly enhanced compared to the base chassis of the Centurion tank. It provides protection for the crew and troops inside the vehicle not only from fire small arms, but also from artillery ammunition. The design of the hull provides for the installation of dynamic protection, which will make the heavy armored personnel carrier more survivable when exposed to fire from hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers. True, it is not reported whose developments formed the basis of the proposed dynamic protection. In addition, the developers believe that the front location of the power plant increases the survivability of the vehicle’s crew on the battlefield when fired from the frontal projections. The body of the armored personnel carrier has a relatively small height, just over two meters, which also, in the opinion of the vehicle’s creators, increases its survivability on the battlefield. Hull superstructures - towers with various options weapon systems are uninhabited and controlled remotely from the vehicle body.

Recently, KADDB presented another example of the Temsah heavy armored personnel carrier, which does not have any weapon system at all. On the roof of the vehicle body there is a small superstructure with relatively large armored glass on all sides, providing good review from the car. If necessary, these glasses are covered with armored shields, which have slots for observation.

Jordanian heavy armored personnel carrier "Temsah" with a superstructure (driver's turret) and without weapons

The crew of the Temsah armored personnel carrier consists of two people: a driver and a commander, who is also the operator of the weapons complex. The airborne infantry fighting vehicle squad is designed to accommodate 10 infantrymen in full gear. It should be noted that it is quite spacious and has a length of 3350 mm, a width of 1770 mm and a height of 1455 mm.

The vehicle is not equipped with loopholes for firing personal weapons. However, to monitor the terrain by the landing party, television cameras can be installed, and there are 4 liquid crystal television monitors inside the landing compartment. The infantrymen in the vehicle are positioned along the sides, with their backs to them. For landing and landing of troops, the vehicle is equipped with a folding ramp in the rear with a mechanical drive. There are also hatches in the rear of the troop compartment roof. Their number, depending on the version of the machine, can be different - from one to six.

Inside the vehicle, under the landing seats, there are stowages for dry rations and water for all people in the vehicle. According to the developers, water and food supplies provide the vehicle with the ability to operate autonomously for 48 hours.

Options
The vehicle's armament may vary. Until now, two weapons variants of the Temsah armored personnel carrier have been demonstrated: in one, it was used as part of the weapon complex heavy machine gun, installed in a remotely controlled turret module, and two INGWE ATGM launchers, manufactured in South Africa. In another version - with an automatic 20-mm cannon, a coaxial machine gun and 4 INGWE ATGM launchers, also installed in a remotely controlled turret module.

The Temsah's weapons are stabilized in two planes. The rate of fire of the automatic cannon is 200 rounds per minute, its ammunition load is 300 shells, of which only 150 are ready for use. The rest are stowed in the vehicle and need to be loaded after using up the ammunition belt located on the turret. The target firing range of the cannon is 2000 m. The cannon can fire in single shots or in bursts.

"Temsah", armed with a 20-mm automatic cannon and a two-container ATGM launcher (ZT-35 "Ingwe") in the turret

The M240 coaxial 7.62mm machine gun is a tank version of the famous Belgian FN MAG. The target firing range is 1200 m, the ammunition load is 2600 rounds, of which only 600 are ready for use. The remaining 2000 are. stowed inside the troop compartment of the vehicle. The ATGM ammunition load is 4 missiles - only those in the launchers. The firing range of the INGWE ATGM is from 500 to 5000 m.
To set up smoke screens, smoke grenade launchers are mounted on the tower module.

The weapon is aimed remotely from the vehicle body. Observation of the battlefield and aiming is carried out on a liquid crystal television monitor installed at the workplace of the vehicle commander. The elevation angles of the weapon range from -8 to +40 degrees, which, in my opinion, is not quite sufficient, since the vehicle is designed to operate in urban and mountainous terrain, which is more than sufficient in Jordan.

Options are provided for using the Temsah armored personnel carrier chassis as a tracked armored medical vehicle, command post, as well as for the base under self-propelled guns and mortars.

BTR "Temsah" as a platform for weapons

As standard, the machine is equipped with collective protection systems, air conditioning and a fire protection system.

The main tactical and technical characteristics of the heavy armored personnel carrier "Temsah":
Combat weight, t - 49,5
Crew + troops, persons - 2+10
Dimensions, mm:
- length - 7962
- width - 3766
- height along the roof of the building - 2080
- ground clearance - 500
Engine
- brand- AVDS 1790
- power, hp - 950
Specific power, hp/t - 19,2 - 4
Armament (option):
- basic- 20 mm automatic cannon
- additional- 7.62 mm M240 machine gun
- guided weapons complex- PU ATGM INGWE
Ammunition, (shots):
- for 20 mm gun - 150+150
- for the M240 machine gun - 600+2000
- for ATGM - 4
Fuel capacity, l - 950
Armor protection- provides protection against RPGs

ISRAEL. HEAVY ARMORED TRANSPORTER "ACHZARIT"

Creation
Israel is considered a pioneer in the creation of heavy armored personnel carriers. Israeli engineers were prompted to this by the experience of the war in Lebanon in 1982, most of the fighting was fought in urban conditions. If the American-made M60A1 tanks in service with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were to some extent protected from fire from hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers by the dynamic protection (RA) used for the first time, then the American M113 armored personnel carriers became easy prey for Arab grenade launchers. Israeli Merkava Mk1 tanks were not equipped with dynamic protection. It was believed that the level of protection and survivability on the battlefield of this vehicle was already quite high. But in vain. The Merkavas were burning from grenade launcher fire, like all the other tanks. But still, armored personnel carriers and the infantry sitting in them suffered the most.

Having studied the experience of that war, the SDI leadership developed tactical and technical specifications for the development of a heavy armored personnel carrier, which later received the name “Achzarit”. In accordance with them, it was supposed to be a highly protected vehicle, capable of operating in local conditions together with the main Merkava tanks. The idea of creating such a vehicle was prompted by its successful use in urban conditions as a means of delivering infantry to the battlefield. engineering vehicle barrage "Puma", made on the chassis of the main tank "Centurion".

Israeli heavy tracked armored personnel carrier "Akhzarit" Mk1 created on the basis of the T-55 tank

The development of heavy armored personnel carriers in Israel initially involved the use of a variety of chassis, including the chassis of the Merkava and Centurion tanks. The first prototypes of the Achzarit armored personnel carrier were built in 1987. Subsequently, the option of creating a vehicle on the chassis of the T-55 tank was worked out, which were received in large quantities Israeli army as trophies during the Arab-Israeli wars and then were restored for several years for SDI.

Akhzarit Mk1 armored personnel carrier with an additional commander's cupola

Tests of prototypes of the Achzarit vehicles based on the T-55 showed some advantages compared to previously tested versions and especially the lower cost of the vehicle. They were adopted by the Israeli Defense Forces as a heavy armored personnel carrier and the start of their mass production took place in 1988. The production of heavy Achzarit armored personnel carriers was carried out in SOI workshops and at the Military Plant located in Tel Hashomer, which is not far from Tel Aviv.

