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45-609: Due to the similarities with the Soviet BRDM-1 armoured scout car, D-442 FUG is often misinterpreted as a BRDM-1 modification. Although FUG has similar appearance to the BRDM-1, major differences reflect the independent design. The Hungarian military leadership had abandoned the promising domestic recon armored car project based on WW2-era Csaba , because the Soviet government promised to sell large numbers of old BA-64s from Soviet reserves at

90-455: A Vz. 59N variant for 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition also exists), delivered via an ammunition belt. The weapon can serve as a light (light barrel and bipod, vz. 59L model) and medium machine gun (heavy barrel and tripod), and can also be used as a co-axial mounted weapon (Vz. 59T version). The machine gun is equipped with a lever-type feed mechanism introduced in Louis Stange 's MG 39 Rh, which

135-535: A low price. Hungary never received any BAs, thus Hungarian People's Army had no wheeled armoured reconnaissance vehicle from 1945 to 1960s. The desperate need of suitable recon vehicles and the insufficient performance of the Soviet industry (persistent shortage of APCs and Recon cars) encouraged the Hungarian industry to develop and mass-produce a cheap but capable enough recon vehicle. In order to speed up development and keep prices down, Hungarian industry largely based

180-428: A maximum armour thickness of 10 mm. This is sufficient for protection against small arms fire and small shell fragments but not against larger artillery fragments and 0.50 in (13 mm) machine gun fire. The BRDM-1-series tires are unarmoured and are particularly vulnerable to puncture from fire of all kinds. The BRDM obr. 1959 was normally armed with a single 7.62 mm SGMB medium machine gun mounted at

225-657: A reconnaissance vehicle. These perceived shortcomings were noted and addressed by Soviet engineers in the design of the BRDM-2. UK vz. 59 The Universal Machine Gun Model 1959 ( Czech : Univerzální kulomet vzor 59 ) is a general-purpose machine gun developed in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s. It remains in use by the Czech Army and the Slovak Armed Forces . The Uk vz. 59 fires 7.62×54mmR ammunition (although

270-468: A speed of five to eight kilometers per hour. Water obstacles can be crossed by swimming. In water, the vehicle is driven by two water jets controlled by the driver which are steered by reversing the thrust. Stability of the vehicle in water is improved by a trim board which is erected at the front before entering the water. While in its traveling position it serves as additional armour. It is primarily intended for reconnaissance activities, particularly behind

315-454: A tire pressure regulation system which later became standard in Soviet wheeled military vehicles. The initial version of the vehicle, the BRDM obr. 1957, had an open roof, but the next production model, the BRDM obr. 1958, added a roof with twin hatches over commander's and driver's station and two hatches at the rear. The vehicle is a conventional 4×4 design, with a welded steel chassis, an engine at

360-616: The BA-64 and was built on the chassis and drive train of the BTR-40 armored personnel carrier. It is the world's first mass-produced combat vehicle of its class. The primary advantage of the BRDM-1 at the time of its introduction was its amphibious capability, which was the main shortcoming associated with its BTR-40 counterpart. Another unique feature of the vehicle's design were two pairs of chain-driven auxiliary wheels, which could be lowered to provide additional traction on muddy terrain. The BRDM-1

405-637: The BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, which were able to reconnoiter much more aggressively and engage hostile armor as needed. About 10,000 BRDMs were built for the Soviet Army and another 1,500 for export, primarily to East Germany , where it received the designation SPW-40P , and the People's Republic of Poland . The vehicle was criticised for its light armour and the vulnerability of its front-mounted engine compartment during combat, as well as its open top, which exposed

450-469: The BTR-40 , which was designed as a general purpose transporter and armored car. Soviet dissatisfaction with the BTR-40 in the scout car role led to design work being initiated on a new purpose-built scout car in 1954. The Soviet Army specified an amphibious armored vehicle able to accommodate a crew of five, with a road speed of around 80 kilometres per hour and a road range of at least 500 kilometres. In 1956,

495-574: The Iran-Iraq War , Persian Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the Iraqi Army . "Combat Reconnaissance/Patrol Vehicle" with rear engine: BRDM-1 The BRDM-1 ( Bronirovannaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina , Бронированная Разведывательная Дозорная Машина, literally "armored reconnaissance/patrol vehicle" ) is a Soviet amphibious armored scout car . It was the first purpose-built Soviet reconnaissance vehicle to enter service since

