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BTR-70 Armored Personnel Carrier

The BTR-70 was first seen in 1978 and so was given the preliminary designation BTR M1978, and was first shown in public during a Moscow parade in 1980. A successor vehicle to the BTR-60P, both vehicles have the same turret armament, while the BTR-70 has two upgraded 8-cylinder 120-hp gasoline engines which give improvements in power-to-weight ratio. Other modifications include improvement to vision for the troops, additional firing ports and improved armor protection. The BTR-70 has a slightly longer hull, and features a recognizable gap between the front and rear sets of road wheels. Triangular-shaped access doors are located in this space on both sides of the vehicle and provide side entrance and exit for troops, rather than only from the top as in the BTR-60PB. Also, the wave deflector is mounted differently from the BTR-60PB on the BTR-70.

Although the BTR-70 offered a number of improvements over the BTR-60, continuing shortcomings included the pair of gasoline engines and poor means of entry and exit. While the BTR-60PB had only top hatches for troop entrance and exit, the BTR-70 incorporates triangular access doors in the on both sides of the vehicle. The troop compartment accomodates six infantry men, each provided with a firing port and vision block. As with the BTR-60PB and BRDM-2, the BTR-70 has a small conical turret armed with a 14.5-mm KPT machine gun and a coaxial 7.62-mm PKT machinegun. The BTR-70 is fully amphibious, propelled by a single water-jet at the rear of the hull. Before entering the water a trim vane is erected at the front and bilge pumps switched on.

Like the BTR-60PB, the BTR-70 has good cross-country capability, high road speed, and large troop-carrying capacity. Its versatility and amphibious capability are also advantages. The primary disadvantage is its relatively light armor protection, although it has been reported that the bow section possibly incorporates special layered armor.

VARIANTS

Specifications

Main Armament (caliber, model) 14.5-mm KPVT MG
range, effective (m) 2000 ground, 1400 air
rate of fire (rpm) sustained/maximum 80/600
elevation/traverse (degrees) -5 to 30/360
basic load 500
Secondary Armament 7.62-mm PKT MG
range, effective (m) 1000
rate of fire, cyclic/practical (rpm) 650/250
penetration (mm @ m range) 8 @ 500 m
basic load 2000
vehicle characteristics
night sights
commander IR
gunner
driver IR
speed, road/off-road (kph) 80/45/10
range, road/off-road (km) 450
trench crossing (width x height m) 2x0.8
grade x side slope (degrees) 31x17
ground clearance (mm) 475
fording (m) swim
armor, hull/turret (mm) 10/7
weight (mt) 11.5
dimensions (LxWxH m) 7.85x2.8x2.45
crew 2 + 8

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http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/btr-70.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Saturday, October 16, 1999 12:09:21 PM