According to various estimates, there are currently approximately 400-500 such vehicles in the Israeli armed forces.

Heavy armored personnel carrier "Akhzarit" Mk1 overcomes the descent

Machine design
When converting a T-55 tank into a heavy armored personnel carrier, its chassis is completely disassembled and then restored, but with some modifications. The tank's turret is dismantled and an additional superstructure is welded onto the vehicle's body in the area of the crew compartment, which forms the control compartment and the troop compartment. The engine and transmission compartment is located at the rear of the vehicle, but instead of the standard engine and transmission, a power plant from the Israeli company NIMDA is installed in it, which has slightly smaller dimensions and a more powerful engine.

Additional armor developed in Israel is installed on the body of the vehicle, which, according to the developers, provides this vehicle with the best protection among all available vehicles of this type in the world.

The habitable compartment of the vehicle can accommodate up to 10 people, including a crew of three: the vehicle commander, driver and machine gun gunner. The driver's seat remains at the front left. Above it there is a separate hatch, the lid of which opens to the left. Four periscope daytime surveillance devices are installed in front of the hatch, one of which in the center can be replaced with a passive night surveillance device for night driving.

The commander of the vehicle is located to the right of the driver and has a rotating periscope daytime observation device mounted on the roof of the vehicle and a square hatch, the lid of which opens backwards. On the right in front of the vehicle is the machine gun gunner, who controls the RAFAEL Overhead Weapon Station with a 7.62 mm M240 machine gun mounted on it. The machine gun is stabilized in two planes and is aimed using remote control from inside the vehicle. Sighting system The installation is equipped with day and night thermal imaging sights.
In addition to the remote-controlled machine gun mount, the Achzarit armored personnel carrier also has three additional 7.62 mm machine guns mounted on pivot mounts: one on the vehicle commander’s hatch and two in the rear of the vehicle’s troop compartment. To fire from these machine guns, you need to open the hatch covers and lean out of them.

Seven infantrymen are accommodated in the rear crew compartment of the vehicle: three in a solid bench seat on the left side, three in individual jump seats on the right, and one centrally located at the rear of the troop compartment.

Aft door with ramp for infantrymen to exit
The driver, commander and gunner of the machine gun mount each have their own hatch. The commander's hatch cover can be opened halfway for observation. Behind the vehicle crew hatches there are two additional hatches: one in the center of the troop compartment and the other slightly to the left and behind.

The stock B-55 diesel engine and manual transmission were removed and a NIMDA power plant was installed. This unusual and extremely compact power plant made it possible to make an exit for the landing force at the rear of the vehicle on the right side, closed by an armored hydraulically hinged door. Its lower part folds down and serves as a ladder, and the upper part opens upward. The aft exit for the landing was made without changing the configuration of the vehicle hull. In addition, infantry can embark and disembark through hatches in the roof of the crew compartment.

The power plant combines various units, the main ones of which are identical to those used on the version modernized in Israel Soviet tank T-55, which received the name “Samovar” there, as well as on the American 155-mm self-propelled gun M109. Both of these machines are used in large quantities in the Israeli Defense Forces.

The power plant of the Achzarit Mk1 armored personnel carrier, supplied by the Israeli company NIMDA, consists of an American two-stroke liquid-cooled diesel engine Detroit Diesel 8V-71 TTA, developing a power of 650 hp. The engine is mounted across the vehicle body and connected to an Allison XTG-411-4 hydrodynamic automatic transmission, also manufactured in the USA.

Air intake from the engine is carried out either through the fighting compartment or through the engine-transmission compartment. In both cases, the air enters initially through a pre-filter that has a dust emission fan, and then through a paper air cleaner, similar to those found on cars.

Interior
The chassis of the T-55 tank, consisting of five road wheels, a drive wheel at the rear and a idler wheel at the front on each side, was also modernized. The suspension units of the road wheels are equipped with new torsion shafts, which increase the dynamic travel of the roller, and the first and last suspension units are equipped with hydraulic stops manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries, which are also used on Merkava tanks. This suspension upgrade provides the vehicle with better mobility over rough terrain and allows it to operate in conjunction with main tanks.

The combat weight of the Achzarit armored personnel carrier increased to 44 tons compared to 36 tons for the T-55 tanks. As already mentioned, the T-55 turret is dismantled when converting it into an Achzarit armored personnel carrier. The main difference in weight between the weight of the Achzarit armored personnel carrier, which has 44 tons, and the T-55 hull weight of 27 tons, is explained by the installation of additional armor protection to increase the survivability of the vehicle on the battlefield. The total height of the hull roof is approximately 2 m, and the width of the vehicle is 3.64 m.

On both sides of the housing in the front part there are six launchers smoke grenade launchers CL-303Q manufactured by Israel Military Industries. Such grenade launchers were originally installed on Israeli tanks"Centurion", M48/M60 and "Merkava". They can fire various types of grenades as the vehicle moves.

Standard equipment of the Achzarit armored personnel carrier includes the Spectronix fire detection and extinguishing system, a collective protection system against weapons of mass destruction and thermal smoke equipment for setting up smoke screens, using the principle of fuel injection into the engine exhaust manifold located on the left side of the hull.

Currently, the SDI has a variant of the heavy armored personnel carrier "Achzarit" Mk2. This vehicle has a new power plant, also supplied by the Israeli company NIMDA. It includes an American Detroit Diesel 8V-92 TA diesel engine, developing 850 hp, connected to an American Allison XTG-411-5 automatic transmission. This power plant provides the vehicle with higher power density and better acceleration characteristics. To date, the “Achzarit” Mk2 model is the last example of this heavy armored personnel carrier.

Israeli heavy armored personnel carrier "Ahzarit" Mk2

In addition, based on the heavy armored personnel carrier "Achzarit", a version of the command and staff vehicle was created, which differs from standard sample The armored personnel carrier lacks machine guns on the roof of the vehicle and is equipped with additional radio stations to perform specialized control functions.

The main tactical and technical characteristics of the heavy armored personnel carrier Achzarit:
Combat weight, t - 44
Crew + troops, persons - 3+7
Maximum speed, km/h - 50
Engine
- brand- “Detroit Diesel” 8V-92 TA
- power, hp - 850
Weapons:
- basic- 7.62 mm M240 machine gun with remote control
- additional- two 7.62 mm FN MAG machine guns
Armor protection- provides protection against RPGs

INDIA. HEAVY ARMORED TRANSPORTER TBHA

Heavy Indian armored personnel carrier TBHA

India, which also has a large number of Soviet-built T-55 tanks, also decided to turn to the experience of creating heavy armored personnel carriers. Not without the influence of Israel, they also took the good old T-55 tank, removed the turret, welded an “interior” of multi-layer thick armor onto the hull, and that’s it. This is how the Indian heavy armored personnel carrier TBHA turned out - T-55 Based Heavy APC (APC - armored personnel carrier - armored personnel carrier in our opinion).

