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THE TANK BECOMES AN ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER |
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Extensive experience gained from combat actions, including local conflicts, dramatically revealed the need to protect the personnel of motorized infantry elements from modern means of destruction. Existing wheeled vehicles such as the BTR-80 and BRMD,
and tracked vehicles like the BMP and MT-LB, cannot always provide protection for troops
on the battlefield. While implementing the concept of maximum protection, the Design
Bureau of Transport Machine-Building jointly with the Transport Mashine-Building Plant
state-run production association developed and manufactured a prototype of the BTR-T heavy
armored personnel carrier developed from the T-55 tank capable to fight modern means of
destruction on a par with main battle tanks.
The T-55 tanks and their modifications became outdated and cannot be effective in current conditions. They were discarded from the inventory of Russia's Armed Forces. A great number of these tanks were delivered to many countries. And now they can be re-equipped to be used as heavy highly-protected armored personnel carriers. The plant plans to carry out
the modernization of outdated tanks to convert them into BTR-T heavy armored personnel
carriers using the customer's production facilities and delivering components from
Russia.
The vehicle's protection is dramatically increased due to installation of a smoke screen generating system, and improved anti-mine and built-in explosive reactive armor (ERA) protection systems. The crew compartments are equipped with a modern survival system that allows the crew and troops to operate in NBC environment and in any climatic conditions. Consequently, the BTR-T can be used to transport motorized infantry subunits in eventual NBC and hostile fire environment and effectively defeat hostile targets. By implementing the engineering ideas incorporated in the BTR-T design, it is possible to equip vehicles of this type on the basis of any outdated Russian-made or foreign-made tanks. The modular concept of
combat compartments will allow manufacturers to equip the BTR-T with various armament
systems to meet the customer's requirements.
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