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107-457: The BRDM-2 ( Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina , Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина, literally "Combat Reconnaissance/Patrol Vehicle") is an amphibious armoured scout car designed and developed in the Soviet Union . It was also known under the designations BTR-40PB , BTR-40P-2 and GAZ 41-08 . This vehicle, like many other Soviet designs, has been exported extensively and

214-526: A 6x6 design, the ZIL-153, similar in hull shape to the GAZ design. There were also three other 8x8 prototypes: Ob'yekt 560 (also known as MMZ-560 ), Ob'yekt 1015 (developed by KAZ ), Ob'yekt 1015B (developed by KAZ, it had with a turret-mounted armament and stream propellers, also known as BTR-1015B ) and Ob'yekt 1020B (developed by KAZ ). All prototypes were submitted to and passed state trials in 1959. Even though

321-585: A dozen BTR-60PU-12 s , which were used within the Soviet supplied 9K33 Osa SAM regiment delivered between 1980 and 1985. On 7 December 1981, the delegation of the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs went to the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs asking for equipment and supplies necessary to equip around 60,000 MO operatives and reservists enlisted because of the intensified activities against

428-403: A driver, a co-driver, a commander, and a gunner. It has two pairs of chain-driven belly wheels lowered by the driver, which allow trench crossing just like its predecessor, and a centralized tire pressure regulation system, which can be used to adjust the tire pressure of all four tires or individual tires while the vehicle is in motion to suit to the ground conditions. Externally, it differs from

535-403: A hatch and expose himself to enemy fire. The vehicle was not fitted with an NBC protection system , and had no night vision equipment by default. The vehicle also lacked any kind of special sights, which undermined its function as a reconnaissance vehicle. These drawbacks encouraged the design team to create a new vehicle which would suit the modern battlefield. The BRDM-2 has a crew of four:

642-861: A military parade in Kraków on 17 May 2008. Seven BRDM-2M-97 "Żbik-B" armoured scout cars and six 9P148 "Konkurs" tank destroyers took part in a military parade in Warsaw on the Polish Army Day, 15 August 2008. BRDM-2, BRDM-2M-96 and BRDM-2M-96i armoured cars were used by Polish units of SFOR . Polish KFOR units also use BRDM-2M-96 armoured scout cars and BRDM-2RS NBC reconnaissance vehicles. Polish Forces in Iraq operated 12 BRDM-2M-96ik "Szakal" and 14 BRDM-2M-97 "Żbik-B". 10 BRDM-2M-96ik were used by Polish forces of ISAF . However, these are now back in Poland, as are

749-431: A range of 1,000 m and 30 mm of armour at a range of 500 m. It can also fire at air targets, in which case the tactical range is 1,400 m. It uses the 14.5 mm API-T, 14.5 mm I-T, 14.5 mm HE-T, 14.5 mm and MDZ type ammunition. The 7.62 mm PKT coaxial general-purpose machine gun has an effective range during day time operations of 1,000 m while the vehicle is stationary and from 400 m to 500 m while

856-854: A rebel Panhard AML-90 crewed by South African advisers during Operation Savannah . BRDM-2 armoured scout cars were used by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) during the Ten-Day War as well as the initial operations in Croatia during the Croatian War of Independence . The BRDM-2 was also used by the Yugoslav Army (VJ) against the KLA during the Kosovo war . BRDM-2 armoured scout cars are used by Polish, Ukrainian and Russian units of

963-422: A reconnaissance unit's ability to observe the battlefield. One solution proposed was to further reduce the armor on the lightly protected scout cars, which would compel crews to resist the temptation of using them as combat vehicles. This was not considered practical in the long run and US reconnaissance units eventually replaced all their scout cars with unarmored utility vehicles such as the jeep (and subsequently,

1070-453: A speed of 10 km/h for 17 to 19 hours. A trim board, which is stowed under the nose of the hull when traveling, is erected at the front of the hull before entering the water to improve the vehicle's stability and displacement in the water and to prevent the water from flooding the bow of the BRDM-2. While in its traveling position, it serves as additional armour. The armament is the same as

1177-478: A weakness that could easily be exploited—even the simplest explosives could take out a BTR-60P. The new BTR design with a roof was called the BTR-60PA. Armour thickness is as follows: Hull: Turret (BTR-60PB): The BTR-60 has a 8x8 suspension. Originally, there were difficulties in finding a suitable engine for it: the six-cylinder GAZ-40P gasoline engine, which produces 90 hp, had insufficient power, while

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1284-626: A worthwhile vehicle, although it sustained high losses due to the large number of RPGs used by the Chinese and mistakes made by the commanders of the APCs stemming from their insufficient combat experience with the new vehicles. The high losses due to RPG hits wasn't unexpected, as the BTR-60's armour was designed to protect the vehicle from small arms fire and shrapnel, but not specialized anti-tank weapons. The most effective tactic found for using BTR-60PB s

1391-526: Is in use in at least 38 countries. It was intended to replace the older BRDM-1 , and has improved amphibious capabilities and better armament compared to its predecessor. The BRDM-2 production continues in Poland as of 2022. After a few years of use by the Soviet Army , the limitations and drawbacks of the BRDM-1 became obvious. The vehicle had no turret and to operate the armament the gunner had to open