The spacious “interior” of the vehicle can accommodate up to 11 people (together with two crew members – the driver and the commander, who is also the machine gun gunner). I must say, the “salon” is equipped comfortably, you can stand in full height, the interior is lined with carpet.

To monitor the surrounding area, the commander uses the sighting system of a remote-controlled machine gun mounted on the roof of the vehicle. The image from the combined sight is displayed on the liquid crystal screen. The installation is equipped with a 12.7-mm machine gun, type NSVT-12.7 “Utes”, stabilized in two planes, which allows targeted fire from a machine gun on the move. According to the developers, “the interior armor can withstand being hit by an RPG-7 grenade from all sides,” which looks very doubtful. True, the developers of the RPG-7 say something slightly different: “Today there is no model of armored vehicles whose armor has not been penetrated by an RPG-7 grenade.”

The transmission and engine of the T-55 tank were replaced with an Israeli power plant from NIMDA, similar to what the Israelis did on the Achzarit Mk2 armored personnel carrier. It is slightly more compact than the previous one, and combines an American 850-horsepower Detroit Diesel 8V-92 diesel engine and an Allison XTG-411-5 automatic transmission. This is an Israeli assembly made from American components. The new power plant made it possible to make an exit at the rear of the vehicle for transported infantrymen. Its armored door, when opened, also serves as a ladder for ease of getting into and out of the car.

Naturally, TBHA is equipped with systems for collective protection against weapons of mass destruction, fire extinguishing, air conditioning and smoke screens. At the request of the customer, additional weapons systems, surveillance systems, etc. can be installed on it.

The disadvantage of this version of the heavy armored personnel carrier is the impossibility of firing from the personal weapons of the landing forces located inside the vehicle and the presence of only one machine gun. So there will only be two people in action - the driver and the commander, the rest will simply ride along the specified route as passengers.

The main tactical and technical characteristics of the heavy armored personnel carrier TBHA:
Combat weight, t- about 45
Crew + troops, persons - 2+9
Maximum speed, km/h - 50
Engine
- brand- Detroit Diesel 8V-92 TA
- power, hp - 850
Armament- 12.7-mm machine gun NSVT-12.7 “Utes” with remote control
Sighting system- combined with optical and thermal imaging channels, with remote control
Armor protection- provides protection against RPGs

Thus, there is a global trend of using obsolete types of tanks (mainly Centurion and T-55) for further service as heavy armored personnel carriers. At the same time, such armored personnel carriers are significantly lower in cost of new combat vehicles, which allows many armies to have a sufficient number of such armored personnel carriers. The main purpose of heavy armored personnel carriers is to transport and provide fire support to infantry units during independent or joint actions with tank units in special conditions (battle in mountainous and wooded areas, in the city, etc.). Powerful armoring of heavy armored personnel carriers allows to reduce losses of both personnel and the vehicles themselves from fire large caliber rifles and machine guns, small-caliber automatic guns, as well as from mine explosions.

The BTR-80 is an armored personnel carrier produced in the USSR in the early 1980s in order to eliminate the identified shortcomings of the BTR-70 discovered during the Afghan War and intended for use in motorized rifle troops. Serial production started in 1984, and after that many upgrades were made. As of 2012, it is in production. Many experts classify the latest modifications with enhanced weapons as wheeled infantry fighting vehicles. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, he became the main armored personnel carrier in the RF Armed Forces and other states that were formerly part of the USSR. Participated in all major wars on his former territory. In the past and present, it has been intensively sold to foreign countries.

1. Photos

2. Video

3. History of creation and production

As of the early 1980s, the main armored personnel carrier Soviet Union was a BTR-70. But they could not get rid of the main flaws of the BTR-60, despite the improvements made. One of the main shortcomings was the still unsatisfactory landing/disembarkation of the crew and troops. Also, the design of the power plant, made of twin carburetor engines, was unreliable and complex, and at the same time consumed a lot of fuel. There were other disadvantages compared to diesel. Also, the armored personnel carrier was poorly protected, and the water-jet propulsion was easily subject to clogging with peat slurry, algae and other objects.

The elimination of these shortcomings was entrusted to the GAZ Design Bureau, where in the early 80s. The design of the GAZ-5903 armored personnel carrier was completed. The layout of the BTR-70 has been preserved, but significant improvements have been made. For embarkation/disembarkation, double-leaf hatches were installed, located on the sides of the hull; carburetor engines were replaced by one, but very powerful diesel engine. The dimensions increased as follows - the height and length of the hull increased by 11.5 cm, and the width - by 10 cm, while the overall height of the armored personnel carrier increased by 3 cm. In further modifications, it became possible to shoot from under the armor, thanks to ball mounts deployed towards anterior hemisphere. Bookings have increased slightly, but total mass increased by 2100 kg. However, the power reserve has increased, but mobility has not decreased. After the GAZ-5903 passed state tests, it was put into service in 1986 and received the designation BTR-80.

4. Design

The layout of the BTR-80 is as follows - in the middle part there is a combined combat and troop compartment, in the front there is a control compartment, and in the stern there is a motor-transmission compartment. The regular crew consists of a driver, a vehicle (squad) commander and a gunner. It can transport seven motorized riflemen.

The vehicle is equipped with poorly differentiated bulletproof armored protection. Assembly armored corps is made from rolled sheets of armored homogeneous steel with a thickness of 0.5-0.9 cm. The main part of the vertical armor plates of an armored personnel carrier, except for the side and rear ones, have a large slope. The hull is streamlined, which increases its navigability. It is also supplemented with a folding wave-reflective shield, which further increases the safety of the hull when placed on the frontal middle sheet of the hull in the stowed position.

The control department contains the workplaces of the commander and driver. Next comes the landing squad, combined with the combat one. There are also six seats in the stern and two seats in the front for paratroopers. The right of these two places is turned in the direction of movement so that fire can be fired, and the paratrooper in the left, located with his back to the side, takes on the functions of a turret gunner in battle. Next to the other paratroopers there are ball mounts designed for firing personal weapons. Since they are located in the direction of the front hemisphere, the rear hemisphere is dead. Also in the landing hatches there are two hatches designed for firing at the upper hemisphere, devoid of ball installations.

In addition to the above double doors, the armored personnel carrier has two rectangular hatches in the roof for boarding/disembarking. The upper door cover opens in the direction of travel, and the lower one folds down, allowing you to use it as a step. Thanks to it, the armored personnel carrier does not have to stop for landing/disembarking. The commander and driver have separate hatches above their seats. In addition to them, there are a number of hatches and hatches leading to the engine, transmission and winch units.

5. Performance characteristics

5.1 Dimensions

Case length, cm: 765
Case width, cm: 290
Height, cm: 235..246
Base, cm: 440
Track, cm: 241
Ground clearance, cm: 47.5.

