The BTR-70 is an eight-wheeled

armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Ac ...

(russian: бронетранспортер/ ''Bronetransporter'', or literally "Armoured Transporter") originally developed by the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

during the late 1960s under the manufacturing code GAZ-4905. On August 21, 1972, it was accepted into Soviet service and would later be widely exported. Large quantities were also produced under license in

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

as the ''TAB-77''. The BTR-70 was developed as a potential successor for the earlier

BTR-60 The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen in public for the first time in 1961. BTR stands for ''Brone ...

series of Soviet wheeled armored personnel carriers, specifically the ''BTR-60PB'', which it most closely resembled. It evolved out of an earlier, unsuccessful project known as the ''GAZ-50'' to design a new wheeled

infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed F ...

on the chassis and drive train of a BTR-60PB. It initially received the

NATO reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform man ...

''BTR M1970''.

Development History

In 1971, the Soviet Armed Forces began investigating the possibility of an updated BTR-60PB redesigned to make the vehicle more compatible with the

BMP-1 The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle, in service 1966–present. BMP stands for ''Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty 1'' (russian: link=no, Боевая Машина Пехоты 1; БМП-1), meaning "infantry fighting ve ...

in terms of tactical training. This resulted in the development of a BTR-60PB prototype essentially converted into a wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, designated ''Obiekt 50'' or ''GAZ-50''. Despite retaining the original BTR-60PB chassis, the GAZ-50 incorporated several elements of the BMP's design, including similar seating arrangements in the passenger compartment. The revised internal layout reduced the number of passengers to nine. New hatches were also provided for debarking in the lower hull, between the second and third wheel stations. Other modifications included a slightly thicker hull, increased power-to-weight ratio, and additional firing ports. Another feature retained from the BTR-60 was the twin-engine arrangement, although in the ''GAZ-50'' torque produced by the right engine powered the first and third wheel stations, while the left engine powered the second and fourth. This alteration was to allow the vehicle to continue moving even if one engine failed. The prototype was armed with a turret resembling that of the BMP-1, incorporating the same 73mm

2A28 Grom A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes ...

low-pressure smoothbore cannon. There was some debate as to the ''GAZ-50s viability in its intended role; for example, projected manufacturing costs were high due to the incorporation of the BMP-1 turret and armament. Furthermore, while the prototype would allow motorized units to emulate the tactics of Soviet mechanized infantry, it simply did not offer the same protection, mobility, and firepower of the BMP. Most of the funding earmarked for the program was thus diverted into producing larger numbers of BMPs instead, as well as ensuring their wider introduction beyond Soviet tank divisions. A second GAZ-50 prototype was built, designated ''Obiekt 60'' mounting a 14.5mm machine gun in exactly the same turret as that carried by the BTR-60 series; this was accepted as a generic replacement for the BTR-60PB in motorized rifle regiments. In Soviet service, the new BTRs received the designation ''BTR-70''. Compared to the earlier BTR-60PB, relatively small numbers of BTR-70s were produced. The design was still regarded as suffering from some of the same disadvantages, such as the two flammable petrol engines and the poor means of entry and exit. These flaws became especially evident when the vehicle was tested in combat during the

Soviet–Afghan War The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It saw extensive fighting between the Soviet Union and the Afghan mujahideen (alongside smaller groups of anti-Soviet ...

. As a result, in 1984 the Soviet Army took delivery of a new wheeled armored personnel carrier, the

BTR-80 The BTR-80 (russian: бронетранспортёр, bronyetransportyor, literally "armoured transporter") is an 8×8 wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the USSR. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous ...

, which was powered by a single 260 horsepower diesel engine and a simpler drive train. Production of the BTR-70 was terminated that year. The Soviet Union only exported BTR-70s to four other states:

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

, the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

(East Germany),

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

, and

, which also purchased a license to manufacture the design locally. However, many have since been inherited by the armies of various post-Soviet republics or re-exported.