1498-421: Is located on top of the commander's periscope. The vehicle also has an R-123 radio and an antenna on the right side of the hull next to the commander's hatch, for communication. There's also a winch mounted internally at the front hull that has a 30 m cable and a 4 tonne capacity. The winch is intended to be used, among others, for self-recovery when stuck in difficult terrain. A spare tire can be mounted on top of

1605-531: Is used by 38 armies. The BRDM-2's enjoyed popularity on the export market because it was cheap, easy to operate and reliable. These factors made the BRDM-2 a more popular export reconnaissance vehicle than the BRM-1K , which was much more expensive and complicated to operate. Two BRDM-2s were sold to Grenada and were lost in the Invasion of Grenada . One was destroyed in an engagement with American M60 Pattons and

1712-663: The 2011 protests that led to the Syrian Civil War . During this war, the BRDM-2s or 9P148s were rarely seen in action, most of the usage being local initiatives of governmental or rebel units. A few were modified by the Islamic State into VBIEDs while the Kurdish YPG , lacking armor, used all the vehicles they could. Like all Soviet equipment, the BRDM-2 was also sold to many Arab and African countries. It

1819-748: The BMP-1 or BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, which were able to reconnoiter much more aggressively and engage hostile armor as needed. By the late Cold War era, the scout car concept had gained popularity and recognition among armies all over world. Examples of scout cars common during this period include the Soviet BRDM series , the British Ferret, the Brazilian EE-3 Jararaca , the Hungarian D-442 FÚG , and

1926-585: The BTR-60PB armoured personnel carrier ; a 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT general-purpose machine gun as a secondary weapon, both in a small conical BPU-1 turret mounted on the hull in a central position above the belly wheels. The 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun has a practical rate of fire of 150 rounds per minute and a cyclic rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute. It has an effective range during daylight operations of 2,000 m. It can penetrate 20 mm of armour at

2033-789: The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , with at least one being captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Moldova inherited 27 BTR-60PB s from the Soviet Union. They were used during the War of Transnistria against the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic . Moldova also ordered 161 ex-Romanian TAB-71M s in 1992, which were delivered between 1992 and 1995. Moldova also inherited 20 BTR-70 s from

2140-614: The EE-9 Cascavel ) for traditional reconnaissance and found unarmored jeeps adequate for secondary reconnaissance tasks. During the early 1940s, Red Army doctrine did not recognize a unique niche for the scout car, and the Soviets were likelier to favor heavier, six-wheeled vehicles such as the BA-20 for reconnaissance. However, the weight, high profile and poor mobility of these early Soviet armored cars limited their usefulness in

2247-657: The Egyptian Army used them during the Suez Crisis and also when the Soviet Army used them in the fighting on the streets of Budapest during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 . These were among the reasons why the new APC was developed. Between 1956 and 1957, a decision was made to convert all rifle and mechanized divisions into motor rifle divisions and a requirement for a new transport vehicle

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2354-733: The HMMWV , or heavier vehicles like the KTO Ryś APC or KTO Rosomak AMV . For MSPO 2002, two Polish BRDM-2M-96i were converted into a fire unit and command vehicle with a radar of the German Rheinmetall Defence Electronics ASRAD-R missile air defense system. The system won the "Defender" award at that year's event. Polish BRDM-2M-96ik "Szakal" was shown at the Land Combat Expo 2004. Two BRDM-2M-97 "Żbik-B" armoured scout cars took part in

2461-633: The Humvee ). In 1940, the British Army defined a "scout car" as an armored car for observation, intelligence-gathering and other elements of passive reconnaissance. The scout car's envisaged role in British doctrine was to probe forward and report on enemy dispositions before conducting a hasty withdrawal. The first British vehicle of this type to enter service was the Daimler Dingo . After

2568-860: The Kosovo Force . The Sudanese Armed Forces used several BRDM-2s during the Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile and at least 2 were captured by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North in December 2012. Like the BRDM, the BRDM-2 exists in several versions. There are perhaps 20 BRDM-2 vehicles in private hands in the US, maintained and driven by enthusiasts. Scout car The term "scout car" first entered widespread use in

2675-512: The Mercedes-Benz G-Class more useful for allowing scouts to observe enemy movements without being detected. Armored vehicles were evaluated negatively because their hulls reduced situational awareness, and increased the temptation for the crew to remain mounted or engage in combat with the enemy, contrary to Danish reconnaissance doctrine. In other armies which espoused a reconnaissance doctrine emphasizing combat over observation,

2782-562: The Russian invasion of Ukraine , at least one captured Ukrainian BRDM-2L1 was modified with a UB-32 (rocket pod) . Poland bought 450 BRDM-2 armoured scout cars, 418 9P133 "Malyutka" and 9P148 "Konkurs" tank destroyers and 32 BRDM-2RS NBC reconnaissance vehicles in 1965. Later, Poland obtained some 9P31 Surface-to-air missile launchers. In 2004, the Polish Army operated 600 BRDM-2 armoured scout cars and vehicles based on it. Currently,

2889-512: The Soviet Army in 1962. It was first publicly shown in 1966. It replaced the BRDM-1 in the Soviet and Warsaw Pact armies. Production started in 1962 and went on until 1989, with 7,200 vehicles produced (mostly for export). The BRDM-2 became famous for being the vehicle selected to pull the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev 's coffin during the funeral ceremony in the Red Square . During