5.2 Booking

Armor type: rolled steel
Body forehead, cm/deg.: 1
Hull side, cm/deg.: 0.7..0.9
Hull stern, cm/deg.: 0.7
Tower forehead, cm/deg.: 0.7
Tower side, cm/deg.: 0.7
Tower feed, cm/deg.: 0.7.

5.3 Armament

Angles VN, degrees: −4..+60
GN angles, degrees: 360
Firing range, km: 1.5 (PKT); 1..2 (KPVT)
Sights: 1PZ-2
Machine guns: 1 × 7.62 mm PKT; 1 × 14.5 mm KPVT.

5.4 Mobility

Engine type: KamAZ 7403
Engine power, l. p.: 260
Highway speed, km/h: 80
Speed over rough terrain, km/h: 9 – swimming; 20..40 on the ground
Cruising range on the highway, km: 600
Cruising range over rough terrain, km: 200..500 on dirt roads
Specific power, l. s./t: 19.1
Wheel formula: 8×8/4
Suspension type: individual torsion bar with hydraulic shock absorbers
Climbability, degrees: 30
Wall to be overcome, cm: 50
Ditch to be overcome, cm: 200
Fordable: floats.

5.5 Other parameters

Classification: armored personnel carrier
Combat weight, kg: 13600
Crew, people: 3
Troops, people: 7.

BTR-80 - basic modification. Armed with 7.62 mm PKT and 14.5 mm KPVT machine guns
BTR-80K – command modification of the BTR-80. The armament is unchanged, additional headquarters and communications equipment has been installed.
BTR-80A – a turret with a 7.62 mm caliber and a 2A72 automatic cannon of 30 mm caliber is installed in it. Many experts believe that this modification is a wheeled infantry fighting vehicle.
BTR-80S is a modification of the BTR-80A, designed for internal troops. The monitor-mounted turret is equipped with 7.62 mm PKT and 14.5 mm KPVT machine guns
BTR-80M – modification of the BTR-80A. KI-126 tires with greater bullet resistance and a YaMZ-238 engine with a power of 240 hp are installed. The body has increased in length.
BTR-82, BTR-82A – a 30 mm 2A72 rapid-fire cannon is installed on the BTR-82A or a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun on the BTR-82. They are paired with a 7.62 mm PKTM, a two-plane digital weapon stabilizer, an electric drive, a TKN-4GA all-day combined gunner sight with a control channel for remote projectile detonation and a stabilized field of view. Also installed is an engine (300 hp), air conditioning and anti-fragmentation protection. Such characteristics as maneuverability, service life, survivability and reliability have been increased. Also, according to experts, the combat effectiveness coefficient has doubled. Prototypes were released at the end of 2009. The following year, state tests were carried out, after which the new models were put into service. In 2011, a number of units of the Southern Military District changed their armament to the BTR-82A. In addition, Kazakhstan became interested in the BTR-82.
BTR-82A1 (BTR-88) – modernization of the BTR-82. Installed remote combat module with a 7.62 mm machine gun and a 30 mm automatic cannon
BTR-82AM - an upgrade that improved the BTR-80 to the level of the BTR-82A. Created during a major overhaul.

6.2 Foreign

In Hungary, a family of special vehicles was created on the basis of the BTR-80, which were equipped with a variety of equipment according to NATO standards:

BTR-80 SKJ - medical vehicle
BTR-80 VSF - bio-, radio - chemical reconnaissance vehicle
BTR-80 MVJ - repair and recovery vehicle
BTR-80 MPAEJ - repair and maintenance vehicle
BTR-80 MPFJ - engineering vehicle

BTR-80UP - a modernized BTR-80, developed by Ukraine for Iraq. New pneumatic and electrical systems, tires and D-80 diesel (300 hp) were installed. The water cannon has been removed. There has been an increase in protection. Based on this machine, the following modifications were developed:

BTR-80UP-KR - company commander's command post
BTR-80UP-KB - battalion commander's command post
BTR-80UP-S - KShM
BTR-80UP-M - ambulance
BTR-80UP-R - reconnaissance vehicle
BTR-80UP-BREM - BREM
BTR-80UP-T - transport vehicle

1V152 - unified command and observation post KSAUO 1V126 "Kapustnik-B"
2S23 "Nona-SVK" - self-propelled guns of 120 mm caliber
BRVM-K - repair and restoration vehicle
BRDM-3 - reconnaissance and patrol vehicle
BREM-K - repair and recovery vehicle
BREM-2000K - repair and recovery vehicle, made in Ukraine
GAZ-59037 - civilian SUV
BPDM "Typhoon" - anti-sabotage combat vehicle
BPDM "Typhoon-M" (2007-2012) - anti-sabotage combat vehicle, created on the basis of the BTR-82
GAZ-59402 "Blizzard" - a fire engine on a combined pneumatic wheel and railway track
UNSh (K1Sh1) is a unified chassis designed for the production of wheeled special vehicles necessary for the installation of reconnaissance equipment, communications equipment, medical aid and other special-purpose equipment. Supplemented with a number of hatches and a higher height of the middle part of the hull. It is produced in two varieties: UNSh-10 - with a cap and UNSh-12 - without it.
BMM-80 - a vehicle for transporting the wounded
9S482M6 - mobile control point for air defense units
R-149BMR "Kushetka-B" - KShM
RKhM-4 - a vehicle for radiation and chemical reconnaissance
RKhM-6 - a vehicle for radiation and chemical reconnaissance
RPM-2 - vehicle for reconnaissance and search activities
ZS-88 - sound broadcasting station

7.2 Foreign

ASRAD - IGLA (ASGLA) - short-range air defense system, developed by the EU jointly with Ukraine. A variant of the German-made ASRAD air defense system, created on the basis of the BTR-80 vehicles belonging to the army of the German Democratic Republic.

8. Service and combat use

Afghan war
Armed conflict in Transnistria
Civil war in Tajikistan
Karabakh war
Georgian-Abkhaz conflict
Chechen wars
War in South Ossetia
Civil war in Syria
Armed conflict in eastern Ukraine
Türkiye used the BTR-80 against the Kurdish rebels.

Work on a new armored personnel carrier began in the first half of the 1980s at the design bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant. The new car received the factory designation GAZ-5903.

Armored personnel carrier BTR-80 early releases

In 1986, after successful factory and state tests, the GAZ-5903 armored personnel carrier was adopted under the designation BTR-80. Soviet Army. The manufacturing enterprise was determined to be AMZ - Arzamas Machine-Building Plant.
The BTR-80 (GAZ-5903) is a modernized version of the BTR-70. The layout of the vehicle is the same as that of its predecessors: in the front part of the hull there is a control compartment, behind it is the troop compartment and in the aft part is the engine and transmission compartment. The sealed, completely enclosed body was welded from rolled steel armor plates located at large angles of inclination. It protected the crew and paratroopers from small arms bullets of 7.62 mm caliber and shell fragments, and the frontal armor also protected from bullets of 12.7 mm caliber.
The control compartment has seats for the driver and commander of the vehicle. The area is monitored through inspection hatches covered with armored covers and periscope observation devices. An instrument panel, controls, a radio station and an intercom are also installed. On the right side of the front plate there is an embrasure with a ball support for firing from a machine gun. Access to the control compartment is through two hatches in the roof of the hull.