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540-465: The Uganda–Tanzania War . By 2000, the BRDM-1 only remained in service with the armies of eleven nations and was almost wholly confined to reserve storage. In 2016, less than 200 BRDM-1s were believed to remain in service worldwide. The vehicle's most unusual feature is the four additional chain-driven belly wheels, which are lowered by the driver to allow trench crossing. The vehicle also has

585-781: The Yom Kippur War , albeit in smaller numbers, having been largely superseded by the more modern BRDM-2. Several captured Egyptian or Syrian BRDM-1s were transferred to the United States for evaluation purposes during the late 1970s by the Israeli government. The Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) deployed a number of BRDM-1s during the Angolan Civil War . Ugandan BRDM-1s were deployed against Tanzanian forces in Kampala during

630-659: The 1980s. After that it was used by internal protection units. No longer in any kind of service. Three were given to museums. Some were given to the proving grounds as targets after they were stripped of all equipment. Hungary also developed the PSzH-IV armored personnel carrier from the D-944 PSzH armoured scout car. The PSzH-IV prototype first appeared in 1966 and only took part in a single maneuver parade in Bratislava, mounting an egg-shaped turret and dummy automatic cannon. The prototype and

675-524: The 7.62 mm SGMB medium machine gun in the front while an additional 7.62 mm SGMB medium machine gun was mounted on the rear. It was still possible to mount the other two 7.62 mm SGMB medium machine guns on the sides of the vehicle. The Soviet Army however disliked the vehicle for several reasons. The vehicle had no turret and to operate the armament the gunner had to open a hatch and expose himself to enemy fire. The vehicle also didn't have any kind of special sights which undermined its usability as

720-471: The BRDM-2, the D-442 FUG has four infra-red driving lights in the front. The other similarities with the BRDM-1 include the windshields which in combat situation are replaced by armoured shutters with integral vision blocks and two firing ports on both sides of the troop compartment. However, to use the armoured shutters the windshields have to be removed. When the shutters are in their opened position they protect

765-508: The D-944 PSZH resembles the BRDM-2, it does not have the flaw related to entering and exiting the vehicle (See BRDM-2 for details) which is present in D-442 FÚG, because the vehicle has side hatches as opposed to the front roof hatches. Because the vehicle uses an only slightly modified hull of D-442 FÚG it also has the round escape hatch in the floor. The buoyancy were improved slightly, but this

810-471: The Dedkov OKB Design Bureau produced a prototype which utilized the automotive and chassis components of the BTR-40 but incorporated an entirely new, boat-shaped hull with amphibious capability. A number of modifications also had to be made to the engine placement, gearbox, transmission, and axles of the original BTR-40 design to accommodate the new hull. This received the designation BTR-40P and

855-548: The PSzH-IV were first thought to be an armoured scout cars by the West due to its small size and 4x4 configuration, and thus called FÚG-66 and FÚG-70 after the FÚG 4x4 scout car. The PSzH-IV is no longer in service with Hungary. However the armoured cars are still in stock. Czechoslovakia sold its OT-65 vehicles to Iraq . Iraq also bought the PSzH-IV APC. The vehicles were probably used during

900-541: The armament and the second one on top of the turret. It also has a radio antenna on back of the turret. Like in the BRDM-2 there two hatches over driver's and commander's stations in the front of the turret. Contrary to the popular belief the turret used in D-944 PSZH is significantly different from the BPU-1 turret used in BRDM-2, PSZH had better ergonomics and observation. PSZH had similar layout to FÚG, but it carried 6 troops and crew consisted of 3 men. Commander and driver sat at

945-632: The concept of purpose-built armored scout cars designed to provide protection and moderate fighting capability to reconnaissance units. A few nations, such as the United States, rejected the same concept because they found armored reconnaissance vehicles to be counterproductive in reducing situational awareness and encouraging their crews to emulate tank tactics. Others, such as France, explicitly adopted heavily armed and armored reconnaissance vehicles because their respective doctrines encouraged aggressive reconnaissance. The Soviet scout cars, by contrast, were lightly armed and armored, making them effective in

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990-403: The crew to enemy fire when operating the weapons systems. This was partly rectified by the introduction of an improved variant in 1958, which had a hermetically sealed fighting compartment and an overpressure system, reducing the threats from fragments and allowing the crew to reconnoiter contaminated environments. However, it remained impossible to operate the vehicle's weapons system from within