Equipment

The BTR-70 is powered by two petrol engines. Early production vehicles used 115 hp GAZ-69B 6-cylinder engines, but most vehicles have now been retrofitted with the more powerful ZMZ-49-05 V-8 engines. The vehicle is fully amphibious, propelled when afloat by a single water jet mounted at the rear of the hull. To prepare the vehicle for water, the driver erects a trim vane and switches on the bilge pumps from within the vehicle. The standard equipment includes a central tire-pressure regulation system that allows the driver to adjust the tire-pressure to suit the terrain being crossed. Also fitted is an R-123M radio set and an R-124 intercom. The driver's optical equipment consists of three TNPO-115 vision blocks and a TNP-B day vision device, which can be replaced by a TVNO-2B night vision device. The commander also has three TNPO-115s and either a TPKU-2B day sight or a TKN-1S night sight accompanied by an OU-3GA-2 infra-red search light. The turret is fitted with a PP-61AM (or 1PZ-2) periscopic sight for the gunner and the infantry group in the troop compartment is provided with TNP-B devices. The BTR-70 also has an FVU NBC filter system and a DK-3B detection device. The armaments consist of a KPVT heavy machine gun with 500 rounds and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun with 2,000 rounds. Also on board are two " Igla" or "

Strela-3 The 9K34 Strela-3 (russian: 9К34 «Стрела-3», 'arrow', NATO reporting name: SA-14 Gremlin) is a man-portable air defense missile system (MANPADS) developed in the Soviet Union as a response to the poor performance of the earlier 9K32 Str ...

MANPADS Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable surface-to-air missiles. They are guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters. Overview MANPADS were developed in the 1950s to provide military ...

, and optionally two

AGS-17 The AGS-17 Plamya ( Russian: Пламя; ''Flame'') is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher in service worldwide. Description The AGS-17 is a heavy infantry support weapon designed to operate from a tripod or mounted on an installation ...

grenade launchers at the expense of two infantry men.

Variants

Soviet Union/Russian Federation

* BTR-70: Basic APC version, as described. ** BTR-70 obr. 1978: Initial version, publicly displayed in 1980. ** BTR-70 obr. 1982: Improved model with 120 hp ZMZ-49-05 V-8 engines, instead of the original GAZ-49B 115 hp 6-cylinder engines. ** BTR-70 obr. 1984: Slightly modified model with an additional TNPT-1 periscope on the turret roof. ** BTR-70 obr. 1986: Improved version with a periscope on the left side of the turret and four firing ports in the hull roof. ** BTR-70V: Late-production model fitted with the BPU-1 turret of the BTR-80, with an 1PZ-2 sight, but without the "Tucha" smoke grenade launchers. ** BTR-70M: Modernized version with turret, diesel engine and rear hull section of the BTR-80. Users include Nicaragua, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia and Syria. ** BTR-70D: Diesel version, developed by Muromteplovoz and powered by a YaMZ-236D 180 hp diesel engine. Prototype only. * SPR-2 "Rtut-B" (''stantsiya pomekh radiovzryvatelyam''): Electronic warfare variant, designed to detonate artillery shells with

proximity fuze A proximity fuze (or fuse) is a fuze that detonates an explosive device automatically when the distance to the target becomes smaller than a predetermined value. Proximity fuzes are designed for targets such as planes, missiles, ships at sea, an ...

detonators. ** SPR-2M: Modified version with more compact equipment. * BTR-70K (''komandnyj''): Command vehicle with additional radios, several whip antennas, navigation device and a portable generator. * BTR-70KShM (''komandno-shtabnaya mashina''):

Command and control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ...

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

employs human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization o ...

variant, designed to be used as a mobile command post. *

2S14 Zhalo-S The 2S14 ''Zhalo-S'' ( English: "Sting-S") is a Soviet experimental 85 mm-caliber battalion-level self-propelled anti-tank gun. Designed by the Gorky-based Burevestnik Central Scientific Research Institute, the 2S14 is based on the BTR-70 a ...

