BTR-50

Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) (1950)

Land Systems / Battlefield

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Image from the United States Department of Defense imagery database.

Though now obsolete by any standard, the BTR-50 series a reliable design and easy to manufacture.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/25/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com; the following text is exclusive to this site.

The BTR-50 series of Soviet armored personnel carriers was developed in the 1950s and served for a time to good effect. The system proved to be reliable on the field and simple enough to produce in quantity therefore making it readily available and was based on the chassis of the PT-76 light tank, a system also exhibiting proven amphibious qualities carried on by the BTR-50 design as well. The system was fielded with Soviet-friendly nations during the Cold War.

At its core, the BTR-50 APC was a most fundamental design. The system was crewed by two personnel and additional seating for some 10 combat-ready infantry was available at the rear of the hull. The crew sat in an open-topped compartment which exposed them to any kind of battlefield element that could prove quite the detriment. The initial production model appeared as the BTR-50P though this was followed up by a closed-top version in the BTR-50PK. When it appeared in operational service, the BTR-50 became only the first fully-tracked armored personnel carrier system for the Red Army.

Armament of the base BTR-50P consisted of a single 7.62mm machine gun mounted on a pintle at forward hull. Beyond this, and any personal weapons carried by the crew, there were provisions for the addition of a 57mm or 85mm anti-tank gun which could be set up and fired from the rear. The later BTR-50PK featured a 7.62mm machine gun in a roof mounting.

The BTR-50 series has seen combat with Egyptian, Syrian and North Vietnamese forces during its production life. The BTR-50 appeared in a modified Czechoslovakian form with the local OT-62 designation. The BTR-50 series is no longer in service with the Russian Army though it might still serve in come capacity with other owners the world over.

Specifications

Service Year

1950

Origin

Soviet Union

Crew

2
CREWMEN

Production

10,000
UNITS

State Factories - Soviet Union

(View other Vehicle-Related Manufacturers)

Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Bulgaria; Republic of the Congo; Croatia; Cuba; East Germany; Germany; Egypt; Finland; Guinea; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iraq; Iran; Israel; Kazakhstan; Lebanon; Liberia; Libya; Nicaragua; North Korea; Romania; Russia; Soviet Union; Serbia; Slovenia; Somalia; Somaliland; Sudan; Syria; Ukraine; Vietnam / North Vietnam; Yemen / South Yemen; Yugoslavia; Zimbabwe

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

Length

23.2 ft
7.08 m

Width

10.3 ft
3.14 m

Height

6.5 ft
1.97 m

Weight

31,306 lb
14,200 kg

Tonnage

15.7 tons
LIGHT

(Showcased structural values pertain to the BTR-50PK production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)

Powerplant: 1 x Model V-6 water-cooled 6-cylinder diesel engine developing 240 horsepower.

Speed

27.3 mph
(44.0 kph)

Range

248.5 mi
(400.0 km)

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the BTR-50PK production variant. Compare this entry against any other in our database)

TYPICAL:
1 x 7.62mm machine gun in forward pintle mount.

OPTIONAL:
1 x 57mm anti-tank gun OR 1 x 85mm anti-tank gun.

Supported Types

Graphical image of a tank cannon armament

Graphical image of a tank medium machine gun

Graphical image of a tank anti-tank guided missile

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

Not Available.

BTR-50P - Base Production Model; open-topped superstructure; 1 x 7.62mm machine gun in forward pintle mounting; waterjets for amphibious travel.

BTR-50PK - Enclosed crew compartment; 1 x 7.62mm roof-mounted machine gun; NBC protection.

BTR-50PU Model 1 - Command Vehicle

BTR-50PU Model 2 - Command Vehicle

BTR-50MTK - Mine Clearing Vehicle

BTR-50MTP - Technical Support Vehicle

OT-62 - Czechoslovakian-produced BTR-50PK with subtle improvements.

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