BTR-80 Armored Personnel Carrier

The BTR-80 (Bronetransporter-80) is a fully amphibious vehicle and shares similar characteristics with both the BTR-60 and BTR-70 series APCs including a filtration and overpressurization system for NBC protection. The BTR-80 is superior to the BTR-60/70 with a larger chassis, high-angle-of-fire turret, and a single more powerful diesel engine (instead of gasoline).

In addition to the similar features between the BTR-60 and BTR-70 series, the BTR-80 has:

A new hatch arrangement between the second and third wheels, the upper half opens to the front and the lower half opens downward to form a ramp. This configuration gives dismounting troops some protection against small arms fire from the front of the vehicle.
Six forward-firing electrically-operated smoke dischargers mounted on the rear of the turret.
A turret-mounted machine gun that can now fire to an elevation of +60° instead of +30° as with the earlier model BTRs (developed for mountain fighting and ADA).
Three redesigned and repositioned round-shaped firing ports on each side of the hull that are angled obliquely to enable the troops to fire forward.
Two upper hatches on the troop compartment each having one firing port for engaging high targets.
Two water jets fitted at the rear of the hull instead of the single water jet of the earlier model BTRs.
Two large, almost horizontal, tubular exhaust pipes to the rear.

VARIANTS

BTR-80: 1984. Original production model. See data above. Options include the Kliver turret with a 30mm gun, 7.62-mm coax MG, thermal sights, superior day sights, and four Kornet ATGM launchers.

BTR-80 makes its way to shore
Combined American-Russian disaster relief exercise
Vladivostok, Russia
21-JUN-1994
U.S. DoD Photos by PH1 Charles W. Alley
1024x715, 238K, JPEG

U.S. Army Photo
900x375, 96K, JPEG
BTR-80A: 1994. IFV with a high-elevation power turret containing a 30mm 2A72 (BMP-3) automatic gun, coax 7.62mm MG, and TNP-3 day/night sights. See data above. The drop-in gun/turret package (Modular Weapon System) is offered for export, to upgrade a wide variety of vehicles to BTR-80A standard.
BTR-80K: Command variant with added R-173, R-173P, and R-159 (portable) radios, R-174 intercom, navigation aids, and a 36 foot (11 m) mast.
BTR-80S: This APC has the same turret as the BTR-80A with a 14.5-mm heavy machine gun instead of the 30mm gun.
BTR-94: Ukrainian version of the BTR-80 with twin 23mm cannon and a PKT 7.62mm machine gun. 50 BTR-94s were originally built for Jordan. These vehicles were donated by the Jordanian government to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in 2004.
1V152: Artillery battalion command vehicle.
2S23: 120mm self-propelled combination gun (howitzer/mortar).
BREM-K: Armored recovery vehicle.
RKhM-4: NBC reconnaissance vehicle.
UNSh: Standardized expanded chassis for current variants, including Kushetka-B ACRV and BMM vehicle series.

Last updated: 18-MAY-2008
Copyright ©2008 Gary W. Cooke
To the best of my knowledge all military data and images presented in these pages are UNCLASSIFIED, NON-SENSITIVE, and approved for public release.

Sources:
IN0534: Vehicle Recognition (Threat Armor), Edition D.
OPFOR Worldwide Equipment Guide, 2001.
ST 100-7: OPFOR Battle Book, 1999.
U.S. DoD Defenselink website.
U.S. Army Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leader Course (RSLC): Vehicle Identification Top 50, 11-OCT-2007.

BTR-80 Armored Personnel Carrier

Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide

NOTES

VARIANTS

BTR-80 Armored Personnel Carrier Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide

NOTES

VARIANTS

BTR-80 Armored Personnel Carrier

Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide