The Russian BTR series has also been manufactured in Romanian. Known as the TAB (Romanian: Transportor Amfibiu Blindat, translated Amphibious Armoured Personnel Carrier) series, they have a number of modifications to meet the requirements of the Romanian Army.

The last of the TAB series to be manufactured was the TAB Zimbru aka the B33 Zimbru, which was a modified version of the BTR-80 with a Model 1240 V8-DTS 268hp engine, R-1231B radio set and 500 additional rounds of 7.62 mm. Manufactured by CN RomArm SA, it replaced production of the earlier TAB-77 and is now complete with a total of 70 vehicles built.

The lay out of the vehicle is the commander (right) & driver (left) sit in the front. Behind them is the turret which is operated by a gunner. Behind that is the infantry troop compartment and the final section was the engine. Troops enter and leave via a door in the side of the hull between the second and third road wheels.
The one-person manually operated turret is mounted on the roof to the rear of the commander and driver and is armed with a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun with a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun mounted coaxial.

Mounted coaxial above the two machine guns is an infra-red searchlight and mounted on the turret rear is a bank of six electrically operated 81 mm smoke grenade launchers that fire over the frontal arc.

The hull and turret of the is of all-welded steel armour that provides the occupants with protection  against 12.7mm rounds over the frontal arc and all-round protection from 7.62 mm small arms fire and shell splinters.