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59-535: The BRDM-1 (also known as the BTR-40 P) first appeared in 1959, and was in production until 1966. Total production was around 10,000 vehicles; less than 600 remain in the reserves of a number of countries. It was armed with a pintle-mounted heavy machine gun. The initial version of the vehicle, the Model 1957, had an open roof, but the standard production model, the Model 1958, had a roof with twin hatches. The vehicle

118-560: A 12.7mm heavy machine gun in a larger, open-topped turret. This model included splash guards and armoured fillets on the hull roofline. Personal crew weapons, such as hand grenades, were also stored inside the vehicle's hull. The BA-64 underwent some minor modifications as the BA-64B. While the most noticeable of these changes were the new carburetor and the wider track, successive models of BA-64Bs also included firing ports, cylindrical sheet metal exhaust shields, an additional air intake atop

177-456: A driver, co-driver, commander, and gunner. The armament is the same as the BTR-60 armoured personnel carrier , a 14.5 mm KPV heavy machine gun with a 7.62 mm machine gun as a secondary weapon. The armor on the vehicle protects fully against small arms fire and artillery shell splinters. This vehicle has been exported extensively and is in use in at least 45 countries. The BRDM-2

236-428: 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

295-544: A new armoured car designated Izdeliye 64-125 on July 17, 1941, basing its construction and design on a preexisting light vehicle chassis. This was to ensure the manufacturing process could in be undertaken in an economical and rapid manner. After some deliberation, the GAZ-64 jeep was chosen as the base for the Izdeliye 64-125. This chassis was considered ideal due to its short wheel base and excellent ground clearance, and

354-411: A new day/night vision device in front of the commander's position. The crew consists of 6 men. 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

413-478: A reconnaissance vehicle. These perceived shortcomings were noted and addressed by Soviet engineers in the design of the BRDM-2. BA-64 The BA-64 ( БА-64 , from Russian : Бронированный Автомобиль , Bronirovaniy Avtomobil , literally "armoured car") was a Soviet four-wheeled armoured scout car . Built on the chassis of a GAZ-64 or GAZ-67 jeep, it incorporated a hull loosely modeled after that of

472-556: A single light machine gun. Unlike the BA-3/6 and BA-20 heavy armoured cars, which were armed with anti-tank cannon, the BA-64 was not considered suitable for front-line combat against German armour. It was, however, widely used for transporting officers, liaison purposes, reconnaissance, and other secondary battlefield tasks. In September 1943, production of the GAZ-64 was superseded by

531-511: 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

590-611: Is a box-type launcher for the SA-9 fire-and-forget missiles. To reduce the overall height of the system for travelling, the missiles are normally lowered into the horizontal position on each side of the vehicle. Although some Western sources use the designator BRDM-3 for the 9P148 —an anti-tank variant of the BRDM-2 with ATGM launcher—the BRDM-3 is in fact based on the BTR-80AK and with

649-470: Is restricted to the front wheels. A BA-64's gearbox initially had one reverse and three forward gears on a two-speed transfer case, although a few models appear to have one reverse and four forward gears and no transfer case. All BA-64 hulls were of all-welded steel construction and varied in armour thickness from 15mm on the hull front to 6mm on the hull sides. To provide maximum ballistic protection, most armour plates were angled at approximately 30°. Both

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708-571: Is sometimes confused with the Hungarian D-442 FUG amphibious scout car and the D-944 PSZH APC, which have rear engines but also have twin waterjets. The 9K31 Strela-1 (NATO name "Gaskin") mobile surface-to-air missile system is based on a modified BRDM-2 (4 x 4) amphibious chassis with its belly wheels removed. The original turret has been replaced by a one-man turret with an elevating arm on each side. Mounted to each arm

767-677: 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

826-651: 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

885-473: 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,

944-528: The GAZ-M1 passenger car with civilian tread to the BA-64 for use in convoys, long-distance road marches, and rearguard duties. An open-topped turret was fitted as standard to the BA-64 series, with a 7.62mm light machine gun mounted on a pintle to the right. The machine gun mount was designed for maximum elevation so it could engage low-flying aircraft or infantry in the upper floors of a building during urban combat. A very small number of BA-64s were fitted with

1003-530: The Korean People's Army continued to hold a number of BA-64s in reserve. The BA-64 consisted of the chassis of a GAZ-64 or GAZ-67 jeep modified to accept an armoured hull. The jeep chassis required some alterations to accept the hull; for example, the cooling, fuel, and electrical systems had to be relocated while the rear suspension was braced to accommodate the additional weight. Suspension consists of semi-elliptical springs front and rear, and steering

1062-551: The People's Republic of China . Small quantities were later also supplied to Yugoslavia . In North Korean service, the BA-64 engaged ground forces of the United Nations Command during the Korean War , where it received the nickname "Bobby" from American soldiers. This was a likely play on the armoured car's Russian nickname, "Bobik" . The last country known to have received BA-64s for its armed forces

