Background
Though the Germans had discovered the use and importance, shortly followed by America & the UK, of the APC in the Second World War, Russia was quick to see its value and continued in its development, with the designation for their wheeled APC’s “bronyetransportyor” or БТР AKA BTR which means armoured transporter. The first of these vehicles was the BTR-40, an opened top 4×4 vehicle that could carry 8 infantrymen and was run by two crew and entered service in 1948.
The Russian BTR-60PB 8×8 Armoured Personnel Carrier
The Russian BTR-60PB 8×8 Armoured Personnel Carrier Operators
| Operator | number | Operator | number | Operator | number | Operator | number |
| Abkhazia |
?
|
Ghana |
6
|
Mexico |
100
|
Somaliland |
25
|
| Afghanistan |
300
|
Grenada |
2
|
Moldova |
12
|
Syria |
600
|
| Angola |
100
|
Guinea |
20
|
Mongolia |
300
|
Tajikistan |
1
|
| Azerbaijan |
25
|
Guinea-Bissau |
35
|
Morocco |
45
|
Turkey |
302
|
| Belarus |
188
|
India |
187
|
Mozambique |
150
|
Turkmenistan |
829
|
| Botswana |
30
|
Iran |
300
|
Nicaragua |
64
|
Ukraine |
176
|
| Bulgaria |
737
|
Iraq |
500
|
Nigeria |
6
|
Uzbekistan |
24
|
| Cambodia |
210
|
Israel |
?
|
North Korea |
1000
|
Vietnam |
400
|
| Cuba |
400
|
Kenya |
3
|
Peoples Republic of China |
400
|
Yemen |
500
|
| Djibouti |
12
|
Laos |
70
|
Peru |
12
|
Zambia |
13
|
| Egypt |
250
|
Libya |
750
|
Republic of the Congo |
30
|
Former operators | |
| Eritrea |
65
|
Lithuania |
74
|
Russia |
2000
|
East Germany |
2260
|
| Ethiopia |
80
|
Republic of Macedonia |
31
|
Serbia |
6
|
Croatia |
16
|
| Finland |
120
|
Mali |
10
|
Somalia |
25
|
Yugoslavia |
60
|
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. The biggest problem with the BTR-60 (and went on to haunt its replacement) was the way the infantry disembarked. They did this through the small hatch’s, one on each side on the hull located above the 2nd and 3rd wheel and hatches in the roof. The vehicle had to be stationary other wise the trooper would be crushed under the wheels. They were also easy targets whilst exiting through the roof. The BTR-60PB production was eventually replaced in 1976 with the production of the BTR-70.
Russian/Former Soviet Union variants
| Variant: |
Characteristics:
|
| BTR-60PBK |
Command version of BTR-60PB.
|
| BTR-60 1V18 |
Artillery observation post vehicle.
|
| BTR-60 1V19 |
Fire direction centre vehicle.
|
| BTR-60AVS |
Command post vehicle.
|
| BTR-60PAU |
Artillery communications vehicle.
|
| BTR-60PU-12M |
Air-defence command post vehicle.
|
| BTR-60WS |
Command post vehicle.
|
| BTR-60PU |
Command vehicle.
|
| BTR-60PU-12 |
Command post vehicle is BTR-60PA with large stowage box on right side of the hull, generator and telescopic mast.
|
| BTR-60 ACRV |
Artillery command and reconnaissance vehicle.
|
| BTR-60-R-409BM |
One of a number of communications vehicles.
|
Variants of former East-Germany
| Variant: |
Characteristics:
|
| SPW 60PA |
NVA designation for the BTR-60PA.
|
| SPW 60PA(S) |
Staff vehicle (senior officers).
|
| SPW-60PB |
NVA designation for the BTR-60PB.
|
| SPW-60PB(ABS) |
Artillery observation post vehicle.
|
| SPW-60PB(BBS) |
Command vehicle for air-defence.
|
| SPW-60PB(S) |
Command vehicle.
|
| NZ(B) MSR/PR |
One of a number of communications vehicles.
|
Romanian variants
|
Variant:
|
Characteristics:
|
|
TAB-71
|
Designation of standard production APC equipped with the more powerful SR-225 gasoline engine generating 140hp and additional periscopes.
|
|
TAB-71 M
|
Saviem 797-05 130hp diesel engine from the TAB-77.
|
|
TAB-71A R-1450
|
Command vehicle.
|
|
TAB-71A R-1451
|
Signals vehicle with unarmed turret.
|
|
TAB-71A R-1452
|
Signals vehicle with unarmed turret and additional R-1452 radio set.
|
|
TAB-71AR
|
Equipped with a M-37M 82 mm mortar and 100 rounds
|
|
TERA-77L
|
ARV with 5t crane and dozer blade.
|
Combat history of the BTR-60
|
Conflict
|
Date
|
|
The Yom Kippur War
|
1973
|
|
The Soviet war in Afghanistan
|
1979 – 1988
|
|
The Bosnian War
|
1992 – 1995
|
|
The First Chechen War
|
1994 – 1996
|
|
The Kosovo War
|
1996 – 1999
|
|
The Second Chechen War
|
1999 – 2000
|