2996-626: The Soviet–Afghan War . This was because the units that were originally used for this operation weren't the top priority of the Soviet military, which prioritized the units stationed in East Germany. The same design flaws were present during this conflict and the vehicle became even more vulnerable due to the kind of fighting that took place in Afghanistan. The GAZ-40P gasoline engines experienced frequent power losses and overheating due to

3103-655: The War of Transnistria . A number of BTR-60 s were used by the Georgian army during the 1992–1993 War in Abkhazia . As of 2007, several hundred BTR-60 s remain in service with USSR successor states; these are in a process of being replaced by more modern vehicles. The Russian Army deployed the BTR-60PB during the First Chechen War , but shortly thereafter retired the vehicle type from army service. Since

3210-648: The 12 vehicles used in Iraq. Around 10 BRDM-2 s were taken over from the Soviet Army in the early 1990s. They were mostly used during infantry training for posing as the enemy armour. Also, the Estonian police used a specially modified BRDM-2 (See the Estonia section in the Variants section ). All BRDM-2 s have now been withdrawn from both the military and police service. In the Russo-Ukrainian War ,

3317-484: The 1930s as an official United States Army designation for any wheeled armored vehicle developed specifically for reconnaissance. Following the US entry into World War II , US Army staff clarified that the term would not extend to heavier wheeled reconnaissance vehicles fitted with turreted weapons, such as the M8 Greyhound . In this context, "scout car" meant a four-wheeled, often open-topped, armored car which

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3424-638: The 1970s, FAPLA remained critically short of modern armoured vehicles, and as late as 1981 many of its motorized infantry formations were equipped only with trucks or obsolete BTR-152s. By the late 1980s, however, the BTR-60 had largely superseded the BTR-152 in FAPLA service and was being deployed frequently during the civil war. FAPLA's motorized brigades, which bore the brunt of South African counter-insurgency as well as conventional army operations, came to include three companies of BTR-60s each. Additionally, both

3531-480: The 1971 War between India and Pakistan (where it was used very effectively to punch a hole through to Jessore and subsequently Khulna ), the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (where it was used by both the Soviet and Afghan government troops), the Chechen and Yugoslav wars. It was also used by Warsaw Pact forces during the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia . The Soviet Union invested heavily in bolstering

3638-617: The 1973 Kippur War . Israel managed to capture enough of them to use them with its own forces. Therefore, during the 1982 Lebanon War , both Israelis and Syrians deployed BRDM-2s. The Syrian Armed Forces used the BRDM-2s for security patrols during the Lebanon Civil War , the light vehicles proving themselves very suitable for this type of operation. At the beginning of the 2010s, the BRDM-2s, thought to be unsuitable to modern combat against Israeli forces, were retired from service. They were mostly used as riot control vehicle during

3745-448: The 205-hp YaAZ-206B was too heavy. Instead, the BTR was fitted with two six-cylinder gasoline GAZ-49B engines (90 hp) located side by side in the rear of the vehicle. The combined power of the engines is 180 hp (134 kW). Each engine propels two of the vehicle's axles. The engine on the right propels the second and the fourth axles, while the one on the left propels the first and

3852-599: The American Cadillac Gage Commando Scout . BTR-60PB The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen in public for the first time in 1961. BTR stands for bronetransportyor ( Russian : бронетранспортёр, БТР , lit.   'armoured carrier'). The BTR-152 and BTR-40 ,

3959-549: The Angolan motorized infantry became separated from their accompanying armour or advanced with no accompanying armour at all, allowing the much more lightly armed South African troops to isolate and destroy them. The first armour-to-armour kill of the battle occurred on 9 September 1987, when a lone BTR-60 carrying out reconnaissance on the Lomba River was knocked out by a South African Ratel infantry fighting vehicle. Over

4066-683: The BPU-1 turret was originally designed for the BRDM-2. The turret was later used in the Soviet BTR-60PB, the Polish SKOT-2A and the Czechoslovak OT-64A . The turret allows the armament to be elevated between −5 and +30 degrees. On the left side of the turret, there is an air inlet on the hull top. There are also two air-inlet louvers in the forward part of the engine compartment's roof and four smaller air-inlet louvers to

4173-405: The BRDM-1 by having a larger, box-like hull. It retains the boat-like bow of the BRDM-1. However, the crew compartment is now further forward and the new GAZ-41 gasoline V8 engine is in the rear. Thanks to this, the engine is much better protected from enemy fire. The engine compartment is also separated from the crew compartment by an armoured barrier. The driver's and commander's stations are in

4280-867: The BRDM-2 and several of its variants were used by both sides. On the morning of 13 June 2014, during the First Battle of Mariupol , the Azov Battalion , Dnipro-1 Battalion and the National Guard of Ukraine retook the city and key buildings occupied by insurrectionists killing five militants and destroying an insurrectionist BRDM-2 armoured vehicle. BRDM-2s also saw action during the Russian invasion of Ukraine . Syria received hundreds of BRDM-2, as well as specialized variants, BRDM-2 RKh (radiological-chemical recce), 9P122, 9P148 (both anti-tank missile carriers) and 9K31 Strela-1 (SAM version). BRDM-2 and 9P122s saw widespread service against Israel during

