BTR80

The BTR-80 is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC) developed by the Soviet Union in the 1980s as a successor to the BTR-60/70 family. It was designed to transport infantry under armor protection while offering improved amphibious mobility and on-road performance. Production began in the mid-1980s at KMZ in Kurgan and later at other plants. It entered service with the Soviet Army and the post-Soviet Russian forces and was widely exported.

Design and capacity: The BTR-80 features an eight-wheeled, all-welded steel hull. It is crewed by three (driver, commander, gunner) and can carry eight to ten infantry soldiers. The vehicle is amphibious and propels itself in water by its propulsion system with no major preparation required.

Armament: The standard BTR-80 mounts a two-man turret housing a 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun and a 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun. The BTR-80A variant replaces the primary weapon with a 30 mm autocannon (2A72) and provides an improved fire-control system; some export versions feature different configurations or remote weapons stations.

Protection and mobility: Armor protects against small arms and shell splinters; units are protected but not designed to withstand heavy anti-armor weapons. The vehicle's eight-wheel drivetrain provides good on- and off-road mobility. Typical road speed is around 65–80 km/h, with a range of several hundred kilometers; amphibious capability enables river crossings without preparation.

Operational history and operators: Since its introduction, the BTR-80 has been used by the Russian armed forces and many former Soviet states, as well as a wide range of export customers. It has appeared in several regional conflicts since the late 1980s and continues to be used in various roles, including infantry transport and command variants. Variants include the standard BTR-80, BTR-80A with a 30 mm cannon, and BTR-80AK command or communications variants.

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