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44-656: The BTR-40 (БТР, from Бронетранспортёр, or Bronetransporter , literally "armoured transporter". † ) is a Soviet open-topped, wheeled armoured personnel carrier and reconnaissance vehicle . It is often referred to as the Sorokovka in Soviet service. It was eventually replaced in the APC role by the BTR-152 and in the scout car role by the BRDM-1 . The BTR-40's development began in early 1947 at

88-584: A Czechoslovak M53 Quad mounting for four DShKs, which were normally towed on a two-wheeled trailer, and some modified by the Palestine Liberation Organization to accept 23mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns. Because the original BTR-152 utilized the chassis and engine of the ZIS-151 , it shared that truck's maintenance problems and poor cross-country mobility. Later variants, using ZIL-157 components, had more power and larger, single tires that reduced

132-520: A command and communications vehicle, fire support vehicle, artillery tractor, and general transporter. Being open-topped, the BTR-152's crew was vulnerable to indirect fire. In later years, the vehicle was not ideal for the prospect of a major conventional war in Europe either, as it lacked amphibious capability or NBC countermeasures . However, these early BTRs remained effective as a low-cost option that allowed

176-420: A single infantry squad each, or specialist weapons teams along with their mortars and anti-tank equipment. In Soviet service, a number were also deployed as artillery tractors . During World War II , Red Army tacticians favored combined arms offensives, which emphasized the deployment of light infantry in concert with tanks. However, the Soviet infantrymen lacked the armored protection and rapid mobility of

220-433: A thickness of up to 15 mm (0.59 in). The vehicle is sometimes fitted with a winch that has a maximum capacity of 5 tonnes and a 70m cable. Depending on the variant, BTR-152s can tow field artillery, transport 1.9 tonnes of cargo, or carry a half platoon of infantry. Most Soviet BTR-152s were powered by a six-cylinder ZIL-123 in-line water-cooled petrol engine developing 110 hp at 2,900 rpm. Those based on

264-494: A two-speed transfer box. Fifth gear had an overdrive. The suspension consisted of conventional leaf springs with hydraulic shock absorbers. In the late 1950s, a little over 200 BTR-152s were produced with enclosed hulls, as opposed to the traditionally open-topped design; these were designated BTR-152K and BTR-152K1 . They were also known unofficially as "BTR-152 Model D" or "BTR-152 M1961" by some Warsaw Pact armies. The enclosed hull reduced situational awareness but allowed for

308-443: Is a modified truck chassis with an armored hull and an open-topped troop compartment. The sides and rear of the troop compartment are vertical, with corners sloping inwards to deflect shell fragments. There are firing ports on each side of the troop compartment and two rear doors for rapid debarking. Infantrymen can fire their individual weapons from the relative protection of the vehicle, and exit through these doors or by jumping over

352-694: Is any of a series of Soviet or post-Soviet military armoured personnel carriers (APCs). Manufacturers [ edit ] Soviet Union [ edit ] BTR-40 – Armoured 4×4 truck (1950s) based on GAZ-63 four wheel drive truck. BTR-40P – Another name for the BRDM-1 . BTR-40PB – Another name for the BRDM-2 . BTR-50 – Tracked APC (1954) based on the PT-76 amphibious light tank chassis. BTR-60 – Eight-wheeled APC (1959). BTR-70 – Eight-wheeled APC (1972). BTR-80 – Eight-wheeled APC (1986). BTR-152 – Armoured 6×6 truck (1950s) based on

396-503: Is based on, the BTR-40 has a four-wheel drive. The chassis, however, is shorter compared to the GAZ-63. The only other thing that distinguishes the chassis of the BTR-40 from that of the GAZ-63 are additional shock absorbers. The BTR-40 also has a more powerful engine. The turning angle is 7.5 m. The vehicle has the 10RT-12 receiving and airing radio which has a range of 20–25 km and a winch at

440-618: Is likely that all Mozambique's BTR-152s were eliminated by land mines or Rhodesian air strikes; they were not in service long before being superseded by the BTR-60. A second shipment of BTR-152s was delivered to the People's Forces of Liberation of Mozambique (FPLM) in 1983, but it remains unclear whether these were deployed in front-line service. During the Lebanese Civil War , both Lebanese militias and Syrian Army used BTR-152s. The BTR-152

484-601: The BTR-60 . Approximately 8,600 BTR-152s of all variants were manufactured in the Soviet Union, with some unlicensed copies being produced in the People's Republic of China as the Type 56 . Soviet BTR-152s were produced between 1950 and 1959, being supplemented by the BTR-60 from 1960 onwards. As they became increasingly obsolescent, many were shipped to Soviet client states in Africa and

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528-2117: The Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau (SOE KMDB) as a private venture. The prototype was unveiled at the Aviasvit 2006 exhibition held in Ukraine in June 2006. BTR-7 – an upgrade of the BTR-70. BTR-94 – Ukrainian modification of the Soviet eight-wheeled BTR-80. Notes [ edit ] ^ Federation of American Scientists – Military Analysis Network: BTR-D BMD M1979 ^ Russian Military Analysis: BTR-D /RD/ ZD ^ Global Security: BMD-1 ^ Federation of American Scientists – Military Analysis Network: BMD-1 Airborne Infantry Fighting Vehicle v t e Soviet and Russian armoured fighting vehicles after World War II Tanks T-10 PT-76 T-44 T-54/T-55 T-62 T-64 T-72 T-80 T-90 T-14 Armata Armoured personnel carriers Tracked BTR-50 MT-LB BTR-D GT-MU PTS Kurganets-25 Wheeled BTR-40 BTR-60 BTR-70 BTR-80 BTR-90 BPM-97 BTR-152 BTR Bumerang BTR Krymsk SBA-60K2 Bulat Infantry fighting vehicles BMP-1 BMP-2 BMP-3 BMD-1 BMD-2 BMD-3 BMD-4 BTR-T BMPT T-15 Armata Kurganets-25 Armored cars BRDM-1 BRDM-2 GAZ-46 GAZ Tigr GAZ Vodnik VPK-3927 Volk T-98 Kombat Typhoon Armoured trains Yenisei Volga Amur Baikal Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BTR_(vehicle)&oldid=1251735177 " Categories : Armoured personnel carriers of

572-569: The Middle East ; the largest quantity of second-hand BTR-152s were accepted by Arab nations such as Libya , Iraq , Syria , and Egypt . Small quantities were also converted to armored ambulances and combat engineering vehicles for the Soviet Army; these remained in service as late as the 1980s. BTR-152s first saw combat during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 , when they were deployed by

616-875: The National Liberation Front of Chad (FROLINAT) during the First Chadian Civil War , and were instrumental in a motorized assault on Salal in April 1978. The BTRs were knocked out by Panhard AML-90 armored cars of the French Foreign Legion . Libyan mechanized battalions also deployed BTR-152s in Chad during the Chadian-Libyan conflict , often in concert with tank companies or EE-9 Cascavels . Several were destroyed after taking direct hits from AML-90 cannon fire or SS.11 anti-tank missiles. BTR-152s formed

660-591: The T-55 chassis (1990s). Ukraine [ edit ] [REDACTED] BTR-4 assigned to Ukrainian Armed Forces BTR-3 – Ukrainian BTR-80 variant eight-wheeled APC (2000). It is manufactured by KMDB in Ukraine . The BTR-3 is an all-new production vehicle, rather than an upgrade of the existing in-service vehicle, such as the BTR-80 . BTR-4 – Another Ukrainian eight-wheeled APC (2006) with rear doors designed in Ukraine by

