BTR-80

The BTR-80 (factory designation GAZ-5903, APC-80) is an eight-wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier built by the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant of the GAZ group. It is designed to carry troops, weapons and supplies on the battlefield and to give fire support, with up to ten people on board.

Design

All eight wheels are driven, and central tyre-pressure regulation lets the vehicle keep moving even with deflated tyres. The armoured hull and turret have seven firing ports for rifles and two for machine guns, with NBC protection and fire-fighting systems. Troops get in and out through four side and two roof hatches. Armament is a 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT. A 260 hp KAMAZ-7403 diesel gives at least 80 km/h on roads and 9 km/h afloat. Range is 600 km on roads, the vehicle weighs 13.6 tonnes, and it can climb 30-degree slopes and cross 2 m ditches.

Derivatives

The BTR-80 was the basis for many civilian and special vehicles. One is the GAZ-59032 multi-purpose base vehicle, a 14-tonne, two-crew chassis for engineering, rescue, logging, railway and power-line equipment. Others, including the GAZ-59037, GAZ-59038 and GAZ-59033, have their own records.