4387-514: The BRDM-2 is missing such a hatch is a consequence of putting the engine in the rear, unlike in BRDM-1 where the engine is in the front. The BRDM-2 is sometimes confused with the Hungarian D-442 FUG and D-944 PSzH amphibious scout cars, which also have rear-mounted engines. What distinguishes them from the BRDM-2 is that they have twin waterjets, whereas the BRDM-2 has a single triangular water jet. The BRDM-2 entered service with

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4494-417: The BTR-60 have included Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bhutan, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Congo, Cuba, Djibouti, East Germany , Ethiopia, Finland, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Libya, Mali, Mongolia, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, North Korea, Romania, Soviet Union , Syria, Uganda, Vietnam, Yugoslavia , Yemen, and Zambia, as well as many of the successor states of

4601-783: The BTR-60P and BTR-60PA, only the driver had a periscope, while the commander had a removable OU-3 infrared searchlight. In the BTR-60PB, both the driver and the commander have three periscopes in the front (the commander's center periscope can be hard to see as it's just below the OU-3 infrared light). The vehicle was usually equipped with an R-113 radio; however, some models used the R-123 . The initial BTR-60P production model lacked night-vision and had only four headlights (two infrared, two white, one of each kind per side, these remained in all BTR-60 models). Late BTR-60P models were fitted with night-vision;

4708-400: The BTR-60P and BTR-60PA, the crew consists of a driver and a commander. The driver's seat is on the left and commander's seat is on the right. In the BTR-60PAI, BTR-60PB and BTR-60PZ, the crew consists of a driver, a commander and a gunner. The position of the driver and commander stations remained unchanged in later models. The gunner operates the BPU-1 turret, using the PP-61A optical sight. In

4815-402: The BTR-60P into Soviet Army service was issued on 13 December 1959. However, production did not start until 1960. The first BTR-60P s were delivered in 1960. It first entered service with the Soviet Army and later the Marine Corps. The BTR-60 entered service with the Soviet military at the time when the USSR was arming on a mass scale. In the early 1960s, it replaced the BTR-152 in the role of

4922-422: The BTR-60P, both the driver and commander manned their positions by entering the vehicle through the sides. The BTR-60PA introduced two hatches over their stations and crew members had to climb on top of the vehicle to use them. The entry method did not change in later production models. The BTR-60B introduced a side door for the gunner on the right side, and firing ports for both the driver and commander, and two for

5029-421: The BTR-60PB, a side door was added on the front left of the troop compartment. The hull armour is made from welded steel and provides protection against small arms fire and shrapnel . The frontal armour can withstand 7.62 mm bullets from any range. The rest of the armour can withstand 7.62 mm bullets from a range of 100 m. The BTR-60P did not have a roof over the troop compartment, which made

5136-425: The Communist government. In response, on 17 December, the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs decided to transfer 25 BTR-60PB s along with 10,250,000 "Czeromucha" incapacitating chemical devices and 2,000 tonnes of gas over to its Polish counterpart. These vehicles had previously been used in Afghanistan. They were later modified by adding another radio set. They were used by ZOMO. During the martial law in Poland ,

5243-428: The Cuban and Soviet military missions in Angola possessed a number of BTR-60s, which were used for general liaison purposes. A number of FAPLA BTR-60PBs were deployed during the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale , with 65 being lost during several engagements with South African expeditionary forces. FAPLA was not successful in coordinating its combined arms operations over the course of the campaign, and on several occasions

5350-513: The MSW automobile plant in Łódź fitted some BTRs with breakers mounted on the front of the vehicle, which were used for clearing obstacles (See Poland section in the Variants section for details). When the Milicja Obywatelska was transformed back into Policja in 1990, all BTR-60PB s had their armament removed. This was because Policja, unlike MO, didn't have a need for weaponry with such a high muzzle velocity – such weapons were dangerous to use in urban areas. The MO needed such weaponry because it

5457-461: The Ob'yekt 1015B performed best, the GAZ design was selected and given the designation BTR-60P. Officially, the committee that made the decision did so because of the GAZ plant's production capabilities and experience. The main reason was that the GAZ design was the simplest and cheapest one and introduced the fewest technological advancements, which made it easier to put into mass production. BTR-60P had open-roofed crew and troop compartments, which

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5564-456: The Polish Army operates 200 BRDM-2 s , 120 BRDM-2 s modernized to BRDM-2M-96, BRDM-2M-96i, BRDM-2M-97 "Żbik-B" and BRDM-2M-98 "Żbik-A" level, 12 BRDM-2 s modernized to BRDM-2M-96ik "Szakal" level, 100 9P133 "Malyutka" and 18 9P148 "Konkurs" tank destroyers, 12 BRDM-2RS NBC reconnaissance vehicles, an unknown number of 9K31 Strela-1 self-propelled surface-to-air missile launchers as well as BRDM-2 R-1A and BRDM-2 R-5 command vehicles. Also one BRDM-2

5671-401: The Soviet Union and received 250 TAB Zimbru s and MLI-84 s from Romania. In the end of March 1992, the Moldavian army was trying to sever the connection between Tiraspol and Rîbnița . Five out of the six BTR s used during that operation were lost. On 1 April, two BTR s were used during the assault on Bender . In June, dozen of APCs were used during another assault on the city. In 1992,

5778-410: The Soviet Union. The most widely spread model is the BTR-60PB. Although the BTR-60 still remains in service with many of the world's armies, it is almost never used as an APC any more. They are still being used as mobile command posts, artillery forward observation posts, airplane guidance posts, communication posts and many other specialized roles. The BTR-60 has seen action in the Yom Kippur War ,

5885-452: The TKN-1 connected with the OU-3 infrared searchlight for the commander and the TWN-2 for the driver. This remained unchanged in later models. The troop compartment is behind the crew compartment and in front of the engine compartment. The BTR-60P can transport up to 16 fully equipped soldiers. This number reduced to 14 in BTR-60PB. As the BTR-60P did not have a roof, it was covered with a tarpaulin when traveling in bad weather conditions. It

5992-399: The Warsaw Pact 1968 Invasion of Czechoslovakia . However, actual combat was scarce. In the 1980s, most of the BTR-60 s in the Soviet army had been replaced by the BTR-70 and BTR-80; however, a large number was still operated by second-line and border troops. According to the data provided by the USSR during the signing of the CFE Treaty in 1990, there were 4,191 BTR-60 s in service with

6099-488: The basic APC. The BTR-60P was first seen by the West in 1961. The BTR-60PA entered service with the Soviet Army in 1963, the BTR-60PA-1 and BTR-60PAI entered service in 1965, the BTR-60PB in 1966, the BTR-60PZ in 1972 and the BTR-60PBK in 1975. As newer models of the BTR-60 appeared, the older ones were gradually withdrawn from front-line service. A number of old BTR-60P s were converted into repair vehicles. The first use of Soviet BTR-60 s in an armed conflict happened during

6206-405: The course of the civil war, FAPLA BTR-60PBs were commonly used for convoy escort purposes, guarding logistical vehicles bringing fresh supplies and ammunition to the front lines. In this role they were used to repel counter-insurgent ambushes, with some success. Due to prevalence of land mines on Angolan roads, the BTRs always traveled behind a bulldozer or a tank equipped for mine clearance. During

6313-479: The demonstrations in Tbilisi in 1989 and stopping the fighting on the border between Uzbek SSR and Kirghiz SSR . They were also used in Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia. In 1990, they were used in Vilnius to suppress the Lithuanian independence movements. In 1991, the BTR-60 s of the Soviet Army was passed on to the armies of the successor states and thus used in many regional conflicts. 27 BTR-60PBs that were inherited by Moldavia were used by its army during

6420-448: The design itself was complicated and the amount of work that had to be done during maintenance and repair was higher than in vehicles with a single engine. The engines themselves were originally intended for truck use, which meant that they were working in extreme conditions not originally envisioned for them. Because of this, engine breakdowns were frequent. The vehicle also used large amounts of fuel and caught fire easily. Despite all this,

6527-424: The engine deck. The late production version has mushroom-type vents. It also has slightly modified turret and can elevate its armament to +60 degrees. Final production BRDM-2s have additional turret periscopes and a TNA-2 navigation apparatus. BRDM-2 has flaws that are also apparent in other Soviet vehicles. These include the poor ergonomic design, low level of crew protection and high fuel consumption. The ergonomics

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6634-429: The first two Soviet mass-produced APCs developed after the Second World War , gave the Soviet Army useful experience with wheeled armoured personnel carriers. However, even as they were designed, they were not suited for the needs of the Soviet Army as they lacked a roof (which was added in later versions designated BTR-152K and BTR-40B respectively). The low combat values of the BTR-152 and BTR-40 were exposed when

6741-402: The front of the vehicle, with the driver positioned on the left and commander on the right. Both of them sit behind a bulletproof windscreen, which provides them with their primary view of the battlefield. When in combat, the windscreen can be additionally protected by twin armoured shutters. When the shutters are in their opened position, they protect the driver and commander from being blinded by

6848-402: The front), one of which can be replaced by a TWN-2B night-vision device . The gunner is in the turret during combat, but when traveling he is seated inside the hull. The engine is larger than the BRDM's (it is a 140 hp V-8 instead of a 90 hp 6-cylinder). The BRDM-2 has an IR spotlight and four IR driving lights, as well as an over pressure collective NBC filter system. The IR spotlight

6955-411: The front, the troop compartment in the middle and the engine compartment in the rear. This meant that, while the BTR-60 did not share some of the weaknesses that other APCs had, it had several disadvantages of its own. In the BTR-60, the crew compartment is located in the front of the vehicle and had a roof – unlike the troop compartment, which first received one with the introduction of the BTR-60PA. In

7062-457: The gunner, one on each side. (For more information on the BTR-60's firing port see the troop compartment section ). Both the driver and the commander have forward views through bulletproof windshields, onto which steel covers can be lowered. In the BTR-60P and BTR-60PA, the covers had vision slots, and additional slots on both sides of the crew compartment. These were removed in the BTR-60PB in favor of two periscopes on each side. In early models of

7169-406: The hull between the second and third pair of wheels, as well as six horizontal hand rails on each side of the vehicle, three on the lower side and three on the upper side. The vertical ones were removed, while yet another angled horizontal one was added on the right-hand side of the hull next to the engine compartment. In the BTR-60PB, the number of hand rails decreased from six to five on each side of

7276-408: The hull; the rear upper hand rail was removed from the right side, whereas the center upper one was removed from the left side. The BTR-60P has two doors on each side of the troop compartment (one in the front and one in the rear), but infantry still had to dismount through the sides. The side doors were removed in the BTR-60PA. They were used mostly as emergency exits and as auxiliary firing ports. In

