BTR-60 8x8 Armored Personnel Carrier (1960)
Once the mainstay of the Soviet motor rifle divisions, the BTR-60 series has continued service throughout the world.
Design of the BTR-60, begun in 1955, was largely spurred by the tactical limitations inherent in the BTR-152 and BTR-40 series appearing after World War 2. This initiative was furthered by a major reorganization of Soviet Army formations. The BTR-60 was then developed alongside the more sophisticated and tracked armored "BMP-1" series which saw both produced and utilized in large numbers worldwide. Design of the BTR-60 was attributed to V.A. Dedkov while the "BTR" designation was formed from the word "BroneTRansporter" appropriately translating to "Armored Transport".
The BTR-60 was highly conventional by modern standards though a grand departure from the norm concerning APCs of the time. The hull was fitted atop an independently suspended chassis which managed eight large road wheels, four to a side (two axles being steerable). The hull was well-shaped of welded steel with a sloped glacis plate, side facings and a squared-off hull roof. Armament was concentrated ahead of center and aft of the driving cabin in a turret emplacement (found primarily in the finalized/evolved production models). Overall weight was approximately 11.4 tons (Short) while the standard operating crew was three personnel (the driver, vehicle commander and dedicated gunner) with optional space for passengers in the central compartment. The fighting compartment allowed for combat-ready infantry to be carried in relative safety, protection against both small arms fire and artillery spray in play and entry/exit through several hinged hatches at the sides and roof of the vehicle. The driver and commander were each afforded a hatch all their own at the front left and right of the vehicle hull. Armor protection ranged from 5mm (hull floor) to 10mm (turret front). Primary armament was a 14.5mm KPVT heavy machine gun with 500 rounds allotted. This was backed by a 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun given 3,000 rounds of ammunition.
Power for the BTR-60 was served through 2 x GAZ-40P series 6-cylinder gasoline-fueled engines developing 90 horsepower each (180 combined) running at 3,400rpm. The engines were paired at the rear of the hull, prohibiting use of a large powered entry/exit door common to more modern APCs. This afforded the vehicle an operational range of up to 310 miles with a maximum road speed of 50 miles per hour. The BTR-60 was designed with full amphibious qualities in mind (as were many other Soviet vehicles intended to fight in Europe) and could reach 6 miles per hour in water while propelled by a rear mounted jet shrouded by two hinged door plates.
After passing state trials in 1959, the vehicle was formally adopted for service by the Red Army based on the Ob'yekt 1015B prototype which became the initial BTR-60P mark in service. These vehicles showcased seating for 16 personnel and fielded a primary armament of 1 x 7.62mm PKT, SGMB or PKB machine gun with optional 2 x 7.62mm machine gun positions along the sides of the hull. As designed, the P-model featured an open-air hull which gave no protection to the crew and this quickly forced a modified, fully-enclosed form to appear in 1963 as the slightly heavier BTR-60PA. All other qualities remained similar however. Later model BTR-60PA vehicles added provision for the 12.7mm DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun with 500 rounds of ammunition. This then led to the more refined BTR-60PA-1 production model of slightly increased weight. These were then all followed by the improved BTR-60PAI which incorporated a machine gun-armed turret mounting the 14.5 KPVT heavy machine gun in 1965 (500 rounds of ammunition) while backed by 1 x 7.62mm PKT machine gun in a coaxial mounting. The PAI model reduced the internal seating configuration to 14 passengers (from 16). The final BTR-60 form proved to be the BTR-60PB which was another slightly improved version given refined gunnery sights (with seating for 14).
The BTR-60 was first used in anger by Soviet Army forces in the 1968 Czechoslovakian invasion which formally brought about a permanent Soviet military presence in the country until the dissolution of the Soviet Empire in 1991. The vehicle was used as an armed armored personnel carrier, Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) and scout vehicle for a bulk of its service life before being replaced by the BTR-70 arriving in 1972. These were further bolstered by the arrival of the similar BTR-80 series of 1986 though thousands of BTR-60 series vehicles remained in circulation well into the 1990s. Wide-scale production of the type ensured its operational use in the Soviet-Afghan War spanning 1979 into 1989 though its service there (in a dry, hot and mountainous region) proved mixed for a vehicle designed with the European battlefield in mind. Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPG) proved one of the biggest threats to BTR-60 vehicles in the conflict particularly where light armor was all that protected occupants. Insurgents grew evermore skillful and patient in ambushes that would ultimately send the Soviet Army away in an unbelievable defeat.
Operational use spanned beyond Soviet service as the BTR-60 was delivered to dozens upon dozens of Soviet-allied states and nations. This included powers across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, North America (Mexico) and South America. Many vehicles were grandfathered into former Soviet holdings as proven through Belarus, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and the Ukraine.
Soviet factories unleashed a plethora of production models during the vehicle's service life including many subvariants to append major variant marks. Modernization also occurred through the newly-established Russian Federation after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Localized Bulgarian variants included the BTR-60PAU, PB and PB-MD marks (the latter a modernized form). Cuba registered four of its own marks each differing in available armaments. Finland, influenced by the Soviet Union following World War 2, managed four major marks including modernized forms. The East German Army operated various versions of its own and designated local marks under the collective "Schutenpanzerwagen" heading. The Mexican Marines operated a turretless variant under the "APC-70" designation. Romania operated the BTR-60 under the "TAB-71" designation with subvariants to boot. Polish variants were based on the BTR-60PB. The BTR-60PB was also (illegally) produced in China thanks to a reverse-engineering endeavor. Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) captured a slew of BTR-60 armored vehicles in their campaigns against neighboring Egypt and Syria, many converted to suit other battlefield roles in turn.