704-735: The ZIS-151 , with later variants using the ZIL-157 truck. BTR-D – Bronetransportyor, Desanta ( Russian : Бронетранспортёр Десанта , literally "armoured transporter of the Airborne"), stretched six-wheel transport variant of the BMD-1 airborne IFV. BTR-MD "Rakushka" – APC variant of the BMD-3 . Planned successor for the BTR-D. Russia [ edit ] BTR-90 – Russian eight-wheeled APC (1990s). BTR-T – Russian tracked infantry fighting vehicle based on

748-687: The 12th Motorized Brigade of the Soviet Internal Troops to crush Hungary's fledgling uprising. The BTRs were deployed in Budapest and other settlements, as well as on the Hungarian border with Austria . A number were damaged or destroyed by insurgents armed with molotov cocktails , which were pitched into the open troop compartments without apparent difficulty. Since they were wheeled, some BTR-152s were also immobilized when their rubber tires caught fire, and had to be abandoned by their crews. Egypt

792-508: The BTR-152 as a firing platform rather than disembark and fight on foot. Nevertheless, failure to coordinate combined arms maneuvers often left the Syrian motorized infantry separated from their supporting tank formations and vulnerable to Israeli heavy armor. Israel captured over 1,000 BTR-152s from Arab armies during the Six-Day War and the subsequent Yom Kippur War . BTR-152s were deployed by

836-584: The Red Army had an urgent postwar requirement for more wheeled armored vehicles, and the general staff specified a new reconnaissance vehicle and armored personnel carrier (APC). The APC had to be capable of transporting at least eight troops. A new design bureau at the Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ) was set up to study potential concepts accordingly; their final prototype, the Izdeliye 141 ( BTR-40 ),

880-459: The SGMB machine guns. The APC variant has no permanent armament but it has pintle mounts for three 7.62 mm SGMB medium machine guns, one at the front of the troop compartment and the other two at the sides. The vehicle also has two firing ports on both sides of the hull which allow up to four soldiers to use their weapons while being protected by the APC's armour. Like the GAZ-63 truck on which it

924-524: The Soviet Army's reserve stocks. These vehicles were mostly BTR-152Vs but also included the BTR-152A anti-aircraft variant. The Soviet Union donated at least six BTR-152s to Mozambique shortly after that country's independence in the mid-1970s. Mozambican BTR-152s were deployed against Rhodesian Security Forces conducting cross-border raids, as well as in search and destroy operations mounted near Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) strongholds. It

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968-714: The Soviet Union Armoured personnel carriers of the Cold War Cold War armoured fighting vehicles of the Soviet Union GAZ Group military vehicles Reconnaissance vehicles Off-road vehicles Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Articles containing Russian-language text Articles containing Ukrainian-language text BTR-152 BTR-152s were available in several marks, and were manufactured in large numbers for

1012-420: The Soviet military and export. Late production models utilized automotive components from the more reliable ZIL-157 truck. Three primary variants of the BTR-152 appeared between 1950 and 1959: the base armored personnel carrier with a single pintle-mounted 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun, an unarmed command vehicle with a higher roofline, and an anti-aircraft variant armed with a ZPU-2 mount. BTR-152s could carry

1056-494: The Soviets to rapidly motorize their existing infantry divisions. A program in the late 1950s looked at ways to replace the BTR-152 with a more sophisticated APC utilizing a purpose-designed, amphibious chassis. As the BTR-152's six-wheeled configuration was deemed insufficient to reduce ground pressure on the tires and produce optimal cross-country performance, Soviet engineers embarked on an eight-wheeled APC program, which resulted in

1100-399: The chassis and components of the ZIL-157 utility truck utilized a slightly different ZIL-137K engine. There are several engine louvers on the front of the hull to prevent overheating; these could be safely closed for short intervals during combat, as long as the driver reduced speed and avoided overtaxing the vehicle. A BTR-152's gearbox comprised five forward gears and one reverse gear with