1035-517: The design on parts of existing civilian vehicles and boat-manufacturing experience of the Hungarian shipyards. The hull was designed by the Danube Shipyard in order to maximize buoyancy optimized for crossing rivers (better than BRDM), thus D-442 has a much more angular shape than the BRDM-1's boat-like hull, and it has two waterjets for amphibious propulsion instead of one as in BDRM-1. The powertrain

1080-418: The driver and commander from being blinded by the sunlight, and ensure that the windscreens will not be blurred by rain or snow. Both driver and commander can use episcopes to view the battlefield instead of the windshields. The D-442 FUG has a roof with two hatches over commander's and driver's stations. While the BRDM-1 and BRDM-2 only had hatches on top of the roof, the D-442 FUG has a round escape hatch in

1125-537: The enemy lines. It was converted to be used in a variety of different roles such as an artillery observation post, a mobile command/observation post and NBC reconnaissance. The Hungarian FÚG version can be fitted with a pintle-mounted RPD LMG, but on the OT-65 the main weapon was a 7.62 UK (vz. 59) general purpose machine gun with electromagnetic release. The drawbacks of FUG, and the lack of modern APCs in Warsaw Pact caused

1170-454: The engine compartment in the rear and the crew compartment in the front and center. The transmission is located in the middle; this made the crew compartment noisy, but facilitates maintenance compared to BRDM. FUG had light armor, 13 millimeters at front and 7 mm at sides and rear. During production every plate was shot (using AK-47 and PK) in order to control the quality, and the traces of this testing are visible on vehicles. The armour on

1215-442: The floor. The vehicle is powered by a Hungarian-made Csepel six-cylinder diesel engine. The exhaust is located on the right hand side of the hull. The vehicle is equipped with a winch, intended, among others, for self-recovery when stuck in difficult terrain. To improve cross-country capability, central tire-pressure regulation system can also be used to decrease the pressure in all tires before crossing an obstacle and to increase it to

1260-443: The front and crew compartment at the rear. The driver sits on the left, with the commander to his right. The vehicle is not fitted with an NBC system, and has no night-vision equipment by default. The vehicle has four infra-red driving lights and a single white light searchlight is mounted on the driver's side of the vehicle. When in combat BRDM-1's front windscreens are protected by armoured shutters with integral vision blocks. When

1305-422: The front of the hull for which 1,250 rounds of ammunition were carried. The BRDM-2 obr. 1960 also had mountings for two more 7.62 mm SGMB medium machine guns on the sides of the roof however usually only one machine gun was mounted even though it was possible to mount machine guns in all three mounting points. Later the 12.7 mm DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun or 14.5 mm KPV heavy machine gun replaced

1350-502: The front, gunner was in the turret, while carried soldiers sat on sides of hull in the place of belly wheels of FÚG. The last troop on both sides had internal radio and can observe rearwards and side. Middle men on each side sat just inside the door and they can use their weapons if the upper part of the door is open. D-944 PSzH had slightly better protection with maximum armour of 14 millimeters. The vehicle also introduced NBC protection system and infrared night-vision equipment. Even though

1395-530: The hull. This and other shortcomings prompted Soviet engineers to begin work on a new model of the BRDM capable of carrying the same turret as the BTR-60 armored personnel carrier. The latest mark had the engine compartment shifted to the rear and was considerably more mobile; it entered service as the BRDM-2 during the mid-1960s. The earlier BRDM design was redesignated BRDM-1 in Soviet service and remained in use until

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1440-600: The late 1970s, when it was retired. The Soviet Army exported many second-hand BRDM-1s to its military allies, particularly in Africa, from 1966 to 1980. Both Egypt and Syria deployed BRDM-1s during the Six-Day War ; a number of these vehicles were captured by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during that conflict and subsequently reused in unconventional operations. Egyptian and Syrian BRDM-1s were deployed again during

1485-409: The pintle-mounted 7.62 mm light machine gun in the front, the soldier had to expose himself to enemy fire. The vehicle shares characteristics with both BRDM-1 and BRDM-2. Like the first standard version it has no permanent armament. As in BRDM-1 and BRDM-2, the commander and the driver were sited in the front of the hull, driver on the left and commander on the right. Also as on both the BRDM-1 and

