BTR-4

History

The eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier BTR-4 was originally an internal project of the attention of the Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau in Kharkiv in Ukraine - also known by the initials KMDB. Founded in 1927, the company is now a government-run military-type entity that manufactures a wide range of heavy vehicles, including armored personnel carriers and main battle tanks.

During the Cold War, Ukraine was under Soviet influence, and the company was asked to produce Soviet tanks, including the legendary T-34 medium tank of WWII and the superb T-54 series. In addition, the T-64, T-80 and T-84 brands have been produced for decades.

So the BTR-4 itself is clearly inspired by the Soviet-Russian series of BTR eight-wheeled armored transporters, and continues the Ukrainian tradition of relatively young homegrown military equipment and weapons, destined to keep the country independent as possible. The BTR-4 was first demonstrated in June 2006 and entered production in 2008, with limited deliveries to the Ukrainian army starting in 2009. At its core, the BTR-4 acts as a modular battlefield system capable of mounting various weapon "modules" and taking on multiple mission roles as needed, with little change to the basic chassis.

This makes it a versatile, multi-role Aspects of battlefield equipment can be purchased in a certain quantity at a reasonable cost.

Visually, the BTR-4 mimics much of the look of Soviet Cold War BTR vehicle designs. The vehicle is notable for its arrangement of eight large wheels, four on one side of the hull. Ground clearance on the BTR-4 is excellent, with each suspended wheel paired along a separate axle, with the previous pair steerable via an automotive-style steering wheel. The front of the fuselage has a nearly flat front panel with a sloping windshield and a thick driver sight barrier.

The lower forward hull is also heavily sloping down to help navigate terrain and provide basic ballistic protection. The sides of the vehicle slope inward toward the centerline of the vehicle.

The roof is flat and accommodates optional weapon packs, troop up and down hatches, and various communications and field equipment required. The base hull is amphibious, allowing the BTR-4 to easily traverse deep water sources, and in this way it is powered by two integrated water jets located at the rear of the vehicle's hull. A standard fire suppression system and NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) suite protects the crew from a variety of battlefield hazards.

Additional armor blocks can be added to defend against enemy missiles and projectiles. Navigation is supported by TIUS-NM satellite navigation system, inertial navigation system and Bazalt SN-3003 series portable satellite navigation system. Also includes night vision and target lighting.

Perhaps one of the most notable differences between the Ukrainian BTR approach and the Soviet version was the relocation of the powerplant to the center of the fuselage, allowing for an additional passenger area at the rear of the vehicle. The BTR-4 is basically divided into three important interior areas - the forward cockpit, the mid-engine compartment and the rear fighting compartment.

The Soviet version kept the engine in the rear, forcing passengers to enter and exit the vehicle from the side, which presented inherent problems under enemy fire. The Ukrainian approach is more in line with the products of contemporary APCs, AFVs and IFVs around the world - the vehicle's own body is used to protect passengers entering and exiting at the rear of the vehicle. Power for the BTR-4 comes from a single 500hp KMDB 3TD two-stroke diesel engine (also known as the 600hp version) and powers all eight wheels for "true" 8x8 action.

For demanding customers, a Deutz EBPO III series four-stroke diesel engine with outputs ranging from 498 to 598 hp can replace the original KMDB accessories.

The BTR-4 series has a modular armor package that can be customized according to customer or mission requirements (directly specify variant type). Standard equipment is a turret-mounted 30mm automatic cannon and a 1 x 7.62mm coaxial machine gun.

In addition, a weapon display of up to 4 anti-tank missile launchers is supported - in particular support for ATGM 9P135M "Konkurs" or "Baryer". Two of these launchers can be replaced with a single 1x30mm automatic grenade launcher to suppress enemy infantry by using high-explosive (HE) shells.

The basic BTR-4 consists of three peoplethe driver, the vehicle commander, and a dedicated gunner (the latter two are in a powered turret)with up to eight people in the passenger compartment.

In its dedicated BAU 23x2 anti-aircraft form, the BTR-4 system is primarily equipped with 2 x 23 x 115 mm automatic cannons for close-range defensive work against low-flying aircraft. The weapon is supported by a 1 x 7.62mm coaxial machine gun and can accommodate three crew members and eight passengers. A command vehicle named BTR-4KSh was equipped with additional communications equipment and was armed with only one 12.7mm TKB-01-1 heavy machine gun for self-defense. The crew consisted of seven people, including the driver and vehicle commander and the mission specialist in charge. One of the more interesting forms of the BTR-4 is the MOP-4K fire support vehicle, equipped with a turret-mounted 120mm main gun to counter threats from enemy armor systems.

The vehicle is further defended by heavy 12.7mm machine guns on a trainable ring mount on top of the turret. In this variant, the BTR-4 is essentially converted into a mobile tank destroyer with limited armor protection. The crew consists of four people - driver, vehicle commander, gunner and ammunition handler.

Other variants of the BTR-4 series include the BREM-4K battlefield repair and rescue vehicle, the BSEM-4K ambulance with space for trash and equipment, and the BRM-4K dedicated reconnaissance platform with additional communications equipment.

To date, the Ukrainian and Iraqi militaries are the only operators of the BTR-4. Iraq recently ordered about 420 vehicles to bolster its mechanized forces, which were depleted after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Delivery of the order began in late 2013, but was cancelled after only 88 BTR-4s were delivered due to vehicle quality issues.

In 2012, the Kazakh government ordered 100 cars. The Indonesian military has ordered 55 people to serve in its army and marines.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on variant.

Changes