1144-522: The design bureau of the Gorky Automobile Factory under the leadership of V. A. Dedkov. The concept was a successor to the BA-64 B armoured car which went out of production in 1946. The design team also included L. W. Kostikin and P.I. Muziukin. Two prototypes designated BTR-141 were completed in 1947. The first was armed with two coaxial 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine guns on a rotatable mount which

1188-574: The design team to produce, in late 1954, what was planned to be an amphibious variant of the BTR-40. It received the designation BTR-40P (with the 'P' standing for plavayushchiy – "floating"). During the design process, the vehicle moved away from the APC concept and became an amphibious armoured scout car. It received a new designation, BRDM . The BTR-40's design was based on the GAZ-63 four wheel drive truck which went into production in 1946, using its chassis and most other internal mechanical components, while

1232-569: The early 1970s. The vehicle was also sold to many Arab and African nations in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The People's Republic of China (PRC), had developed a copy of the BTR-40 called the Type 55. It is unknown how many of these vehicles entered service with the PLA . The vehicle was also exported to North Korea, probably as part of a military assistance programme during the Korean War , where it saw combat for

1276-927: The first time. It was later used by the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War . BTR-40 also saw combat service during the North Yemen Civil War during which at least one was captured from the Egyptians by the royalist guerrillas. BTR (vehicle) Type of Soviet or post-Soviet military armoured personnel carrier [REDACTED] BTR-40 APC in Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel, 2005 [REDACTED] Russian BTR-T BTR ( Russian : БТР ), from Bronetransportyor / Bronetransporter ( Russian : бронетранспортёр / Ukrainian : бронетранспортер ; literally "armoured transporter"),

1320-462: The front, with a maximum capacity of 4.5 tonnes and 70 m of cable. It has no protection against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons. It also has no night vision equipment. The BTR-40 was produced at the Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (Gorkovsky Automobile Factory) from 1950 to 1960. It was first shown publicly at the military parade in Moscow in 1950. It was issued to the Red Army in 1950 and

1364-522: The hull top as needed. The SGMB machine gun could traverse 45 degrees and elevate between -6 and +24 degrees. Some of the BTRs were fitted with single 12.7mm DShK or 14.5mm KPV heavy machine guns in place of the SGMB. Vehicles designated BTR-152A were ground support vehicles with limited air defense capability. BTR-152As carried twin KPVs in a ZPU-2 anti-aircraft mount. Variations included an Egyptian model with

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1408-433: The installation of central heating and an NBC overpressure system. Two hatches opening to the right were installed on the new roofline. The BTR-152 was originally armed with a single pintle-mounted 7.62mm SG-43 Goryunov (SGMB) medium machine gun, fed by 1,250 rounds of stored on-board ammunition. This was mounted behind the driving position. Additional 7.62mm general-purpose machine guns could be mounted on either side of

1452-581: The mainstay of mechanized units on both sides during the Ogaden War . The Somali National Army ordered enough BTR-152s from the Soviet Union in the late 1960s to equip nine new mechanized battalions. About half of Somalia's BTR-152s appear to have been lost in the Ogaden conflict. Soviet weapons deliveries to Ethiopia accelerated after the outbreak of war, and starting in March 1977 included 40 BTR-152s appropriated from

1496-476: The same time the Izdeliye 141 was being developed by GAZ. Prototypes were built with automotive components from the ZIS-151 production line; however, the APC chassis incorporated a more powerful engine and a shorter wheelbase than its utility truck counterpart. Design work was carried out by a team of five ZIS employees: Fitterman, K. M. Androsov, A. P. Petrenko, V. F. Rodionov and P. P. Chernyaev. The final prototype

1540-426: The shell splinters of its time, but does not protect it against modern artillery fragments and .50-calibre machine gun fire. The BTR-40-series tyres are not protected by armour. They are particularly vulnerable to puncture from fire of all kinds. The vehicle has no roof and is normally covered with a tarpaulin to protect the crew, transported cargo or troops from rain and snow. However this makes it unable to mount any of