7383-445: The infantry to mount and dismount the vehicle, the BTR-60P had two steps on each side of the hull, one between the first and second pair of road wheels and the other between the third and fourth pair of wheels. It also had two vertical hand rails on each side of the troop compartment, as well as an angled horizontal one on the left-hand side of the hull next to the engine compartment. The BTR-60PA introduced yet another step on each side of

7490-489: The late 1980s, the threat of ambush by South African troops with armoured vehicles and heavy weapons of their own prompted the BTR-60 to be complemented in this role by the much more heavily armed BMP-1. Finland's Jäger battalions operated Soviet-built BTR-60R-145BM "Chaika" vehicles. These were upgraded to BTR-60PUM standard between 1996 and 1997. In 1991, seven conscripts of the Karelia Brigade drowned when their BTR-60 sank at Taipalsaari during an amphibious exercise because

7597-543: The mechanized and armoured capabilities of the People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) during the Angolan Civil War . To that end, it provided FAPLA with just under 500 BTR-60s as part of a comprehensive military assistance programme between 1975 and 1989. FAPLA initially received 74 BTR-60PBs in 1975, and ordered another 175 BTR-60PBs in 1980, which were delivered between 1981 and 1985. In 1987 and 1988, Angolan motorized brigades received another 250 BTR-60PBs and some BTR-60R-145BM command vehicles. For most of

7704-819: The mid-1990s, nearly all BTR-60s remaining in Russia's active inventory have been operated by the Border Service . One exception is the BTR-60PU, which has been retained as a command vehicle in the Russian NBC Protection Troops . During the late 2000s, the Russian BTR-60PUs were all refurbished and upgraded with new engines adapted from the BTR-80 series, receiving the designation BTR-60PUM. Some of these BTR-60PUMs were deployed in

7811-679: The only way in and out of the vehicle is via the front hatches, leaving the vehicle while in combat is almost impossible, as the exiting crew members would instantly enter the line of fire of both the enemy and their own vehicle, as hatches are positioned directly in front of the turret. This shortcoming was addressed in the Polish BRDM-2M-96 modernization and its successors, the BRDM-2M-96i, BRDM-2M-96ik "Szakal", BRDM-2M-96ik "Szakal Plus", BRDM-2M-97 "Żbik-B", BRDM-2M-97C "Żbik-P" and BRDM-2M-98 "Żbik-A", all of which have side hatches. This

7918-535: The rear. Both sides have centrally placed vision blocks. The vehicle armor, which is composed of welded steel, is sufficient against small arms fire and small shell fragments; but not enough for protection against big artillery fragments or .50-calibre machine gun fire, which can penetrate the BRDM-2's maximum armor of 14 mm. The BRDM-2's tires are not protected by armour and are particularly vulnerable to puncture from fire of all kinds. There are three different production lots, which have different cooling vents on

8025-574: The reconnaissance role. This led to the replacement of the BA-20 and other designs by the Soviet Union's first dedicated scout car design, the BA-64 . In the postwar era, Soviet scout cars such as the BRDM-1 and BRDM-2 were attached on the divisional level and deployed for screening and long-range probing actions. The scout cars were complemented in Soviet reconnaissance battalions by specialized variants of

8132-554: The scout car niche simply never emerged; for example, French reconnaissance units embraced light armored vehicles like the Panhard EBR and Panhard AML-90 which were heavily armed because they encouraged scouts to engage enemy units and force them to deploy. The Brazilian Army rejected the scout car due to a combination of these factors; it preferred heavier, six-wheeled armored cars like the M8 Greyhound (and subsequently,

8239-801: The second was captured. When the Soviet forces left Afghanistan , they abandoned many BRDM-2s. These vehicles, together with some derelict ones restored back to working state, are now used by the Afghan Taliban . The BRDM-2 also saw service with the Iraqi Army during the First Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq . The Soviet Union began supplying the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) with BRDM-2s shortly after Angolan independence. At least one fell victim to

8346-404: The separatist state of Abkhazia declared Independence from Georgia and the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) began. Georgia sent its troops to Abkhazia to stabilize the region. The 3,000-man force was poorly equipped with military vehicles, having only five T-55 main battle tanks, a few BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, three BTR-60/70 armoured personnel carriers and a small number of BM-21 Grad MRLs. As

8453-400: The sunlight and ensure that the windscreen won't be blurred by rain or snow. The commander and driver have periscopes allowing both of them a more detailed view of the surrounding terrain. The commander has six TNP-A periscopes (five in the front and one on the side of the vehicle), a TPKU-2B day sight and a TKN-1 night sight ( night-vision device ). The driver has four TNP-A periscopes (all in

8560-479: The third and fourth axles are even. The gap between the second and third axles is slightly larger than the other ones. The two-engines setup has an advantage in the fact that each engine could work without the other. This means that if one engine is disabled, it does not affect the other one and the vehicle can still move, albeit with reduced speed. This setup, however, caused several problems that either do not exist in single-engined vehicles or were not as serious:

8667-417: The third axles. Each engine has its own four-speed gear box with a single-shielded hydraulically controlled clutch and an exhaust. Each axle has its own differential and is hung on transversal torsion bars. The first two axles each have two hydraulic absorbers, while the third and fourth only have one. The first and second pair of wheels can be turned. The gaps between the first and second axles and between