1121-712: The Sd.Kfz. 221 . The BA-64 was developed between July and November 1941 to replace the BA-20 then in service with armoured car units of the Red Army . Cheap and exceptionally reliable, it would later become the most common Soviet wheeled armoured fighting vehicle to enter service during World War II , with over 9,000 being manufactured before production ended. The BA-64 represented an important watershed in Soviet armoured car technology, as its multi-faceted hull gave its crew superior protection from small arms fire and shell fragments than

1180-823: The Second Battle of Kiev and the Battle of Berlin . Eighty-one BA-64Bs were also donated by the Soviets to the Polish People's Army and ten to the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps . The Czechoslovak BA-64Bs were used in the Prague Offensive of 1945. During the early to mid 1950s, ex-Soviet BA-64s were shipped to a number of Soviet client states in Eastern Europe and Asia, including Bulgaria , East Germany , Romania , Albania , North Korea , and

1239-698: The T-60 light tank . Both the BA-64 and BA-64B were powered by a four-cylinder GAZ petrol engine developing 50 hp (37 kW) at 2,800 rpm. The engine was particularly reliable and known for operating for extended periods even on low octane fuel and poor quality oil with minimal maintenance. Under wartime conditions it was capable of providing good operational service up to 15,000 kilometres without needing major repair. The BA-64 could be fitted with bullet-proof GK combat tyres, although these resulted in higher fuel consumption and reduced road speeds to 40 km/h. Red Army mechanics typically fitted standard tires from

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1298-465: 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

1357-656: The United Nations Command during the Korean War . During the 1930s, the Soviet Union devoted much effort and funding to the development of six-wheeled medium or heavy armoured cars. A primary shortcoming of these vehicles was their lack of all-wheel drive, however, which restricted them to roads. In 1940, the Main Directorate of Soviet Armoured Forces (GABTU), issued a requirement for new armoured car designs which could operate effectively on open terrain and possessed an all-wheel drive chassis. This ushered in

1416-819: 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

1475-524: 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

1534-518: The BA-20. BA-64s also possessed a much higher power-to-weight ratio and the placement of their wheels at the extreme corners of the chassis resulted in exceptional manoeuvrability. Following the adoption of the BTR-40 , the Soviet government retired its remaining fleet of BA-64s and exported them as military aid to various nations. In East German service, they served as the basis for the later Garant 30k SK-1 . North Korean BA-64s saw action against

1593-481: 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

1652-552: The GAZ factory for a detailed analysis. Grachev was impressed by the highly faceted armour plate on the Sd.Kfz. 221, which was angled for maximum ricochet, and he ordered that a similar hull be incorporated into the Izdeliye 64-125. In late November, GAZ assembled the first three prototypes carrying the new hull. Field trials with the Red Army commenced on January 9, 1942. The Izdeliye 64-125

1711-502: The Red Army while the rest of the local defence industry was struggling to relocate and reorganise. GAZ increased its manufacture and assembly of light tanks accordingly, as well as continuing to produce military trucks. Since the programme to mass produce a new all-wheel drive armoured car had been interrupted by the German invasion, it also fell to GAZ to investigate possibilities in that regard. GAZ technicians initiated concept work on

1770-497: The Soviet government. Other detailed improvements included firing ports, a wider range of armament and a new carburetor which gave better performance on low grade fuel. Most BA-64Bs continued to be fitted with the same turret and 7.62mm machine gun as the original series; however, Soviet troops removed some of the original BA-64B turrets and replaced them with PTRS-41 anti-tank rifles or captured German 2 cm KwK 30 cannon. Another, more extensive, field modification involved removing

1829-527: The bulky machine gun, and there was not enough space in the hull to accommodate adequate 12.7mm ammunition stowage. Only a small number were manufactured. Another unusual variant, the BA-64ZhD, was produced using surplus, old BA-64 hulls, albeit mounted on the GAZ-67 chassis. It possessed flanged, steel rail wheels which allowed it to patrol railroad tracks. Production of the BA-64B was severely curtailed by

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1888-632: 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

1947-403: 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

2006-632: The development of several new 4X4 designs, such as the LB-62 and the BA-NATTI . Although these were the first all-wheel drive Soviet armoured cars, neither was accepted for service with the Red Army , as they suffered from excessive weight, fuel consumption, and poor operating range. During Operation Barbarossa , Nazi Germany 's rapid offensives in Ukraine and western Russia temporarily disrupted new military projects as most Soviet factories involved with

2065-408: The driving and engine compartments were located at the front of the hull. The crew members are seated in tandem, with the turret gunner seated behind and above the driver. The driving compartment is fitted with a one-piece hatch cover opening upwards. When the hatch is closed during combat, the driver continues to navigate via a triplex auxiliary sight. The sight was developed from a similar device on

2124-452: The end of World War II, as the Red Army no longer had any interest in maintaining such large numbers of new armoured cars. The last 62 BA-64Bs were manufactured in mid 1946. Approximately 9,110 BA-64s of all variants were produced in the Soviet Union between 1942 and 1946. Of that figure, about half were fitted with communications equipment, chiefly RP radios, which were inferior to the 71-TK models used in Soviet heavy armoured cars. After

