The BA-64 is a small World War 2 era reconnaissance vehicle. It was developed for Soviet forces to support infantry and provide reconnaissance. Compared to other Soviet armored cars the BA-64 was smaller, less costly and highly mobile, although it lacked firepower.

The original BA-64 was based on the GAZ-61 jeep, the later BA-64B is based on the GAZ-67B chassis. The BA-64 features a monocoque armored hull that protects the engine bay and crew compartment. The crew is reduced to a driver and a gunner. A small armored one man turret is fitted on top, allowing the single machine gun to be fired under armor protection.

The vast majority of BA-64 are fitted with a single 7.62mm DT machine gun in a one man turret. The machine gun has a high elevation angle for anti-aircraft use. The 7.62mm DT is of little use against aircraft but the elevation proved very useful in urban combat. The BA-64D variant was armed with a 12.7mm DShK heavy machine gun, making it much more effective against infantry, light armored vehicles and aircraft.

The 12mm steel monocoque hull and turret armor protects the crew from small arms fire and shell splinters. The sloped armor results in a good weight vs protection ratio. The wheels are easily punctured by small arms fire, reducing mobility significantly. An NBC system and smoke grenade dischargers are both lacking.

The 4x4 chassis provides a reasonable cross county ability and good performance on roads. The 50 hp gasoline engine allows for a maximum road speed of 80 km/h. The original BA-64 was top heavy and easily turned over in rough terrain. This problem was solved in the improved BA-64B.

The BA-64 was widely used by Soviet forces during World War 2. It was used for a short period after World War 2, but was soon replaced by the BRDM-1 and other vehicles. The BA-64 was exported to several nations with good ties to the USSR. Nowadays it only remains in service in North Korea.