The BTR-T (
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: Бронетранспортёр-Тяжелый (''Bronetransporter-Tyazhelyy''), ‘Armoured Transporter–Heavy’) is a
Russian heavy
infantry combat vehicle, designed by the Design Bureau of Transport Machine-Building (
Omsktransmash) state-run production association.
Description
The vehicle is based on the hull of the
T-55 tank and answers the need for a heavy, well protected and well armed vehicle adapted to
urban combat
Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and ...
.
The need for a heavy IFV appeared after the
First Chechen War during which APCs like the
BTR-80
The BTR-80 (russian: бронетранспортёр, bronyetransportyor, literally "armoured transporter") is an 8×8 wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the USSR. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous ...
and
BMP-2
The BMP-2 (''Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty'', , literally "combat machine/vehicle (of the) infantry") is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following on from the BMP-1 of the 1960s.
Development hist ...
were annihilated in urban areas at the hands of Chechen rebels using
RPG shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons. Consequently, the design incorporates thicker armour, with built-in
reactive armour
Reactive armour is a type of vehicle armour that reacts in some way to the impact of a weapon to reduce the damage done to the vehicle being protected. It is most effective in protecting against shaped charges and specially hardened kinetic ener ...
. It also has heavier armament with sufficient elevation to engage targets in multi-story buildings.
Design
The choice of the T-55 hull rather than that of a more modern tank was decided as an efficiency measure and also probably to validate a conversion for the many T-55s in use around the world. It was influenced by Israel's
IDF Achzarit
The Achzarit ( in Hebrew: "cruel", female inflection) is a heavily armored personnel carrier manufactured by the Israeli Defence Forces Corps of Ordnance.
History
The Achzarit is based on the Soviet-built T-54/T-55 tank, beginning with those ...
that created virtually the same modifications in the 1980s. No export contracts have been signed.
Armament
The turret can accommodate several weapon configurations:
*
2A42
The Shipunov 2A42 is a Soviet/Russian 30 mm autocannon. It is built by the Tulamashzavod Joint Stock Company.
Design
The 30 mm 2A42 autocannon was developed as a replacement for 2A28 Grom and has a dual feed. One is for HE-T and the ...
30 mm autocannon.
**
9M113 Konkurs
The 9M113 ''Konkurs'' (russian: 9М113 «Конкурс»; en, "Contest"; NATO reporting name AT-5 ''Spandrel'') is a Soviet SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile.
A development of the 9K111 Fagot with greater firepower, the 9M113 Konkurs can ...
ATGMs.
* 2A42 30 mm autocannon.
**
30mm AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher.
* Twin
2A38 30 mm autocannons.
* 12.7×108 mm
NSV heavy machine gun.
**
9M113 Konkurs
The 9M113 ''Konkurs'' (russian: 9М113 «Конкурс»; en, "Contest"; NATO reporting name AT-5 ''Spandrel'') is a Soviet SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile.
A development of the 9K111 Fagot with greater firepower, the 9M113 Konkurs can ...
ATGMs.
* 12.7×108 mm NSV heavy machine gun.
** 30 mm AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher.
See also
*
IDF Achzarit
The Achzarit ( in Hebrew: "cruel", female inflection) is a heavily armored personnel carrier manufactured by the Israeli Defence Forces Corps of Ordnance.
History
The Achzarit is based on the Soviet-built T-54/T-55 tank, beginning with those ...
*
BMPT Terminator
*
VIU-55 Munja
VIU-55 Munja ( sr, Муња, lit. 'lightning') is a combat engineering vehicle produced by Serbia. VTI did the conceptual design of the ''Munja'' general-purpose engineer vehicle and the Technical Overhauling Institute "Čačak" built the vehicle ...
*
BMPV-64: A Ukrainian heavy
infantry combat vehicle based on the
T-64 chassis.
References
BTR-T Heavy Armored Personnel Carrier
{{Tanks converted to armored vehichle
Infantry fighting vehicles of Russia
Armoured fighting vehicles
Armoured fighting vehicles of the post–Cold War period
Tracked infantry fighting vehicles
Tracked armoured personnel carriers
Omsktransmash products