1584-508: The sides. The crew consists of a driver and a single passenger, who operates the radios. Two types of seating arrangements were available: the first consists of wooden benches on either side of the troop compartment facing inwards; the second consisted of three rows of seats facing forward. Both the driver and the radio operator seated to his right are provided with individual windscreens and, when in combat, these are covered by twin armored shutters with integral vision blocks. Crew members exit

1628-478: The six-cylinder engine was based on the design of the GAZ-12 ZIM unit. The design featured a self-bearing body which was a new feature in Soviet vehicles. The hull has two side doors for the commander and driver and a back door. The vehicle can transport up to eight fully equipped soldiers or 1 tonne of cargo. The BTR-40's armour is from 6 mm to 8 mm thick which gives it protection from small arms fire and

1672-573: The tanks, and remained comparatively vulnerable to enemy fire. By the end of the war, the initial Soviet tactic of tank desant , in which the infantry rode into battle atop the tanks they were supporting, had been superseded by the introduction of M3 Half-tracks and M3 White armored cars. These were widely used for troop transport, giving rise to a new doctrine in which armored vehicles capable of keeping pace with tanks brought infantry to an engagement. The infantrymen would then disembark and enter combat on foot. Wartime experiences demonstrated that

1716-514: The vehicle through side doors, the tops of which are hinged and fold down for observation purposes. The BTR-152's armor plate is fabricated of welded steel and ranges from 4 mm (0.16 in) to 13.5 mm (0.53 in) in thickness. This protects the crew and passengers from small arms fire, shell fragments, grenades, and anti-personnel mines, but is ineffective against larger shell fragments or even heavy machine gun fire. Late production hulls may have been manufactured from steel plate with

1760-564: Was accepted into service but was regarded as too small to be used in an APC role. Meanwhile, specifications for another APC had been issued, capable of seating 15 to 20 additional passengers and armed with a single heavy machine gun. Existing M3 half-tracks and captured German Sd.Kfz. 251s were studied as potential references for the upcoming design. Concept work on the new APC began at the Zavod imeni Stalina (ZIS) factory in Moscow, overseen by Soviet engineer Boris Mikhailovich Fitterman, at roughly

1804-659: Was one of the first major export customers for the BTR-152 outside Eastern Europe; in 1954, it ordered 200 from the Soviet Union, and between 1961 and 1966 it received another 600 in second-hand condition, possibly as military aid. Syria likewise received at least 200 BTR-152s in 1966, and another 300 three years later. These were deployed against the Israel Defense Forces during the Six-Day War . In Syrian service, they were utilized as makeshift infantry fighting vehicles rather than APCs; infantrymen remained on board and used

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1848-554: Was protected by armour plate at the front and sides. The second had no fixed armament. Neither one was accepted for service. In 1950 two new prototypes were produced. Those had a different shape of armour including an upright rear armour. Again one prototype had no fixed armament and the second was armed with two coaxial 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine guns. These were accepted into service as BTR-40 and BTR-40A respectively. The vehicle's drawbacks, such as its poor cross-country performance and problems with crossing water obstacles, compelled

1892-526: Was trialed by the Soviet Armed Forces in December 1949 and accepted into service as the BTR-152 . Serial production of the BTR-152 under the manufacturer's code ZIS-152 commenced around mid 1950, making it the first mass-produced Soviet APC. Despite being designed around the same time, the BTR-40 did not enter serial production until the end of the year. The BTR-152 was used by the Soviet military as

1936-467: Was used in the APC, reconnaissance and command post roles. After several years of service, it became apparent that it did not fit the modern battlefield. It was replaced by the BTR-152 . The BTR-40 began to enter service with two other Warsaw Pact members in late 1949, namely East Germany and Poland, where it was used as a standard APC until more advanced vehicles like the BTR-152 were available. The last BTR-40s were withdrawn from Warsaw Pact countries in

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