8774-575: The time of Sino-Soviet border conflict. During the fights in March, the Chinese managed to capture four BTR-60PB s and one T-62 MBT. BTR-60PB s were used again during the border conflict east of Lake Zhalanashkol in Kazakhstan ( Kazakh SSR at the time) in August 1969. During the fighting, the armour of BTR-60PB proved inadequate. The BTR-60PB was used in large numbers during the initial part of

8881-544: The trim vane at the front of the hull should be erected to prevent water from flooding over the bow. While in its traveling position, it serves as additional lower frontal armor. BTR-60 s were produced by Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ). The BTR-60P was produced between 1960 and 1963. The BTR-60PA entered production in 1963, followed by the BTR-60PA-1 in 1965. Both the BTR-60PA and BTR-60PA-1 were produced until 1966. The BTR-60PAI also entered production in 1965, but

8988-420: The troop compartment. In the BTR-60PB, the firing ports were relocated; one was next to the driver and commander, one next to the gunner and one in the side of the troop compartment. Because of the engine placement (in the rear of the vehicle), transported infantry must mount and dismount through the sides in the BTR-60P or through the roof hatches in the roofed BTR-60PA, BTR-60PB, and BTR-60PZ variants. To help

9095-666: The tropical highland climate for which they were not well suited. Also, the BTR-60PB's turret could not elevate its armament high enough to fire at the Mujahideen attacking from high ground. Like during the Sino-Soviet border conflict, many BTR-60PBs fell victim to RPGs. Because of those drawbacks, the BTR-60PBs were replaced by BTR-70s as soon as possible to a point where only the BTR-60 command variants were used. Soviet BTR-60 s , BTR-70 s and BTR-80 s were used for dispersing

9202-463: The turret. This was most often practiced by Polish crews. Like its predecessor, the BRDM-2 is amphibious. The GAZ-41 gasoline V-8 engine supplies power to the circular water-jet, equipped with a four-bladed propeller at the rear of the vehicle, which is covered with an armoured shutter while on land. This shutter is opened at the same time as the trim board by hydraulics, which must be done before entering water. The water-jet allows amphibious travel with

9309-505: The two-engines setup was used in all BTR-60 production models as well as most variants of the BTR-70 . The single-engine setup was introduced in the BTR-80. The BTR-60 is fully amphibious , propelled in the water by a jet centrally mounted at the rear of the hull. It was, however, prone to breakdowns. When not in use, it is protected by the sideways opening lids. Before entering the water,

9416-543: The unarmed and peaceful demonstrators surrounded the APC, mounted it, and forced its crew to leave the square. During the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War , Ukrainian Military used several BTR-60 variants. The Ukrainian National Guard , have deployed BTR-60PB's for counter-insurgency operations in Eastern Ukraine. BTR-60 APCs were employed widely both by the Soviet Army and by more than 30 export customers. Operators of

9523-520: The units stationed in the European part of the Soviet Union. The first real combat use of the BTR-60 took place during the Sino-Soviet border conflict on Zhenbao Island (Damansky Island at the time) in March 1969. The frontier units operating on the island were equipped with BTR-60PB s , while the 57th border detachment group was equipped with BTR-50P s and BTR-50PK s . The BTR-60 proved to be

9630-454: The vehicle is on the move. It is fired in 2 to 10 round bursts and has a practical rate of fire of 250 rounds per minute and a cyclic rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute. During daylight operations, the gunner uses the PP-61AM sight, which has a field of view of 23 degrees and x2.6 magnification. The BPU-1 turret is unusual because it has no top hatch opening. Contrary to the popular belief,

9737-464: The vehicle was loaded incorrectly (top-heavy) and the roof hatches opened. The usual nicknames for BTR-60 amongst the Finnish conscripts were Petteri (a male name), after the initials BTR, and Taipalsaaren sukellusvene (Taipalsaari Submarine) after the 1991 incident. Milicja Obywatelska (MO) operated several BTR-60PA s . They were used by ZOMO riot control units. The Polish Army also received

9844-460: The war continued, the Georgian forces in Abkhazia were strengthened. The rebels had no AFV s of their own, but captured some heavy equipment from the Georgians. BTR-60 was also used by Ossetian rebels during 1991–1992 South Ossetia War , in one case Ossetian rebels supported by BTR-60PB launched an attack on Georgian Checkpoint, BTR was heavily damaged by 30mm Rounds fired by Georgian BMP-2 and

9951-580: The war, this role was filled by the Daimler Ferret . Scout cars were gradually superseded by more heavily armed vehicles for light reconnaissance, such as the FV721 Fox armored car. Some nations followed the US lead in abandoning the scout car concept in favor of unarmored vehicles; for example, the Danish Army concurred with that trend because it found the jeep and an open-topped model of

10058-458: Was addressed in the Polish BRDM-2M-96 modernization and its successors, the BRDM-2M-96i, BRDM-2M-96ik "Szakal", BRDM-2M-96ik "Szakal Plus", BRDM-2M-97 "Żbik-B", BRDM-2M-97C "Żbik-P" and BRDM-2M-98 "Żbik-A", which all had the belly wheels removed, thus providing more space for the crew or space for two soldiers. This was also carried out in Morozov's BRDM-2SMD. The BRDM-2 has a unique flaw. Because