Late production armored personnel carrier BTR-80

In the middle part of the hull and turret of the armored personnel carrier there is a fighting compartment. Here, immediately behind the commander’s and driver’s seats, there are two single seats for one of the landing infantrymen and the gunner of the turret machine gun mount. All production BTR-80 armored personnel carriers are equipped with an autonomous turret machine gun mount BPU-1, which contains a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The longest sighting range when firing from a KPVT machine gun at ground targets is 2000 m, from a PKT - 1500 m, at air targets from a KPVT - 1000 m. The KPVT's ammunition consists of 500 rounds, and the PKT's - from 2,000 rounds. Aiming machine guns vertically is possible in the range from -4° to +60°, horizontally - 360°. Guidance mechanisms are manual. For shooting, a 1PZ-2 sight is used, which ensures the destruction of both ground and air targets. To fire, the gunner sits on a suspended seat installed in the turret. On later production armored personnel carriers, an OU-3GA2M illuminator was installed on the console of the machine gun mount to illuminate targets when firing at night. On the rear wall of the turret there are 6 3D6 launchers of the 902V "Tucha" system for launching 81-mm smoke grenades. In addition, inside the BTR-80, 2 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 2 portable 9K34M Strela-2 air defense systems, an RPG-7 grenade launcher and 5 rounds for it are transported in packs.

Armored personnel carrier BTR-80A

The main part of the landing force - 6 fully equipped infantrymen - is located facing the side on two seats mounted in the troop compartment along the longitudinal axis of the hull. For firing by paratroopers, there are 7 embrasures in the sides of the hull and another in the front plate, which are equipped with ball bearings and observation devices. In addition, there is one embrasure for firing at high-lying targets in the armored roof hatches of the troop compartment. In addition to two hatches in the roof of the hull, double doors are used on both sides of the armored personnel carrier for landing and dismounting troops. One door leaf swings up, while the other swings down to form a step.
The power compartment is located in the rear part of the body; the engine, its servicing systems and transmission units are located. Unlike the BTR-70, the power plant on this vehicle consists of one diesel 8-cylinder V-shaped four-stroke liquid-cooled KamAZ-7403 engine with turbocharger 260 hp. at 2600 rpm. To make it easier to start the engine in cold weather, it is equipped with an electric torch device, which allows starting the engine at temperatures down to -20°C, and a pre-heater. The placement of one engine also entailed changes in the design of transmission units. It includes a dry double-disc clutch, a five-speed gearbox, and a cardan drive. Instead of two transfer cases, one interaxle two-stage one is installed with differential torque distribution into two flows (on the 1st - 3rd and on the 2nd - 4th axles) and forced differential locking. The transfer case is equipped with a power take-off box for the water-jet propulsion unit and winch.

120-mm self-propelled artillery gun 2S23 "Nona-SVK"

The chassis of the BTR-80 has an 8x8 wheel arrangement. Wheels with split rims and tubeless bulletproof pneumatic tires KI-80 or KI-126 sizes 13.00-18. The car can continue to move even if one or even two wheels completely fail. Independent torsion bar suspension, hydraulic shock absorbers, telescopic, double acting. The wheels of the 1st and 2nd axles are steerable.
The power plant allows a combat vehicle weighing 13.6 tons to reach a maximum speed on the highway of at least 80 km/h. Cruising range on the highway is 600 km.
Movement through water is provided by a single-stage water-jet propulsion unit with an impeller with a diameter of 425 mm. The maximum speed afloat is at least 9 km/h. The cruising range afloat at average operating conditions of the engine (1800 - 2200 rpm) is 12 hours. To remove sea water that has entered the hull when moving through water, the vehicle is equipped with an ejection drainage system and one centrifugal pump with an electric drive.
In April 1993, the installation of a YaMZ-238M2 diesel engine with a power of 240 hp was developed for an armored personnel carrier.

Command armored personnel carrier BTR-80K
(GAZ-59031)

The vehicles were equipped with radio stations R-123M and TPU R-124 (on vehicles of later releases - R-163-50U and R-174), means of protection against weapons of mass destruction (including FVU, radio reconnaissance device DP-3B, chemical reconnaissance VPKhR), automatic fire extinguishing system and winch for self-extraction.
During production, some changes were made to the design of the BTR-80. Thus, early BTR-80s had short landing rails on the sides, but later they were significantly lengthened. Around the driver's hatch, at first there were only three observation devices, then another one was added to the left. The configurations of the front and rear bumpers changed. On early BTR-80s, the front dampers had a round shape, but on later ones they became rectangular. The rear bumpers initially had large oval-shaped holes, later all the holes became round, etc.
In 1994, the BTR-80A armored personnel carrier (GAZ-59029) was put into service. Work on the creation of this machine was carried out by GAZ JSC. The main difference between the new modification and the BTR-80 is the turret cannon and machine gun mount.

Armored medical vehicle BMM-80
(GAZ-59039) "Symphony"

The installation houses a 30-mm 2A72 automatic cannon and a coaxial PKT machine gun. Vertical pointing angles from -5° to +70°. Ammunition - 300 shells and 2000 cartridges. All weapons are placed on a carriage located outside the habitable compartment. The BTR-80A is equipped with a 1PZ-9 day sight and a TPN-3-42 "Crystal" tank night sight, which allows it to hit targets at a range of up to 900 m at night. The combat weight of the vehicle has increased to 14.5 tons. The height has increased to 2800 mm . The removal of weapons from the manned compartments of the armored personnel carrier made it possible to increase the volume of the turret space, increase the convenience of the gunner and solve the problem of noise and gas pollution in the manned compartments during firing.
Simultaneously with the BTR-80A, the BTR-80S was developed - an option for internal troops. Instead of a 30 mm cannon, it is equipped with a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun. The KPVT ammunition load consists of 500 rounds, the PKT machine gun - 2000 rounds. Pointing angles in the horizontal plane are 360°, in the vertical plane from -5° to +70°.

Command and staff vehicle BTR-80KSh (GAZ-59032)

Since 1990, the troops have been receiving the 2S23 Nona-SVK self-propelled artillery gun (SAO). The BTR-80 chassis was used as the basis for its creation. The 120-mm 2A60 rifled gun is mounted in a conical welded turret made of aluminum alloy. The horizontal guidance angle is 70° (35° per side). Vertical guidance is possible within the range from -4° to +80°. Maximum rate of fire - 10 rounds/min. Firing from self-propelled guns can only be carried out from a place, both from closed firing positions, and direct fire with 120-mm rounds with high-explosive fragmentation shells and 120-mm rounds with high-explosive fragmentation, illumination, smoke and incendiary mines. Maximum firing range high-explosive fragmentation projectile 3VOF54 - 8700 m, high-explosive fragmentation mine - 7100 m. The tower is equipped with a commander's cupola, on the roof of which a PKT machine gun is installed, intended for self-defense. The machine gun is connected by a rod to the TKN-3A device, which allows targeted shooting, controlling fire from the turret. The vehicle is equipped with a 902B “Cloud” smoke screen system.

