Does anybody know if the BTR-90 is massproduced? I thought there were only about 5-8 prototypes of which at least one is serving in Chechniya. However today I read the news from way back from October '03 at Armor.Kiev.Ua and it said the first batch of BTR-90's was produced at the AMZ in Russia. Does anybody know anything about this?

Hiya Paal,

from what I understand, BTR-90 production was very small and aimed at the export market (like most new russian designs these days, eh?).

The Red Army may have taken ownership of some for "field tests" in Chechnya, but I am not sure that they will be buying many, if any.

Details are fairly sparse on this too...

Thanks Jacques, that's what I thought. What a shame - it's such a great vehicle.

By the way, I really like the look of your site.

Hey Paul,

thanks for the complement on the site.

I have heard that the manufacturer's in Russia will produce vehicles at minimal pace and just park the vehicles in a lot, waiting for them to be sold...and have them just sit. Maybe the Red Army is loaning them? :-)

This is all I could find on this vehicle, nothing on users if any.


BTR-90
Armoured Personnel Carrier





BTR-90 Armoured Personnel Carrier
The BTR-90 Armoured Personnel Carrier is a 21st century combat vehicle possessing high mobility, enhanced firepower and survivability due to innovations, implemented in design and armament.

The BTR-90 APC outperforms significantly both well-known Russian APCs and up-to-date foreign-made APCs, due to its superior technical characteristics, enhanced fire power, mobility, and survivability.

Both mechanised infantry and marines can employ this vehicle for fire support, personnel transportation, surveillance, reconnaissance, and patrolling tasks.

A wide variety of highly mobile vehicles with sufficient armour protection for combat, command, control, communication, technical and medical support missions can be developed on the basis of the BTR-90 chassis.


Design Features



The BTR-90 APC has a closed hull made of welded armoured steel plates.

The hull layout is developed on the basis of the combat experience in various regions of the world and expertise assessments.

The power plant is located in the aft, combat compartment - in the front, assault team compartment - in the middle of the body. This provides the most adventurous distribution of payload on the tires and favourable conditions for aimed employment of the APC’s organic armament and assault team’s weapons on the move, as well as concentration of fire of all weapons in front hemisphere.

The commander and gunner are accommodated in the turret, and the driver and seven troopers - in the middle part of the vehicle. The commander is able to carry out all-round surveillance, target designation and, if necessary, take control over organic weapons.

The members of the crew and assault team can use top hatches of the turret and the hull, as well as middle side doors for dismounting/boarding, even on the move.


Firepower



Firepower
The organic weapon set is located in the rotating turret and stabilised in two planes. It comprises the 30-mm 2A42 automatic gun, 7.62-mm PKT coaxial machine-gun, and 30-mm AG-17 grenade launcher. The launcher of an up-to-date anti-tank guided missile system is installed on the turret to engage heavy armoured tank-type targets. A detachable launching unit allows launching anti-tank missiles from the ground also.



Stabilised organic weaponry is capable of engaging targets on the move, while a fire control system ensures round-the-clock aimed shooting capability. The fire control system comprises the BPKZ-42 gunner’s combined day/night sight and 1P-13 commander’s optical sight. At customer’s request, the BPK-M gunner’s sight with a thermal imaging module produced by the SAT Company, France, can be installed.

While employing organic weaponry set to render fire support for the mechanised infantry unit, the crew is capable of engaging lightly armoured targets at the distance of up to 2,500 m, helicopters and fortified installations – at 2,000 … 2,500 m, manpower located in the open, on reverse hill slopes and in trenches– at 4,000 m, as well as small –size targets, i.e. ATGMS and anti-tank artillery crews.

The APC’s firepower is supplemented by assault rifles and light machine-gun of the assault team. Moreover, troopers have the “Igla” or “Strela” man-portable air defence system at their disposal. The assault team is capable to fire its weapons through the side portholes of the hull, open hatches, or from the ground while being dismounted.


Mobility


The propulsion set with a powerful multi-fuel engine and hydro-mechanical transmission, 8x8 formula employed, independent torsion-bar wheel suspension unit with significant stroke of power-consuming telescopic hydro-absorbers, high road clearance, combat-endurable tires and tire pressure control system – all these features ensure high maximum speed of up to 100 km/h, average speed of more than 50 km/h, and high cross-country ability comparable to that of tracked vehicles.

The hydro-volume gear for manoeuvring in space-limited area provides reduction of turning radius down to 6 m, while implementing four-front-wheel turn.

The BTR-90 APC negotiates easily 2.1m trenches, 30% slopes, and 0.8m vertical walls. It is also capable of negotiating water barriers afloat at a speed of 9 km/h straight off without preparation.

The BTR-90 APC can be redeployed by truck/rail/water/air transportation means. It is also capable of landing from assault amphibious ships and entering into them from the water.

Due to combat-endurable tires, the mobility is retained even after explosions of anti-personnel mines under the wheels or small arms shots.


Survivability


The front armour provides reliable protection against small-calibre automatic guns, while side armour protects against large-calibre machine-gun fire and artillery round fragments. Additional armour can be installed to enhance protective capability.

The BTR-90 APC is equipped with collective NBC protection facilities, automatic fire fighting system, and a system for remote laying of smoke screen. Duplicated electrical and compressed air engine start systems ensure high combat readiness of the vehicle. While the vehicle is damaged being afloat, the incoming water is removed by a drainage facility. Optional air conditioning system and cooling unit ensure sufficient habitability of the vehicle and high combat readiness of the crew.

The onboard information control system (OICS) facilitates effective automatic control over a transmission, an engine and diagnosis of the other main vehicle units.

Communication is maintained by the R-163-50U radio set, R-163UP receiver, and R-174 intercom device.


Basic Characteristics


Configuration 8x8
Combat weight, kg 20,920
Crew, persons 10
Engine multi-fuel Diesel, turbo-charged, liquid-cooled
Turning radius, m:
with front wheels control 14
with hydro-volume gear 6
Clearance, mm 510
Max speed, km/h:
on highway 100
afloat 9
Average cross-country speed, km/h more than 50
Fuel endurance, km 800
Armament:
30-mm 2A42 automatic gun 1
7.62-mm PKT machine-gun 1
30-mm AG-17 grenade launcher 1
ATGMS 1
man-portable AD system 1
Aiming angles, deg:
in elevation -5 ... +75
in azimuth 360
Ammunition load, pcs:
for 2A42 gun 500
for PKT machine-gun 2,000
for AG-17 grenade launcher 400
anti-tank guided missiles 4
air defence missiles 2



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2003 ROSOBORONEXPORT