The
BTR-3 is an 8×8-wheeled armored personnel carrier manufactured by KMDB in
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
. The most significant of exports was to the
Myanmar ArmyThe Myanmar Army is the land component of the Military of Myanmar. The Myanmar Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of Myanmar and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations...
which acquired 1000 BTR-3Us, to be assembled in
MyanmarBurma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia or Indochina. The country is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest and the Bay of Bengal to the...
. The BTR-3U is an upgrade of the
BTR-80BTR-80 is an 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed in the Soviet Union. Production started in 1986 and replaced the previous versions, BTR-60 and BTR-70 in the Soviet army.-Description:The Soviets based the BTR-80 on the BTR-70 APC...
and an improved version of the
BTR-94The BTR-94 amphibious armoured personnel carrier is a Ukrainian modification of the Soviet eight-wheeled BTR-80. The BTR-94's turret BAU-23x2 is larger than the BTR-80's BPU-1 and is fitted with a twin 23x115mm gun 2A7M with 200 rounds, a coaxial KT-7.62 machinegun with 2,000 rounds, six...
.
The BTR-3U is fitted with the one-person KBA-105 "Shkval" unified fighting module which can accommodate 30mm gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 30mm automatic grenade launcher and anti-tank guided weapons.
The
BTR-3 is an 8×8-wheeled armored personnel carrier manufactured by KMDB in
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
. The most significant of exports was to the
Myanmar ArmyThe Myanmar Army is the land component of the Military of Myanmar. The Myanmar Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of Myanmar and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations...
which acquired 1000 BTR-3Us, to be assembled in
MyanmarBurma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia or Indochina. The country is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest and the Bay of Bengal to the...
. The BTR-3U is an upgrade of the
BTR-80BTR-80 is an 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed in the Soviet Union. Production started in 1986 and replaced the previous versions, BTR-60 and BTR-70 in the Soviet army.-Description:The Soviets based the BTR-80 on the BTR-70 APC...
and an improved version of the
BTR-94The BTR-94 amphibious armoured personnel carrier is a Ukrainian modification of the Soviet eight-wheeled BTR-80. The BTR-94's turret BAU-23x2 is larger than the BTR-80's BPU-1 and is fitted with a twin 23x115mm gun 2A7M with 200 rounds, a coaxial KT-7.62 machinegun with 2,000 rounds, six...
.
Design
The BTR-3U is fitted with the one-person KBA-105 "Shkval" unified fighting module which can accommodate 30mm gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 30mm automatic grenade launcher and anti-tank guided weapons. This module was developed by the State Scientific Technical Centre of Artillery & Rifle Arms of
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
. The Shkval fighting module design is very flexible, which makes it possible to easily replace an existing weapon with another one. The 30 mm dual-feed cannon has 350 rounds of ready-use
ammunitionAmmunition, often informally referred to as ammo, is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
. A total of 2,500 rounds are carried for the 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. The 30 mm grenade launcher is mounted on the left side of the turret, having 29 rounds of ready-use ammunition, with additional 87 rounds being carried in reserve (three magazines, each containing 29 rounds). Six 81 mm electrically operated
smoke/aerosol grenadeSmoke grenades are canister-type grenades used as ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling devices, target or landing zone marking devices, or a screening devices for unit movements. Smoke grenades are normally considered non lethal, although incorrect use may cause injury or fatality...
launchers are mounted three either side of the turret rear and firing forwards. The sighting systems include a commander’s 1PZ-3 observation
periscopeA periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form, it is a tube in each end of which are mirrors set parallel to each other at 45 degree angle....
and a TKN-4S Agat stabilised sight which is integrated with the missile fire control system.
The troop compartment accommodates six soldiers who enter and leave the vehicle by a door in either side of the
hullHull may refer to:*Kingston upon Hull , city in England named after the River Hull ** River Hull, river in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England...
. The lower part of the door folds downward to form a step, with the upper part opening forwards. There are also hatches in the roof and firing ports with associated vision devices provided in the sides and front of the vehicle. An
air conditioningAn air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area, or provide heat to an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
system is fitted as standard to ensure crew comfort in hot conditions.
Comparison of some modern modern IFVs
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 Fahd-280-30 |
BTR-3UThe BTR-3 is an 8×8-wheeled armored personnel carrier manufactured by KMDB in Ukraine. The most significant of exports was to the Myanmar Army which acquired 1000 BTR-3Us, to be assembled in Myanmar...
|
 VBCIThe Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie is a French armoured fighting vehicle designed to replace the AMX-10P. They are planned to join active service in 2008, with 550 combat vehicles and 150 command vehicles...
|
 LAV-25 |
Type-92 IFVThe WZ551 is a Chinese wheeled armored personnel carrier. It is actually consisted of two families of vehicles with official designations in the People's Liberation Army as Type 90 and Type 92. Roughly 600 WZ551s are in service with the PLA, where they are used by light mechanized infantry units...
|
 BTR-90BTR-90 is an 8×8 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle developed in Russia, designed in 1993 and first shown publicly in 1994. It is a larger version of the BTR-80 vehicle, fitted with a BMP-2 turret...