Armored repair and recovery vehicle BREM-K (GAZ-59033)

Various combat vehicles were created on the basis of the BTR-80.
Command armored personnel carrier BTR-80K (GAZ-59031) is designed for the commander motorized rifle battalion. The combat crew consists of 6 people: crew 3 people. and 3 officers. Three workplaces are equipped for officers to work. The vehicle is equipped with two R-163-50U radio stations, an 11-m telescopic mast, TNA-4-6 navigation equipment with an indicator tablet, and two R-159 remote VHF radio stations.
Armored medical vehicle BMM-80 (GAZ-59039) "Symphony". In addition to the crew, it can transport 7 wounded in the medical department and 2 on the roof on stretchers. Depending on the composition of the medical and sanitary equipment, the BMM can be used for the evacuation of the wounded from the battlefield (BMM-1), as a battalion first aid station (BMM-2) and a mobile dressing room with a medical team and an automatic dressing station AP-2 (BMM-3 ).
The BTR-80 command and staff vehicle (GAZ-59032), the armored repair and recovery vehicle BREM-K (GAZ-59033), the radiation and chemical reconnaissance vehicle RKhM-4 (RKhM-4-01), the unified K1Sh1 chassis, short-wave radio station of the operational-tactical control level R-165B, mobile control points PU-12M6 and PU-12M7 of the air defense missile system battery, mobile command and observation post PKNP "Kushetka-B", satellite communication station and sound broadcasting station, artillery control vehicle 1V118 .

Radiation and chemical reconnaissance vehicle

Command and staff vehicles based on the BTR-80 do not have weapons in the turret. They are equipped with special equipment in the form of automated workstations for command, operational personnel and communications specialists. The machines are equipped with personal computers. Communication means are capable of functioning both autonomously and as part of communication nodes. The main means of communication consist of HF and VHF radio stations, small-sized satellite communication and navigation stations, etc.
The BRDM-3 reconnaissance and patrol vehicle was created on the basis of the BTR-80A. The combat crew of the vehicle is 6 people. The armament is identical to the BTR-80A. For reconnaissance, the vehicle is equipped with a radiological ground reconnaissance station, night binoculars, a mine detector, TNA-4-6 navigation equipment, and additional communications equipment.
Civil modifications were developed on the basis of the BTR-80 at the turn of the eighties and nineties.

Armored unified chassis

The floating all-terrain vehicle of universal use GAZ-59037, which had an onboard platform for 5 tons of cargo. On the chassis of this machine a machine is produced with the installation mobile system fire extinguishing GAZ-5903V "Vertluga", which is capable of extinguishing fires at a distance of 50 to 300 m at explosive and industrial sites in quick response mode. The vehicle delivers a crew (2 people), fire extinguishing agents (22 charges in barrels and 22 in canisters) and firefighting equipment to the fire site.
Another special vehicle GAZ-59038 is a floating vehicle with a hydraulic lift, which is designed for servicing power lines and performing various high-altitude works in difficult terrain. The lift provides work at a height of up to 18 m, has a load capacity of 250 kg and a cradle for 2 people.
An interesting car is the GAZ-5903Zh combined drive, which is capable of moving on a regular road, off-road, and along railway tracks, and is intended for repairing electrified contact networks railway tracks. It is equipped with a hydraulic tower with a lifting capacity of 500 kg and a lifting height of 8 m. The interior of the vehicle is designed for a crew of 8 people. The car can drive along railway at speeds up to 50 km/h.
In Romania, a copy of the BTR-80 was produced under the name Zimbru, which had minor differences from its Soviet prototype.
BTR-80s are in service in almost all CIS countries, as well as in Estonia, Hungary, Turkey, Indonesia (12 BTR-80A), Bangladesh and Sierra Leone.

Division of machines by purpose and annual standards for their operation.

Armored vehicles, depending on their purpose, are divided into armored weapons and armored vehicles

BTV: tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles

BTT: MTO, tractors, BREM

The group of combat vehicles includes tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, bases of these vehicles used for the installation (installation) of other types of military equipment. This group includes all command and control vehicles. It contains only new and overhauled machines, technically sound, equipped with the required equipment and spare parts, with an established minimum service life until the next repair.

The combat group's vehicles are kept in storage most of the time; periodically, usually no more than twice a year, in accordance with combat training plans, they are removed from storage and used in tactical exercises.

The group of combat training vehicles includes vehicles allocated from the combat group in accordance with the regulations “On the procedure for operating armored vehicles in peacetime for daily training of troops."

The number of vehicles in a combat training group is determined based on the calculation of the needs for vehicles necessary to ensure the implementation of the combat training program for troops.

The group of combat training vehicles includes combat vehicles with the most operating time, those of earlier production, as well as those with the worst technical condition. Vehicles of this group are used for training crews and conducting tactical exercises for units. The use of combat training vehicles is organized to ensure constant combat readiness.
At least 60% of vehicles in a combat training group must have a service life
at least 1,000 km before the next repair.

The group of combat vehicles includes mobile means of maintenance and repair of armored vehicles, tank tractors, ARVs, and MTOs. It contains new and overhauled, technically sound, with an established irreducible service life until the next repair. Are in storage. They are used to provide tactical exercises for units and formations, exercises in overcoming water obstacles, as well as to provide fire-fighting measures.

The group of combat training vehicles includes vehicles of the same type, used in repair units and units for training specialists and ensuring the operation of armored vehicles.

Groups of combat and combat vehicles contain only new and overhauled, technically sound vehicles, equipped with the required equipment and spare parts, with an established minimum service life:

Tanks; BMP; ARV – 3,500 km;

armored personnel carrier; – 10,000 km.

Installation procedure for the T-72 drive wheel.

1. Wipe dry the journal of the final drive shaft, the inner cone and install it on the final drive shaft.

2. Liberally lubricate the unpainted surfaces of the labyrinth, the splines of the drive wheel and the final drive shaft with Litol 24 lubricant.

3. Mount the drive wheel and install it on the shaft

4. Wipe the outer cone dry, install it on the final drive shaft and tap it until it fits tightly. Fill the holes in the outer cone with ZZK-3u putty, and the final drive shaft with Lithod 24 lubricant.