1530-625: The planning of D-944 PSZH developed in the late 1960s. The PSZH was designed as the main armoured personnel carrier of the Hungarian Armed Forces, border guard and internal security services too. The vehicle had a small two-part side door (in cost of auxiliary belly wheels) on both sides of the hull. The PSZH had a turret armed with 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun and 7.62 mm coaxial general purpose machine gun with thin, but sloped armor. Both weapons can be elevated between -5 and +30 degrees. The turret has two IR spotlights, one next to

1575-421: The required level after the obstacle has been crossed. The tire pressure can be reduced and controlled by the driver from his post by the means of valves and a pressure indicator. Like the BDRM-1 and BRDM-2, it has four auxiliary belly wheels which the driver can hydraulically lower to assist the vehicle in crossing obstacles and gaps. Speed is sacrificed in this mode of travel, which is accomplished in first gear at

1620-415: The role of passive reconnaissance while still providing protection under cover for the crew. They were still capable of undertaking more aggressive forms of reconnaissance when deployed in concert with more heavily armed combat vehicles. Throughout the postwar era, the Soviet Army had initially used the BA-64 in the scout car role; however, the growing obsolescence of that design led to its replacement by

1665-542: The shutters are in their open position they protect driver and commander from being blinded by the sunlight and ensure that the windscreens won't be obscured by rain or snow. The GAZ-40PB 6-cylinder gasoline engine is the same engine as the one used in the BTR-40, being based on the GAZ-12 ZIM luxury car unit, and is coupled to a manual gearbox with four forward gears and one reverse with a single dry-plate clutch . The four additional belly wheels which can be lowered to improve

1710-421: The steering rod penetrated the armor. The development of the domestic-designed small turret with anti-tank rocket-launcher and PKT were abandoned for political reasons. The turret was highly similar to the one on OT-62B, but with significantly lower silhouette. Therefore, the major drawback of D-442 FUG was the lack of permanent armament, and lack of firing ports was later considered a major design flaw. To operate

1755-415: The vehicle was welded rolled homogeneous steel. The 7–13 mm thick plates protect against small arms fire and small shell fragments, but a .50-calibre machine gun can penetrate D-442 FUG. However, mine-protection was acceptable because there were very few penetration points at the bottom of the body. Therefore, the front axle had external fastening points rather than screws through the belly plate, and only

1800-410: The vehicles cross-country performance by reducing its ground pressure, and to allow it to cross trenches up to 1.2 meters wide. Tire pressure in the main tires can also be raised and lowered by the driver for better performance. The vehicle is fully amphibious, a trim board is raised at the front of the vehicle before entering the water to improve vehicle's stability and displacement in water and prevent

1845-425: The water from flooding the bow. In the water the vehicle is propelled by a single rear-mounted water-jet. The water jet is powered by the main engine which drives a four-bladed propeller. The water jet outlet is protected by an armoured shutter while on land. This shutter must be removed before entering water. While the trim board in the front is in its travelling position it serves as additional armour. The BRDM-1 has

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1890-448: Was almost completely of domestic design. The engine, winch and rear axle came from Csepel D-344 trucks, front suspension was based on a modified Ikarus design, the transmission and the unique transfer system were designed by Rába , but the belly wheels were the same as the system of BRDM-1. Unlike the BRDM-1 which had a conventional 4x4 vehicle layout, the FUG is more similar to BRDM-2 , with

1935-567: Was first trialed by the Soviet Army in the Black Sea that year. The vehicle was accepted for service in 1957 as the Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina (BRDM). In Soviet service, the new BRDMs were attached on the divisional level and deployed for screening and long-range probing actions. During the 1960s and 1970s, the scout cars were complemented in Soviet reconnaissance battalions by specialized variants of

1980-463: Was manufactured from 1957 to 1966, at which time 10,000 had entered service with the Soviet Union and its military allies around the world. It was thereafter superseded by the improved BRDM-2 , which possessed greater amphibious capabilities, a more powerful engine, and a fully enclosed turret. During World War II and the immediate postwar period, the Soviet Union and a number of countries embraced

2025-461: Was necessary because of the weight of the turret. FÚG armoured scout cars were serving with armies of six Warsaw Pact countries: Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, East Germany and Romania. Poland received small numbers of FÚG armoured scout cars in reconnaissance, command, artillery forward observation post and NBC reconnaissance versions in 1965. Those were probably Czechoslovak OT-65 Otter versions. They were withdrawn from military service in

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