BTR-70

BTR-70: Armored Personnel Carrier

Statistics

HMG: 14.5mm KPV-T
Ammunition Stowage: 50 ready/450 stowed
Default Ammunition: 50/450 14.5mm B-32 AP

Coaxial MG: 7.62mm PK-T
Ammunition Stowage: 250 ready/1750 stowed
Default Ammunition: 250/1750 7.62mm RU

Grenade Launcher: N/A
Ammunition Stowage: 0 ready/0 stowed
Default Ammunition: 0/0 Smoke

Armour Protection:
Frontal Turret Armour: N/A
Frontal Hull Armour: Thin. Steel. Protected vs small arms and artillery splinters

Combat Mass: 11.5tonnes
Engine Power: 2×120 hp ZMZ-4905 gasoline
Length: 7.53m
Width: 2.80m
Height: 2.32m
Top Speed: 80 kph

General

Beginning production in 1972, the BTR-70 is a further refinement of the 8x8 Bronetransporter (lit. "Armoured Transporter") concept begun with the BTR-60. Although the design's overall layout, mobility, and firepower remained unchanged, improvements over the BTR-60 include: a redesigned engine compartment housing more powerful 120 hp ZMZ-4905 gasoline engines; placement of triangular troop doors between the second and third pairs of wheels on both sides of the vehicle to speed troop deployment; a central tire-pressure regulation system; moderately increased armour protection; an automatic fire suppression system; and an improved NBC filtration system.

Due to its larger engines, the dismount section for the BTR-70 is reduced from a maximum of 14 to only 8 men, carrying 3 RPG-7M anti-armour weapons, a PKM machine gun, and 5.45mm rifles.

Compared to the over 30,000 BTR-60s manufactured, production of the BTR-70 was more modest with only 5,000-8,000 vehicles in total (including the Romanian TAB-77). Despite the low number produced, the BTR-70 served as the principal APC supporting front line motor-rifle regiments throughout mid 1970s and early 1980s until eventually supplanted by the BTR-80. Although no longer considered a front line machine, BTR-70s fill out the bulk of current Russian second line Motor-rifle Brigades. Russo/Soviet forces retained the bulk of BTR-70 production, exporting mostly to satellites, but few client states, limiting the BTR-70s distribution to about twenty users worldwide concentrated in the Near and Far East.

Thermal Signature

Crew Positions

Please visit the BTR-80 page for detailed information on the BTR-70's crew positions since both vehicles are functionally identical.

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