5. Place the rubber ring on the drive wheel mounting plug. Lubricate the thread and end of the plug with lubricant. Install the toothed washer on the pins of a special key to the drive wheel plug

6. Screw the plug into the final drive shaft and tighten it with a special wrench, making sure that the holes for the bolts in the toothed washer coincide with the holes in the drive wheel hub

7. Install the toothed washer and secure it with bolts spring washers

8. Place the gasket on the lubrication hole plug and screw it in until it stops. Seal the plug with wire

Ticket 26 1. Combat and technical characteristics of the BMP-2.

Options	BMP-2
General information
Weight in combat equipment, t	14+2%
Crew, people	3 (7)
Overall height, mm
Ground clearance, mm.
Weapons:
Gun:	2A42
Caliber, mm.
Rate of fire, h/min.	200-300
Direct shot range, m BOD/KUM.
Maximum sighting range, m
Machine guns:	PCT
Coaxial PKT gun, mm.	7,62
Flare gun, mm.
Ammunition:
- cannon shots, total (AZ), pcs.
- cartridges for PKT, pcs.
- cartridges for on-board PC, pcs.
- grenades for RPG-7, pcs.
- hand grenades F-1, pcs.
- cartridges for a signal pistol
Mobility and permeability:
Travel speed, km/h:
- average on a dirt road	40-50
- maximum on the highway
- afloat
Power reserve:
- on main fuel tanks, km.	Up to 600
- capacity of fuel tanks, l.
Obstacles to be overcome:
- max elevation angle, degrees.
- ditch width, m.	2,5
- wall height, m.	0,7
- ford depth	float
- water preg. With OPVT width/depth, (m)	float
Power point:
- engine brand	UTD-20S1
- engine type	diz
- engine power, kW/hp.
Special equipment:
- protection system against weapons of mass destruction	GROOVE
- fire fighting equipment	PPO
-camouflage means	TDA
- equipment for underwater driving	float

General design of the BTR-80 chassis.

The chassis of the BTR-80 is made according to the 8x8 wheel arrangement with two pairs of front steered wheels. The vehicle's suspension is independent, wishbone, torsion bar, with double-acting telescopic shock absorbers. Wheels with split rim. KI-80N tires are tubeless, thick-walled, bulletproof, with adjustable pressure. Allows short-term movement without overpressure. The armored personnel carrier is equipped with a centralized tire pressure control system. Working pressure - 50-300 kPa. The BTR-80 can continue to move even if one or two wheels fail completely. Braking systems: service (acts on all 8 wheels), parking (acts on the transmission), anti-roll device (stops the transmission).

Movement on water is ensured by the operation of a single-stage, single-shaft water-jet propulsion unit with a four-bladed propeller. When moving on land, the outlet window of the water cannon is closed by an armored flap: when moving on water, closing the flap leads to the direction of water into the reverse channels and the creation of reverse thrust or braking force on the water. To control an armored personnel carrier on water, the vehicle's front steered wheels and water rudders are used, located in the box of the vehicle's afloat control unit.

In the first half of the 80s. The design bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant, headed by chief designer A. Masyagin, led the development of the new GAZ-5903 armored personnel carrier, which continued the design series of the BTR-60 - BTR-70. This armored personnel carrier was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1986 and in the same year it was put into mass production at the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant under the designation BTR-80.

The BTR-80 is designed according to the same layout as its predecessors: in the front part of the hull there is a control compartment, behind it is the troop compartment, and in the rear part of the hull is the engine and transmission compartment.

Characteristics
Combat weight: 13.6 t
Crew: 3 people
Troops: 8 people

Dimensions:
Case length 7650 mm
Case width 2900 mm
Height 2350mm
Base 4400 mm
Track 2410 mm
Ground clearance 475 mm

Reservations:
Armor type: rolled steel
Body forehead: 10 mm/deg.
Hull side: 7-9 mm/deg.
Hull feed: 7 mm/deg.
Turret forehead: 7 mm/deg.
Tower side: 7 mm/deg.
Turret feed: 7 mm/deg.

Weapons:
Sights: telescopic 1PZ-2
14.5 mm KPVT 500 rounds
7.62 mm PKT 2000 rounds

Engine:
Brand/type KamAZ-7403/diesel

Power: 260 hp
Maximum land speed: 80 km/h
Maximum speed afloat: 10 km/h
Power reserve: 600 km
Specific power: 19.1 l. s./t
Wheel formula 8 × 8
Suspension type: individual torsion bar with hydraulic shock absorbers

Obstacles:
Climbability: 30 degrees.
Climbable wall: 0.5 m
Width of the ditch to be overcome: 2 m
Fordable: floats

Armored personnel carrier BTR-80

BTR-80 - Soviet armored personnel carrier. Created in the early 1980s as a further development of the BTR-70 armored personnel carrier, taking into account the shortcomings of the latter identified in the Afghan war, and was intended to replace it in motorized rifle troops. The BTR-80 entered mass production in 1984, and, having been modernized several times, is still in production as of 2008. The latest modifications of the BTR-80, equipped with enhanced weapons, are classified by many experts as wheeled infantry fighting vehicles. Applied Soviet troops in the Afghan war, and since the 1990s has been the main armored personnel carrier Armed Forces Russia and a number of other former Soviet republics and was used in almost all major armed conflicts on post-Soviet space. The BTR-80 was actively supplied and exported; in total, as of 2007, the BTR-80 is in service with approximately 26 states.

History of creation

By the early 1980s, the main armored personnel carrier of the USSR was the BTR-70, launched into mass production in 1976. The experience of their operation soon showed that despite considerable improvements compared to the earlier BTR-60, most of the main disadvantages of its predecessor were transferred to it almost unchanged. One of them was the relatively complex and unreliable design of the power plant consisting of twin carburetor engines, which were also characterized by increased fuel consumption and a number of other disadvantages compared to a diesel engine. An equally serious problem remained the unsatisfactory disembarkation and landing of troops and crew, which only slightly improved compared to the BTR-60. As the Afghan War showed, the vehicle’s security also remained unsatisfactory. Added to all this on the BTR-70 were problems with the new design of the water-jet propulsion unit, which often became clogged with algae, peat slurry and the like while afloat.

To correct these shortcomings, the GAZ-5903 armored personnel carrier was designed in the design bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant under the leadership of I. Mukhin and E. Murashkin in the early 1980s. While maintaining the same layout of the BTR-70, the new vehicle differed from it in a number of changes. Instead of a pair of carburetor engines, one diesel engine of higher power was installed, and large double hatches were installed in the sides of the hull for boarding and disembarking the crew. The body itself has become 115 mm higher and longer, and 100 mm wider, although the overall height of the car has increased only by 30 mm. Further development There was a desire to provide the crew with the ability to fire from under the protection of the armor, for which the shooting ports on the sides of the hull were replaced with ball mounts oriented towards the front hemisphere. The armored personnel carrier's armor was strengthened only slightly, but even so, the weight of the GAZ-5903 increased by 18% compared to the BTR-70, from 11.5 to 13.6 tons, although the mobility of the vehicle generally remained unchanged, and the cruising range only increased. After successful state tests, the GAZ-5903 was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1986 under the designation BTR-80.