: Wheeled tank destroyer, armed with a 2A62 85 mm gun. Prototype only. * SA-22 (''spetsapparatnaya mashina''): command vehicle. * 15Ya56M MBP (''mashina boyevogo posta''): base security vehicle for Strategic Rocket units. The original turret has been replaced by a new type with an 1PN22M1 improved sight, loudspeakers, OU-3GA-2 IR search lights, additional TNPO-170 periscopes and an NSVT 12.7 mm machine gun. *

Ukraine

* BTR-70D: Upgraded from 2001 by NRMZ and fitted with a 300 hp diesel engine. Ukrainian army vehicles additionally have BTR-80 style two-piece escape hatches in the hull sides. * BTR-70DI ( BTR-7): With Euro II 276 hp diesel engine from IVECO. Can be optionally fitted with "Ingul" or "Bug" modular turrets or with the "Zaslon" active protection system. The basic armament is augmented by an AGS-30 automatic grenade launcher and 2 AT rockets. * BTR-70M: Upgraded by Marozov and powered by a 300 hp engine UTD-20. Might be fitted with a new turret, like the "Grom" or BAU-23x2. * BTR-70SM: Unarmed ambulance with a re-designed hull. Three different models have been observed.

East-Germany

* SPW 70 (''Schützenpanzerwagen''): NVA designator for Romanian-made BTR-70. 1,316 delivered between 1980 and 1990. ** SPW 70(S): Locally converted staff vehicle with two extra radios, two/three whip antennas and a slim telescopic mast on the right side of the hull roof. ** SPW 70(SL): Forward air control vehicle, equipped with an R-809M2 radio and fitted with four whip antennas. ** SPW 70(Ch): NBC reconnaissance vehicle with detection and marking systems. Prototype only.

Slovakia/Belarus

* Cobra-K: Fitted with a 2A42-Cobra modular turret. Might be optionally equipped with a new KamAZ-7403 diesel engine.

Belarus

* BTR-70M-A1: Proposed upgrade from Minotaur with a diesel engine and improved transmission. The vehicle might retain the original turret or can be fitted with a new one, for example the CM30/BM30 (2A42-Cobra) "combat module". * BTR-MK a.k.a. KM-70: Proposed command vehicle (''komandnaya mashina'') from Minotaur with a crew of six and R-123M and R-13M radios. * MTP-K a.k.a. MTP-70: Technical support vehicle (''mashina tekhnicheskoj pomoshchi''), fitted with tow bars, a work platform and a light crane. This version retains the turret, but without the

KPV The KPV-14.5 heavy machine gun (KPV is an initialism for Krupnokaliberniy Pulemyot Vladimirova (Large-caliber Machine gun Vladimirov), in Russian as Крупнокалиберный Пулемёт Владимирова, or КПВ) is a Soviet de ...

T machine gun. * BTR-70MB1: Upgrade from 140 Repair plant with a diesel engine and improved transmission. It has been supplied to the Ivory Coast.

Azerbaijan

* BTR-70M: Jihazgayirma Instrument Construction Plant in Baku presented some upgraded BTR-70s for the first time in March 2011. These vehicles have a new diesel engine and improved transmission. Optionally, the original machine-gun turret might be replaced with the "Şimşek" (Lightning) one-man turret. "Şimşek" was developed in partnership with South Africa's Emerging World Technologies (EWT) and appears to be a variant of EWT's Predator II light compact turret.

Romania

* TAB-77 (''transportorul amfibiu blindat''): Romania not only built the BTR-70 under licence (for export), but also developed its own, improved version. While very similar, the TAB-77 has the same turret (with the LOTA aiming system) as the TAB-71. The original gasoline engines were replaced with Saviem 797-05M1 132 hp diesel engines. ** TAB-77 M1983: upgraded version with a 30 mm gun and 9M14M "Malyutka"

ATGM An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...

. Prototype. ** TAB-77 M1984: upgraded version with a 23 mm gun and 9M14M "Malyutka" ATGM. Prototype. ** TAB-77A PCOMA (''punct de commanda şi observare mobil de artilerie''): artillery command and forward observer vehicle with range finders in a big, unarmed turret. Armament consists of a single, pintle-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun on the hull roof. ** TAB-77A R-1451/M: command vehicle with R-1070 and R-1451M radios. Similar to the basic APC, but with additional whip antennas and a rear-mounted generator. ** TAB-77A R-1452: signals vehicle with an R-1452 radio, low-profile "dummy turret, seven whip antennas, a telescopic mast, two generators at the rear and a pintle-mounted machine gun on the hull roof. ** TERA-77L (''tractor de evacuare şi reparat auto''): recovery vehicle with a 5t crane and a dozer blade. **

TABC-79 The ABC-79M (4x4) (Romanian: ''amfibiu blindat pentru cercetare'') armoured personnel carrier has been developed in Romania and uses some automotive components of the TAB-77 (8 × 8) armoured personnel carrier. Although previously known as TABC-79 ...

: shorter version with only four wheels. Several variants exist. ** Chinese TAB-77: Chinese license built TAB-77, with a small number entering Chinese service for evaluation purpose in the 1980s. China purchased the production license from Romania in 1984, and even retained the original Romanian designation TAB-77. The Chinese built TAB-77 is heavier, weighing more than 13 tons.

Sudan

* Shareef-3 Revealed in March 2019, replaced both engines with single diesel engine, while adding BMP-1 turret, capacity for six dismounts.

Combat history

The BTR-70 first saw service during the

. A very small quantity of BTR-70s were donated or sold to the

People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola The People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola ( pt, Forças Armadas Populares de Libertação de Angola) or FAPLA was originally the armed wing of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) but later (1975–1991) became Ango ...

in the mid-1980s by an undisclosed country; these saw action during the

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War ( pt, Guerra Civil Angolana) was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war immediately began after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. The war was ...

.
African Defence Journal
': Article "Section: Africa". The Journal Publishers, 1987 volume, Collected Issues 78–88 p. 26. BTR-70s were deployed by the

United Nations Protection Force The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR; also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: ''Force de Protection des Nations Unies'') was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav ...

(UNPROFOR) in

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...

during the

Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place in the SFR Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from ...

. BTR-70s of the

Armed Forces of Ukraine , imports = , exports = , history = , ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine , country=Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly know ...

have been deployed in the

War in Donbass War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, with some being captured by pro-Russian militias of the

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic ( rus, Донецкая Народная Республика, Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika, dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə; abbreviated as DPR or DNR, rus, ДНР) is a disputed en ...

. During

2021 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes A three-day border conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan began on 28 April 2021. The clashes stemmed from a long-running dispute over a water supply facility near the village of Kök-Tash. Tajik media raised some concern over military dr ...

BTR-70's were deployed by

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...

at least one BTR-70M lost to enemy fire. During the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. A ...

, BTR-70's were been deployed

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

with 4 BTR-70s lost (3 destroyed, 1 captured) and 1 destroyed BTR-70M visually confirmed by Oryx as of 13 November 2022

Operators

Current operators

* *: 360 * *: 150 *: 55 *: 446 *: 30; some modernized to BTR-70Di/BTR-7 standard with 30mm cannon and anti-tank missiles. * *: some; all modernized to BTR-70M standard. *: More than 9; purchased from Bulgaria and Russia. * *: 85 *: 60 * *

Palestinian National Authority The Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA; ar, السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية '), commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine,

: 50 *: 95 in service with the Russian

Naval Infantry Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...

. *: 3 *: 31; 2 ''Kobra K-2'' variant. *: 2 *

Transnistria Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester riv ...

* *: 215 in 2022 *: 7; used for

OPFOR An opposing force (alternatively enemy force, abbreviated OPFOR) is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios. The related concept of aggressor squadron is used by some air forces. ...

training exercises. * *: 20

Former operators

*: 1,266 *

International Institute for Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England. The 2017 Global Go To Think ...

: The Military Balance 2022 * * *: Passed on to successor states. *

: 452; donated by Germany.

Notes

References

* Gau L-R., Plate J., Siegert J. (2001). ''Deutsche Militärfahrzeuge - Bundeswehr und NVA''. Motorbuch Verlag. . * A.V. Karpenko (1996). ''Obozreniye Bronetankovoj Tekhniki (1905-1995 gg.)'' Nevskij Bastion.

External links

BTR-70 Technical data sheet and pictures BTR-70 ArmyRecognition.com

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20071101035424/http://www.nsu.ru/vk/tp/bt/btr/70/index.htm BTR-70 in detail (in Russian) {{PostWWIISovietAFVS, APC Amphibious armoured personnel carriers Armoured personnel carriers of the Soviet Union Armoured personnel carriers of the Cold War Eight-wheeled vehicles GAZ Group military vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 1970s Wheeled amphibious armoured fighting vehicles Wheeled armoured personnel carriers