New armored personnel carrier by Tractor Plants

The Army-2016 Forum displays a prototype of the brand new BT-3F armored personnel carrier built on the base of the BMP-3F infantry fighting vehicle. It was developed by one of the Tractor Plants Group subsidiaries named the Special Task Machine Design Bureau.  

As the Show Observer was told in the parent company, this armored hull tracked amphibious vehicle is capable of carrying three crew-members and up to 14 soldiers. On the top of the vehicle there is the DPB-T remote-controlled weapon station with a 7.62-mm machine gun featured with a television and thermal sight and a laser range finder. Versions with 14.5-mm machine gun or 40-mm grenade launcher weapon stations are also considered for production in future. The BT-3F’s gross combat weight is 18.5 tons and its mobility characteristics are similar to those of the BMP-3. 

The armored personnel carrier contains commercially available parts and assemblies. The Tractor Plants reckon that this will allow the prototype to go through a reduced amount of tests and trials and it could be brought to mass production shortly. So far no tests have been made, the Group reported, and it is yet too soon to talk about the unit being introduced into service.