2183-451: The fact that its mechanical parts were already in serial production. The original Izdeliye 64-125 bore almost no similarities with what would later become the BA-64; it resembled little more than a shorter BA-20 . On August 23, a captured German Sd.Kfz. 221 scout car was exhibited near Moscow by the Red Army. Vitaliy Grachev and other GAZ engineers were permitted to inspect the vehicle; a month later Grachev arranged to have it brought to

2242-443: 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

2301-422: 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

2360-434: 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

2419-407: The improved GAZ-67B jeep, which had a wider wheel base. Consequently, the BA-64 was modified to accommodate the new chassis. This alteration proved to be a major improvement for the BA-64, which was notoriously unstable on slopes due to its narrow track and somewhat top-heavy nature; the wider GAZ-67B track increased the vehicle's side slope angle to 25°. The modified BA-64 was designated BA-64B by

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2478-543: The last year it remained in operational service with the Soviet Armed Forces. Thereafter the BA-64 was superseded by the BTR-40 and subsequently, by the BRDM-1 . All the remaining vehicles were placed in storage, and some were gradually disposed of as military aid to Soviet client states, particularly North Korea . Prior to export, the stored BA-64s were refurbished at the same Soviet facilities responsible for

2537-619: 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

2596-822: The maintenance of the BTR series. The first BA-64s produced were deployed to the Don Front in 1942. However, larger quantities were operated by Soviet units on the Voronezh Front and the Bryansk Front from mid to late 1943. BA-64s also took part in the final phases of the Battle of Stalingrad . During prolonged road marches, Soviet crews retrofitted them with standard tread road tyres to save fuel. BA-64Bs were deployed during Soviet offensives in Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Romania, seeing extensive combat during

2655-421: The plant could be restored. A few technical shortcomings of the GAZ-64 chassis had to resolved in that time. BA-64s remained unique in that they were the only new Soviet armoured car design to be produced during World War II. They had better armour, speed, range, and off-road capability than any other wheeled fighting vehicles in Soviet service, although due to the limitations of the chassis they could only carry

2714-497: The production of armoured fighting vehicles were forced to evacuate their facilities and relocate operations east of the Ural Mountains . Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ) was one of a few exceptions to the rule, as it was already located east of Moscow. Its contribution to the early Soviet war effort was strategically vital, since it could continue manufacturing vehicles to replace the massive losses then being sustained by

2773-415: 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

2832-548: 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

2891-429: The turret and even part of the upper hull, as well as adding a windshield salvaged from captured Volkswagen Kubelwagen or Schwimmwagens . This converted the BA-64B into an open-topped staff car. In 1944, GAZ produced a variant of the BA-64B mounting a single 12.7mm DShK heavy machine gun in a larger turret. Although this greatly improved the vehicle's firepower, the turret remained insufficient to adequately rotate

2950-410: 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

3009-454: The war, Soviet interest in wheeled armoured vehicles shifted primarily to purpose-built armoured personnel carriers (APCs). Soviet military officials wanted armoured vehicles capable of keeping pace with tanks that could transport infantry to an engagement. As early as mid-March 1943, GAZ had developed an APC variant of the BA-64B, the BA-64E, which could accommodate six passengers. This vehicle

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3068-425: 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

3127-617: Was North Vietnam , although it is not known whether these saw actual combat during the Vietnam War . By the 1970s, BA-64s had been retired by all Warsaw Pact armies, being typically donated to paramilitary groups such as the East German Combat Groups of the Working Class , and similar workers' militia units. However, some remained in service with the national armies of North Korea and Albania. In 2013,

3186-411: Was accepted for service as the BA-64 on March 14, 1942. The BA-64 was initially armed with a single 7.62mm Degtyaryov machine gun in an open-topped turret. The machine gun was mounted on a fixed mount that allowed it to be elevated sufficiently to engage low-flying aircraft. BA-64s started being issued in large numbers to Soviet units in early 1943. Around the same time a specialist driving school

3245-589: 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

3304-408: 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

3363-405: Was open-topped and the passengers debarked through a door in the rear hull. The BA-64E was rejected as being too small for a practical APC; however, a number of its features would later be incorporated into a new design better able to combine the traditional roles of an armoured car with that of a general transporter: the BTR-40 . GAZ manufactured new parts for the existing BA-64 fleet until 1953,

3422-499: Was set up to train BA-64 drivers. For reasons still unclear, only fifty armoured cars of this type were manufactured in 1942 and mass production was not undertaken until the first six months of 1943, when over a thousand were manufactured. Even after 1943, production figures remained inconsistent and could fluctuate greatly from year to year. In June 1943, the GAZ workshops that produced the BA-64 were heavily damaged or destroyed by German air raids , and production ceased altogether until

3481-408: Was used as the basis of the 2P27 anti-tank missile launcher, using AT-1 Snapper missiles mounted in a retractable launcher. The BRDM-2 was intended to replace the earlier BRDM-1 with a vehicle that had improved amphibious capabilities and better armament. The BRDM-2 is driven by a rear-mounted gasoline engine that also supplies power to a waterjet for amphibious travel. It has a crew of four,

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