Description of design

The BTR-80 has a layout with the control compartment located in the front, the combined landing and combat compartment in the middle, and the engine-transmission compartment in the rear of the vehicle. The regular crew of the BTR-80 consists of two people, a vehicle commander and a driver; in addition to them, the armored personnel carrier can transport 8 landing troops, one of whom also serves as a turret gunner.

Armored hull and turret

The BTR-80 has poorly differentiated bulletproof armor protection. The armored body of the conveyor is assembled by welding from rolled sheets of homogeneous armor steel with a thickness of 5 to 9 mm. Most of the vertical armor plates of the BTR-80, with the exception of the lower side and rear ones, are installed with significant angles of inclination. The armored hull of all BTR-80s has a streamlined shape, which increases its seaworthiness and is equipped with a folding wave-reflective shield that fits in the stowed position on the middle frontal plate of the hull, thus slightly increasing its protection.

In the frontal part of the hull there is a control compartment, in which, on the left and right, respectively, are the driver and commander of the armored personnel carrier. Behind it is a landing squad, combined with a combat one. Six paratroopers in the aft part of the troop compartment are located in it on two longitudinal plastic seats in the center, sitting facing the side. In the front part, immediately behind the driver’s and commander’s seats, there are two single seats for the remaining members of the landing party, with the right seat facing the direction of the vehicle to ensure the possibility of firing, and the left seat, occupied by a member of the landing party, who in combat conditions becomes a turret gunner , turned with his back to the board. Near the seats of all members of the landing force, except for the turret gunner, there are eight ball mounts on the sides with horizontal aiming angles from ±15 to ±25° for firing from personal weapons. The ball installations are deployed in the direction of the front hemisphere, as a result of which the rear hemisphere is a dead zone for paratroopers; there is also a small dead zone in the front left. Also, two more hatches for shelling the upper hemisphere, without ball installations, are available in the landing hatches in the roof.

The BTR-80, like its predecessors, has two rectangular landing hatches in the roof, but the main means of disembarkation and landing on it are large double-leaf side doors located immediately behind the turret. The top lid of the side door folds forward as the vehicle moves, and the bottom one opens down, becoming a step, which, unlike its predecessors, allowed troops to board and disembark from the BTR-80 on the move. The driver and commander, as on previous models of armored personnel carriers, have two individual semicircular hatches above their workplaces. In addition, the BTR-80 hull has a number of hatches and hatches that served for access to the engine, transmission and winch units.

Surveillance and communications equipment

During the daytime, in non-combat conditions, the driver and commander of the BTR-80 monitor the terrain through two hatches in the upper frontal armor plate of the hull, closed by windshields. In combat conditions or when moving at night, they monitored the terrain through periscope viewing devices various types. The driver on early production vehicles had three TNPO-115 periscope viewing devices for viewing the front sector; on subsequent series vehicles, another TNPO-115 was added to them in the upper left zygomatic armor plate of the hull. In night conditions, the central forward-facing device was replaced by a periscopic binocular passive night vision device TVNE-4B, which worked by enhancing natural light, or by illuminating it with an FG125 headlight with an infrared filter. The field of view of the device along the horizon was 36°, vertically - 33°, and the viewing range at normal conditions- 60 meters when illuminated by a headlight and 120 with natural illumination of 5 × 10−3 lux.

The main means of observation for the vehicle commander is the TKN-3 combined binocular periscope electro-optical viewing device with day and passive night channels. TKN-3 had a magnification of 5× for the day channel and 4.2× for the night channel, with a field of view of 10° and 8°, respectively. The installation of the device allowed it to rotate within ±50° horizontally and swing within −13…+33° in the vertical plane. The device was connected to an OU-3GA2M spotlight with a removable infrared filter, which served for illumination in insufficient natural light. The night vision range for TKN-3 was 300-400 meters. In addition to the TKN-3, the commander has three TNPO-115 devices - two for viewing the front sector and one installed in the right upper zygomatic armor plate.
For a turret gunner, the main means of observing the terrain is the gun sight; in addition, he has periscopic viewing devices: TNP-205, located on the left side of the turret and TNPT-1, installed in the roof of the turret and providing rear visibility. The landing force had two TNP-165A periscope viewing devices installed in the hull roof behind the turret, at the machine gunners' seats, as well as four TNPO-115 devices installed in the upper side armor plates of the hull on both sides of the doors.
For external communications, the R-123M radio station was installed on the BTR-80 of early releases, which was replaced by the more modern R-163 or R-173 on vehicles of later releases. For internal communications, the BTR-80 is equipped with a tank intercom R-124 for three subscribers - the commander, driver and turret gunner.

Engine

Depending on the modification, the BTR-80 is equipped with KamAZ-740.3 or YaMZ-238M2 engines.

Armament

The BTR-80 is armed with a twin mount of a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun and a 7.62 mm PKT. The installation is placed on trunnions in the frontal part of the turret, its guidance in the vertical plane, within the range of −4...+60°, is carried out manually using a screw mechanism, horizontal guidance is carried out by rotating the turret. The machine guns were aimed at the target using a periscope monocular optical sight 1PZ-2, which had a variable magnification of 1.2× or 4× with a field of view of 49° and 14°, respectively, and provided fire from the KPVT at a range of up to 2000 meters against ground targets and 1000 m against air targets, and from the PKT - up to 1500 meters to ground targets. The KPVT is designed to combat lightly armored and unarmored enemy vehicles, including low-flying air targets, and has an ammunition load of 500 rounds in 10 belts, equipped with B-32 armor-piercing incendiary bullets, armor-piercing tracer BZT, armor-piercing incendiary bullets with a tungsten carbide core, BST , incendiary ZP and incendiary instant action MDZ. The PKT is designed to destroy enemy personnel and firepower and has an ammunition load of 2000 rounds of ammunition in 8 belts.

Modifications

BTR-80 - basic modification with armament from a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun and a 7.62 mm PKT;
BTR-80K - command version of the BTR-80, with the same weapons and additional communications and headquarters equipment;

BTR-80A - modification with armament from a 30-mm 2A72 automatic cannon and a 7.62-mm PKT machine gun, installed in a new monitor-mounted turret. Many experts classify it as a wheeled infantry fighting vehicle;
BTR-80S is a variant of the BTR-80A for internal troops, equipped with a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun and a 7.62 mm PKT in a monitor-mounted turret.

Vehicles based on the BTR-80:
BTR-80K: command armored personnel carrier. Equipped additional equipment communications.
BTR-80M: with YaMZ-238 engine and KI-128 tires with increased bullet resistance.
BRVM-K: armored repair and restoration vehicle.
BMM: armored vehicle for evacuation of the wounded.
RKhM-4-01: armored vehicle for chemical and radiation reconnaissance.
2S23 "Nona-SVK": 120 mm self-propelled howitzer.