In the foreseeable future, the Russian armed forces will continue to operate the BTR-80 armored personnel carriers and other equipment based on them. At the same time, the military department intends to update the fleet of such armored vehicles by building new armored personnel carriers and modernizing existing ones. As part of the program for updating the fleet of armored vehicles, a project for the modernization of the BTR-82AM was developed several years ago. To date, the defense industry has mastered the production of this equipment on the basis of the available BTR-80 vehicles. Not so long ago, one of the serial armored personnel carriers of a new type was demonstrated at the exhibition “Innovation Day of the Southern Military District”.
Projects of the BTR-82 family, including the BTR-82AM, were created at the end of the last decade. Their goal was to further develop existing technology through the use of new components, equipment and weapons. The BTR-82AM project is aimed at updating the fleet of equipment by repairing and modernizing existing vehicles. According to this project, it was proposed to re-equip production vehicles of the BTR-80 type with the installation of a new engine, combat module, etc. All this was supposed to lead to a serious increase in performance and combat effectiveness.
After modernization, the BTR-82AM retains the main goals and objectives of the base vehicle. This technique is designed to transport personnel and provide fire support during combat. At the same time, the vehicle has a number of new equipment that facilitates operation and, to some extent, improves its fighting qualities.
The most serious modifications are made to the elements of the power plant, transmission and chassis. The modernized armored personnel carriers receive a KamAZ-740.14 300 diesel engine with a power of 300 hp. In addition, the transmission is being finalized and the chassis is reinforced. During the modernization, the armored vehicle becomes noticeably heavier. The increased weight is offset by a new engine and reinforced suspension.
The total mass of the BTR-82AM reaches 15, 9 tons. Despite this, the car is capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km / h on the highway. The possibility of crossing water obstacles by swimming with the help of the existing jet propulsion unit remains. Thanks to the engine of increased power, the armored personnel carrier is still able to climb a 30-degree slope, climb a wall with a height of 0.5 m and overcome other obstacles.
An important innovation of the project with the letters "AM" is the auxiliary power unit. A special low-power engine installed in the engine compartment can be used to supply the on-board systems with electricity. This unit is designed to power communication systems, weapons, etc. in parking lots. If necessary, the crew can turn off the main engine without consuming fuel and its resource, but at the same time maintain the power supply to all main systems. Special equipment can be connected to the auxiliary power unit to provide electricity to third-party consumers.
BTR-82AM vehicles receive a combat module similar to that used on the BTR-80A. On the reinforced roof of the hull, a monitors' turret with machine-gun and artillery armament is mounted. The main armament of the BTR-82AM is a 30 mm 2A72 automatic cannon. Also, a PKTM machine gun is mounted on the tower in a separate armored casing. The tower carries smoke grenade launchers as an additional weapon.
To increase the safety of the weapon operator, his workplace is shifted down. Now it is placed not in the tower, but under it. Weapon control is carried out using the remote control. At the same time, the shooter's workplace is equipped with several viewing devices and other equipment to monitor the situation.
The first armored personnel carriers of the BTR-82 family were built in 2009. Later they passed tests and were transferred to some parts of the Southern Military District for trial operation. In 2013, new types of equipment were put into service. In the same year, a full-scale serial construction of new equipment started. According to previously published data, the serial assembly of the BTR-82 armored personnel carriers, including the BTR-82AM, should have continued until at least 2016.
According to some reports, last year the Ministry of Defense planned to send 120 BTR-80 vehicles for modernization and receive equipment of the BTR-82AM type instead. The order for 2015 was supposed to be 134 vehicles. About 60 armored personnel carriers of the new type are to enter the troops next year.
To date, the BTR-82AM armored personnel carriers are in service with a large number of units of the ground forces. One of the machines of this type, operated in the Southern Military District, on October 5 and 6, was in the pavilion of the exhibition complex "Vertol Expo" and was an exhibit at the "Day of Innovation of the Southern Military District" exhibition. We present a photo review of a promising armored personnel carrier.
External differences between the BTR-82AM and the BTR-80 are minimal.
Driver's hatch and sighting devices
Command hatch with searchlight
Driving an armored vehicle is facilitated by rear-view mirrors and lighting equipment
The front part of the port side
Aft hull. Access hatches to the auxiliary power unit / center are visible on the left]
[center]
Feed machine
The jet propulsion unit has not changed
An entrenching tool is carried on the starboard side
Mufflers are provided with mounts for air supply pipes used when driving on water
BTR-82AM retained the double side doors of its predecessor
The upper part of the door is equipped with an embrasure for firing from personal weapons
View of the management department
View from the left door forward. The shooter's workplace and its protective cover are visible
View from the right door forward. The turret units of the combat module are visible
The back of the right half of the troop compartment
The troop compartment is equipped with observation devices in the sides
There are also embrasures along the entire perimeter of the habitable volume.
Tower with 2A72 cannon and PKTM machine gun
Active module tower
Module feed
PKTM machine gun in an armored casing
Optoelectronic system of the combat module
