The Romanian B33 Zimbru Armoured Personnel Carrier

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 Romanian B33 Zimbru Armoured Personnel Carrier

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.