The GMZ-3 (, or "Tracked Minelayer-3") is an armoured

minelaying A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...

vehicle developed for the Engineering Forces of the

Soviet Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...

. Since the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

in 1991, it has seen service in several successor states.

History

The was introduced in the USSR as early as 1968.

Description

The GMZ-3 is a tracked minelayer on a

GM chassis (Russian: ''Gusenichnaya Mashina'', ''Гусеничная машина'', lit. ''tracked machine'') is a series of tracked vehicle chassis. Generally, the series is produced by Russia's '' Mytishchi Machine-Building Plant''. Some older series ...

. The third model was adopted by the USSR Armed Forces in 1984, and is designed for mechanized anti-tank mining during battle. The placement of mines is carried out on the surface of the ground without camouflage or in the ground with camouflage. It has a payload capacity of 208 mines.

Setting up the minefield

During the establishment of the minefield, cassettes holding four mines of the TM-52, TM-57, TM-62, TM-62PZ or TM-89 types with

contact Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * C ...

and

proximity fuse A Proximity Fuse (also VT fuse or "variable time fuze") is a fuse that detonates an explosive device automatically when it approaches within a certain distance of its target. Proximity fuses are designed for elusive military targets such as air ...

s are fed to the issuing mechanism and further on a release conveyor with a mechanism for transferring mines to a firing position. The plow device with reversed discharges makes it possible to bury and mask mines. EngineerExercise2020-20

The GMZ-3 provides for the advance installation of minefields in danger zones for tanks, as well as defending against attacks from tanks and mechanized units.

Sub variant

BTRG-127 Bumblebee

Transnistria Transnistria, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and locally as Pridnestrovie, is a Landlocked country, landlocked Transnistria conflict#International recognition of Transnistria, breakaway state internationally recogn ...

at least eight GMZ-3 were inherited from the Soviet army. As there was no need for a minelayer several of these vehicles were converted into

armoured 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. Acc ...

s. They were first revealed in 2015. The minelaying equipment was removed and infantry seating installed, and an additional weapon station were added to the roof. The weapon station is normally fitted with a Afanasev A-12.7 12.7 mm aircraft machine gun. It is believed to have room for 8-10 soldiers.

Operators

Current

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Former

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Notes and references

{{Portal, Russia Military vehicles of the Soviet Union Military engineering vehicles of the Soviet Union Uraltransmash products Tracked armoured fighting vehicles