10165-400: Was also covered with bows and canvas. Also, all BTR-60 models had three firing ports on each upper side of the hull through which the infantry being transported could fire at the enemy with their personal weapons. The difference between models was in the position of these three firing ports. The BTR-60P and BTR-60PA had the firing ports positioned in a row between the middle and the front part of

10272-562: Was also done in the Czech LOT-B and OKV-P as well as the Ukrainian BRDM-2SMD. The Polish BRDM-2M-97 "Żbik-B", BRDM-2M-97C "Żbik-P" and BRDM-2M-98 "Żbik-A" also have a hatch on the top of the turret, giving the crew another way out. The BRDM-2's predecessor, BRDM-1, did not have that issue as the BRDM-1 obr. 1957 had no roof and later models had a rear hatch that allowed the crew to exit the vehicle from behind. The fact that

10379-435: Was also supposed to be amphibious. The GAZ design team started to work on the new APC during the winter of 1956. Despite the fact that the army wanted a fully roofed vehicle with NBC protection system, the GAZ design did not have those features. It was argued that firing from the cramped interior would be difficult and that the limitation of losses was not a priority. The prototype was built between 1957 and 1958. ZIL developed

10486-585: Was also supposed to carry out anti-partisan operations. Policja used unarmed BTR-60PB s for security during European Economy Summit 2004 in Warsaw , as well as for clearing blockades set up by the Samoobrona political party. A few Police BTR-60PB s are kept in storage for anti-riot duty as barricade breakers. PRC reversed engineered the BTR-60PB after capturing four examples during the Sino-Soviet border conflict on Zhenbao Island in March 1969. The program

10593-511: Was armed with the KPVT 14.5 mm heavy machine gun and a PKT 7.62 mm tank machine gun. The new vehicle was designated the BTR-60PAI and entered production in 1965. It was, however, quickly replaced by the BTR-60PB, which had a better sighting system for the machine guns. BTR-60 was a revolutionary design for its time. It had a non-standard layout for an APC ; the crew compartment was in

10700-450: Was completed in the late 1970s. However, the vehicle did not enter service in large numbers because the PRC's primitive road system and rugged terrain meant that the wheeled APC was not well suited for the Chinese conditions as it lacked the cross country capability of the tracked APCs in the Chinese inventory. Before the Sino-Soviet split , the PRC imported 100 BTR-40 s and 100 BTR-152 s from

10807-550: Was deemed to be a serious disadvantage. Accordingly, a new version with an armoured roof, designated BTR-60PA, entered production in 1963. This new version's capacity was reduced from 16 soldiers to 14 soldiers. The appearance of the German HS.30 APC, which was armed with a 20 mm cannon, prompted the addition of the conical BPU-1 turret. This turret, which was originally developed for the BRDM-2 amphibious armoured scout car,

10914-573: Was drawn up. Development proceeded along two paths: a more expensive vehicle that would eventually become the BMP-1 , for use in tank divisions, and a cheaper vehicle for use in motor rifle divisions, that would eventually become the BTR-60. Two design bureaus were given the requirements, GAZ led by V. A. Dedkov, and ZIL led by Rodionov and Orlov. The requirements stated that the vehicle should have all wheel drive, at least two turnable axles, independent suspension as well as mobility and fording capabilities allowing it to operate alongside tanks. The vehicle

11021-705: Was forced to retreat, following BTR-60 was found by Georgian forces in several days after attack, it was repaired and used by Georgian National Guard. A BTR-60PB of the Armenian police was used on 1 March 2008 during the Armenian presidential election protests in Yerevan . It was sent to counter the protest at the Shahumyan Square near the French Embassy, where it arrived at 1:30 pm. Eventually,

11128-437: Was in covering the dismounted infantry. This is a job more suited for infantry fighting vehicles than armoured personnel carriers, whose main role is transporting infantry to the battlefield and providing them with armour protection during that time. The BMP-1 , the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle , started production in 1966 and therefore the Soviet Army had very small numbers of those vehicles available at

11235-568: Was modernized to BRDM-2M-96ik "Szakal Plus" level. All modernizations, conversions and serious repairs of Polish BRDM-2s are done by WZM in Siemianowice Śląskie . Modernized BRDM-2 armoured scout cars will serve with the Polish Army for at least a couple of years. The 9P133 "Malyutka" and 9P148 "Konkurs" tank destroyers, which are the basic equipment of anti-tank subunits of motorized brigades, are considered obsolete and therefore are to be replaced with ATGM launchers based on lighter vehicles, like

11342-463: Was quickly replaced in 1966 by the BTR-60PB, which had a better sighting system for the machine guns. The BTR-60PB remained in production until 1976, when it was superseded by the BTR-70 . According to Western estimates, around 25,000 BTR-60 s were produced by GAZ. During BTR-80 production, and therefore after BTR-60 production had ended, there was a special production run of 100 BTR-60PB s , some of which have been exported to Iraq. An order to enter

11449-513: Was unarmed or only fitted with a light or general-purpose machine gun for self-defense. Under US doctrine, scout cars were only to be used for short-range reconnaissance. The US Army abandoned the scout car concept after the war because the vehicles' armor tempted crews to emulate tank tactics. American scout car crews often directly engaged hostile positions rather than relying on their vehicles' low profile and stealth to reconnoiter them effectively. This resulted in heavy losses and interfered with

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