Combat vehicles / Armored personnel carriers / BTR-60
BTR-60
General Facts
- TYPE
Armored personnel carrier - ORIGIN
USSR
- NICKNAMES
GAZ-49 (nickname for BTR-60P)
GAZ-49A (nickname for BTR-60PA)
GAZ-49B (nickname for BTR-60PB)
SPW-60 / Schützenpanzerwagen 60 (East Germany) - DESIGNED
Mid 1950s - DESIGNER
V. A. Dedkov - PRODUCTION
1959 - 1976 - PRODUCERS
USSR - GAZ
- QUANTITY
About 25.000 produced in the USSR - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Good mobility and amphibious
Well armed in BTR-60PB version
Limited production costs
Limited protection level
Reliability issues with engine setup
Introduction
The BTR-60 is an armored personnel carrier of Soviet origin. It was developed in the mid-1950s to supplement and replace the earlier BTR-152. The BTR-60 was produced in very large quantities and was one of the prominent Soviet combat vehicles. The name BTR stands for Bronetransportyor, which translates to armored transporter. The BTR-60 was supplemented by the BTR-70, a similar but improved design.
Layout
The BTR-60 has a layout which was considered unconventional at the time. The driver and commander are seated at the front, the troop compartment is at the middle and the engines are fitted at the rear. The 8x8 chassis with four steerable front wheels results in a long and sleek vehicle. Early versions were fitted with pintle mounted machine guns but the final and most common main variant introduced a one man turret.
Firepower
The original BTR-60P and BTR-60PA were fitted with one or more pintle mounted 7.62mm SGMB or 12.7mm DShK machine guns. The BTR-60PB is fitted with a one man turret with 14.5mm KPVT heavy machine gun and 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun.
Protection
The steel armor protects the crew from small arms fire and shell splinters. The BTR-60P had no armored roof making the crew vulnerable from high angle fire. The wheels are vulnerable to puncture but the vehicle remains mobile with one or two punctures.
Mobility
The 8x8 chassis provides a good off road capability, although not at the same level as tracked vehicles. This is offset by a high road speed of up to 80 km/h. Two separate 90 hp gasoline engine provide propulsion, a setup which proved prone to brake downs. The BTR-60 is amphibious and propelled in the water by a water jet at the rear at speeds up to 10 km/h.
Users
The BTR-60 was used in large quantities by the USSR and Warsaw Pact nations and many were exported to nations with close ties to the USSR. Many have been replaced by more modern designs, including the BTR-70 and BTR-80, but large quantities remain in service around the world.
BTR-60P
BTR-60P: Original production version without roof. Usually armed only with 7.62mm machine guns. Produced between 1960 and 1963.
BTR-60PA: The BTR-60PA is a BTR-60P with armored roof, reducing the troop capacity from 14 to 8. Usually armed with single 12.7mm DShKM, with one or two 7.62mm machine guns being optional. Produced from 1963 to 1966.
Type | Armored personnel carrier |
---|---|
Crew | 2 + 14 (commander, driver, 14 troops) |
Length | 7.52 m |
Width | 2.91 m |
Height | 2.38 m (overall) |
Ground clearance | 0.47 m |
Weight | 9.8 t combat load |
Ground pressure | ? |
Wheelbase | Wheeled chassis, 8x8, 1.35 + 1.53 + 1.35 m wheelbase, 2.37 m track |
Turn radius | ? |
Engine | 2x GAZ-49B 6-cylinder petrol, 90 hp at 3.400 rpm each |
Power ratio | 18.4 hp/t |
---|---|
Transmission | Manual, 4 forward, 1 reverse |
Speed | 80 km/h on road, 10 km/h in water |
Fuel | 290 L |
Range | 500 km on road |
Wall | 0.4 m |
Trench | 2 m |
Gradient | 60% gradient, 40% slope |
Fording | Amphibious |
Armor | Steel, 5 to 9 mm |
NBC equipment | No |
Night vision | Yes |
---|---|
Smoke | No |
Remarks | - |
Armament | 7.62mm SGMB machine gun |
Weapon1 | 7.62mm SGMB machine gun on pintle mount 1.250 rounds, 250 ready to fire -6 to +24° elevation, manual -90 to +90° traverse, manual non-stabilized |
Weapon2 | - |
Weapon3 | - |
Weapon4 | - |
Weapon5 | - |
Weapon6 | - |
Type | Armored personnel carrier |
---|---|
Crew | 2 + 12 (commander, driver, 12 troops) |
Length | 7.56 m |
Width | 2.83 m |
Height | 2.06 m |
Ground clearance | 0.47 m |
Weight | 10.0 t combat load |
Ground pressure | ? |
Wheelbase | Wheeled chassis, 8x8, 1.35 + 1.53 + 1.35 m wheelbase, 2.37 m track |
Turn radius | ? |
Engine | 2x GAZ-49B 6-cylinder petrol, 90 hp at 3.400 rpm each |
Power ratio | 18.0 hp/t |
---|---|
Transmission | Manual, 4 forward, 1 reverse |
Speed | 80 km/h on road, 10 km/h in water |
Fuel | 290 L |
Range | 500 km on road |
Wall | 0.4 m |
Trench | 2 m |
Gradient | 60% gradient, 40% slope |
Fording | Amphibious |
Armor | Steel, 5 to 9 mm |
NBC equipment | Yes |
Night vision | Yes |
---|---|
Smoke | No |
Remarks | - |
Armament | 7.62mm SGMB machine gun |
Weapon1 | 7.62mm SGMB machine gun on pintle mount 2.000 rounds, 250 ready to fire -6 to +24° elevation, manual -90 to +90° traverse, manual non-stabilized |
Weapon2 | - |
Weapon3 | - |
Weapon4 | - |
Weapon5 | - |
Weapon6 | - |
BTR-60PB
BTR-60PAI: Original version with BPU-1 turret. Quickly replaced in production by improved BTR-60PB. Produced only from 1965 to 1966.
BTR-60PB: BTR-60PAI with improved sights. Main production variant of the BTR-60. Produced from 1966 to 1976.
- Specifications:
- BTR-60PB
Type | Armored personnel carrier |
---|---|
Crew | 3 + 7 (commander, driver, gunner, 7 troops) |
Length | 7.56 m |
Width | 2.83 m |
Height | 2.06 m (roof), 2.31 m (turret top) |
Ground clearance | 0.47 m |
Weight | 10.3 t combat load |
Ground pressure | ? |
Wheelbase | Wheeled chassis, 8x8, 1.35 + 1.53 + 1.35 m wheelbase, 2.37 m track |
Turn radius | ? |
Engine | 2x GAZ-49B 6-cylinder petrol, 90 hp at 3.400 rpm each |
Power ratio | 17.5 hp/t |
---|---|
Transmission | Manual, 4 forward, 1 reverse |
Speed | 80 km/h on road, 10 km/h in water |
Fuel | 290 L |
Range | 500 km on road |
Wall | 0.4 m |
Trench | 2 m |
Gradient | 60% gradient, 40% slope |
Fording | Amphibious |
Armor | Steel, 5 to 9 mm |
NBC equipment | Yes |
Night vision | Yes |
---|---|
Smoke | No |
Remarks | - |
Armament | 14.5mm KPVT heavy machine gun 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun |
Weapon1 | 14.5mm KPVT in turret 500 rounds, 50 ready to fire -5 to +30° elevation, manual 360° traverse, manual non-stabilized |
Weapon2 | 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun 2.000 rounds, 250 ready to fire traverse and elevation as main armament |
Weapon3 | - |
Weapon4 | - |
Weapon5 | - |
Weapon6 | - |