Former operators of the BTR-60 included Czechoslovakia, Germany (grandfathered versions phased out after reunification), Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Yugoslavia and Zaire (the latter now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The reach of the BTR-60 series ensured its use in a wide range of conflicts beginning with the 1967 Six Day War, the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the 1st and 2nd Chechen War(s) and more modern conflicts such as the American-led invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq. American forces found familiarity with the vehicle decades earlier during the 1983 US Invasion of Grenada. The BTR-60 has also seen use in the recent Libyan Civil War and the (still ongoing, 2013) Syrian Civil War of 2011.
Over 40 countries use, or have used, the BTR-60 series at one time or another making the design a true Cold War success story. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
BTR-60
8x8 Armored Personnel Carrier
Country of Origin: Soviet Union
Manufacturer: Gorkiy Automobile Plant, Gorkiy, Russia
Initial Year of Service: 1960
Production: 26,872
Focus Model: BTR-60
Crew: 2 + 14
Overall Length: 24.74ft (7.54m)
Width: 9.19ft (2.80m)
Height: 7.61ft (2.32m)
Weight: 12.7 US Short Tons (11,500kg; 25,353lbs)
Powerplant: 2 x GAZ-49B 6-Cylinder in-line water-cooled petrol engine delivering 90 horsepower @ 3,400rpm each.
Maximum Speed: 50mph (80 km/h)
Maximum Range: 373 miles (600 km)
NBC Protection: Yes
Nightvision: Yes - Infra-red for Commander and Driver
Armament:
1 x 14.5mm KPVT heavy machine gun
1 x 7.62mm PKT machine gun in co-axial fitting
Ammunition:
500 x 14.5mm Ammunition
2,000 x 7.62mm Ammunition
Variants:
BTR-60P - Early Production Vehicle featuring open roof and various machine gun arrangements.
BTR-60PA - Second Production Vehicle featuring closed roof compartment and NBC system.
BTR-60P - Utilizes the OT-64C(1) turret as found on the BRDM-2 Armored Scout Car.
BTR-60PBK - Commander's Vehicle
BTR-60 1V18 - Artillery Observation Vehicle
BTR-60 1V19 - Fire Direction Vehicle
BTR-60-R-409BM - Communications Vehicle
BTR-60AVS - Command Post Vehicle
BTR-60PAU - Artillery Communications Vehicle
BTR-60PU-12M - Air Defence Command and Control Vehicle.
BTR-60 VVS - Command Post Vehicle
BTR-60 ACVR M1979(2) - Artillery Tow Vehicle
BTR-60PU - Commander's Vehicle
BTR-60PU-12 - Command Vehicle with extra storage, telescopic communications mast and power generator.
BTR-60 ACRV - Artillery Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle
Operators: Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bostwana; Bulgaria; Cambodia; Congo; Cuba; Djibouti; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; India; Iran; North Korea; Laos; Libya; Lithuania; Macedonia; Mali; Moldova; Mongolia; Mozambique; Namibia; Nicaragua; Peru; Romania; Russia; Serbia and Montenegro; Somalia; Syria; Tajikistan; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; Vietnam; Yemen; Zambia
By Decade:
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Tanks
By Type:
• 4x4 Military Vehicles
• 6x6 Military Vehicles
• 8x8 Military Vehicles
• Artillery Gun Systems
• Anti-Aircraft (AA) Guns
• Anti-Aircraft (AA) Vehicles
• Anti-Tank (AT) Guns
• Anti-Tank (AT) Vehicles
• Armored Cars
• Armored Personnel Carriers (APC)
• Battlefield Robots
• Halftrack Vehicles
• Heavy Tanks
• Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV)
• Light Tanks
• Main Battle Tanks (MBT)
• Modern Combat Tanks
• Medium Tanks
• Military Motorcycles
• Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS)
• Reconnaissance Vehicles
• Special Purpose Vehicles
• Self-Propelled Guns (SPG)
• Tank Destroyers
• General Purpose / Utility Vehicles
By Nation:
• Afghanistan
• Britain
• China
• France
• Germany
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel / Israeli Army
• Italy
• Libyan Army
• North Korea / North Korean Army
• Pakistan
• Russia
• South Korea
• Soviet Union
• Syrian Army
• United States
• VIEW ALL
World War 2:
• Artillery
• Infantry Fighting Vehicles
• Tank Destroyers (All)
• Tanks (All)
• Australian Tanks
• British Tanks
• Canadian Tanks
• Cruiser Tanks (UK)
• Czechoslovakian Tanks
• French Tanks
• German Tanks
• German Tank Destroyers
• German FlaK Guns
• German Reconnaissance Vehicles
• Hungarian Tanks
• Italian Tanks
• Japanese Tanks
• Romanian Tanks
• Soviet Tanks
• Swedish Tanks
• US Tanks
• VIEW ALL
World War 1:
• France WW1 Tanks
• Germany WW1 Tanks
• Britain WW1 Tanks
• US WW1 Tanks
• WW1 Artillery
• WW1 Tanks (all)
• VIEW ALL
Spanish Civil War:
• VIEW ALL
Korean War:
Vietnam War:
• VIEW ALL
Cold War:
• Cold War Tanks
• Cold War American Tanks
• Falklands War
• Post-WW2 British Tanks
• VIEW ALL
Gulf War (1991):
• VIEW ALL
Miscellaneous:
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