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| Primary armament |
2A42The Shipunov 2A42 is a Soviet/Russian 30 mm automatic cannon. It is built by the Tulamashzavod Joint Stock Company.The 30 mm 2A42 cannon has a dual feed. One is for HE-T and the other for AP-T rounds. The gunner can select one of two rates of full automatic fire, low at 200 to 300 rds/min and high...
automatic cannon |
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| M242The M242 Bushmaster is a 25 mm chain-fed autocannon. It is used extensively by the US Armed Forces, as well as by NATO's and some other nation's forces in ground vehicles and watercraft....
chain gun |
http://www.sinodefence.com/army/armour/zsl92.asp |
2A42The Shipunov 2A42 is a Soviet/Russian 30 mm automatic cannon. It is built by the Tulamashzavod Joint Stock Company.The 30 mm 2A42 cannon has a dual feed. One is for HE-T and the other for AP-T rounds. The gunner can select one of two rates of full automatic fire, low at 200 to 300 rds/min and high...
automatic cannon |
| Secondary armament |
FN MAG The MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It is used by almost 70 countries, in 25 of those countries it is a standard-issue support weapon, it was produced locally in eight countries...
machine gun |
coaxil A coaxial weapon is a weapon system that is mounted side-by-side with the main weapon system, usually on a tank. Despite the name, a coaxial weapon is not coaxial; a better term might be paraxial....
machine gun |
coaxil A coaxial weapon is a weapon system that is mounted side-by-side with the main weapon system, usually on a tank. Despite the name, a coaxial weapon is not coaxial; a better term might be paraxial....
machine gun |
M240 The M240, officially Machine Gun, 7.62mm, M240, is a family of belt-fed, gas-operated medium machine guns firing the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge...
machine gun |
coaxil A coaxial weapon is a weapon system that is mounted side-by-side with the main weapon system, usually on a tank. Despite the name, a coaxial weapon is not coaxial; a better term might be paraxial....
machine gun |
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| Missile armament (Range) |
AT-5 Spandrel (70-4000 meters) |
AT-5 Spandrel (70-4000 meters) |
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AT-5 Spandrel (70-4000 meters) |
| Road range |
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| Maximum velocity (on road) |
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| Capacity (maximum) |
3 crew + 7 passengers |
3 crew + 6 passengers |
2 crew + 9 passengers |
3 crew + 6 passengers |
3 crew + 9 passengers |
3 crew + 9 passengers |
Equipment
The standard equipment of the BTR-3U also includes hydraulically amplified powered steering on the front four road wheels and a central tyre-pressure regulation system that allows the driver to adjust the
tyre-pressureDirectional stability is stability of a moving body or vehicle about a vertical axis. Stability of a vehicle concerns itself with the tendency of a vehicle to return to its original direction in relation to the oncoming medium when disturbed away from that original direction...
to suit the terrain being crossed. The BTR-3U is fitted with French
Michelin tiresMichelin based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France, is primarily a tyre manufacturer, currently either the world's second-largest or the largest...
.
The BTR-3U engine compartment consists of a
DeutzDeutz AG is a German engine manufacturer.-History:The company was founded by Nikolaus Otto, inventor of the four-stroke internal combustion engine, in 1848 as N. A...
BF6M1015
dieselA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber during the final stage of compression...
developing 326 hp coupled to an
AllisonAllison Transmission a manufacturer of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Allison products are specified by over 250 of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and are used in many market sectors including bus, refuse, fire, construction, distribution, military...
MD3066 fully-automatic transmission. The power pack and transmission are fitted by the Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau with the technical assistance of the Deutz AG and the Allison Transmission companies. The engine compartment is fitted with an automatic double-action
fire extinguishingThe Impulse Fire Extinguishing System is a series of firefighting equipment that uses small amounts of water fired in high velocity bursts to put out fires. Engineer Frans Steur began IFEX GmbH in 1994...
system.
The vehicle is fully
amphibiousAmphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to:*Amphibious warfare, warfare carried out on both land and water*Amphibians, vertebrate animals of the Class Amphibia...
, propelled when afloat by a single water jet mounted at the rear of the hull. To prepare the vehicle for water, the driver erects a trim vane and switches on the bilge pumps from within the vehicle.
Variants
- BTR-3U "Okhotnik" - initially known as BTR-94K. As described.
- Guardian - version for UAE Marines
The armed forces of the United Arab Emirates, officially called the Union Defence Force, consists of 65,000 troops, and is headquartered in Abu Dhabi...
with "Buran-N1" turret.
- BTR-3E - probably with UTD-20 engine.
- BTR-3E1 - latest version with BM-3 "Shturm" turret and new engine.
- BTR-3E ARV - recovery vehicle with winch, crane and dozer blade.
Operators
- 6 BTR-3/12.7 - 3 BTR-3U ordered - 2 BTR-3E - 210 BTR-3U (1000 ordered) - 30 BTR-3UN, 6 BTR-3UK, 4 BTR-3UR and 7 BTR-3E/14.5 - 96 BTR-3E1 ordered - 90 Guardians - Expected to replace older variants in the coming years.
External links