GAZ BTR means the eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (BTR, bronetransportyor) tied to the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ): the Soviet BTR-60, built at GAZ from 1960, and the BTR-90 (GAZ-5923), shown in 1994. This page covers both vehicles: the key figures, the history, the variants and answers to common questions.
GAZ BTR at a glance
| BTR-60 (GAZ-49) | BTR-90 (GAZ-5923) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | 8×8 amphibious armoured personnel carrier | 8×8 amphibious armoured personnel carrier |
| Development | 1956–1959, adopted in 1959 | designed in 1993, first shown in 1994 |
| Production | 1960–1976 at GAZ, then at Kurgan until 1987 | limited numbers |
| Units built | 10,000–25,000 depending on the source | limited numbers for the National Guard of Russia |
| Engine | two GAZ-49B six-cylinder petrol engines, 90 hp each | turbocharged multi-fuel diesel, 510 hp |
| Power | 180 hp combined | 510 hp |
| Weight | 10.2–10.3 tonnes (BTR-60PA and PA-1) | not stated in our sources |
| Armament | 7.62 mm machine gun (BTR-60P); 14.5 mm and 7.62 mm in the BPU-1 turret (BTR-60PB) | 30 mm 2A42 gun, 7.62 mm PKT, Konkurs missiles, AGS-17D grenade launcher |
| Top speed | not stated in our sources | 100 km/h on the road, 9 km/h afloat |
Sources differ on who developed the BTR-90: Russian Wikipedia says the Gorky Automobile Plant, English Wikipedia says the Arzamas Machine Building Plant. The BTR-60 figures are for the versions named in the table.
History of the GAZ BTRs
BTR-60: the first Gorky eight-wheeler
The BTR-60P was developed in 1956–1959 to replace the BTR-152 and was adopted in 1959. It could follow tanks across rough ground and swim. Development of the vehicle, with the factory designation GAZ-49 (BTRP), started in the GAZ design bureau, while another bureau worked on a competing vehicle. Serial production began at GAZ in 1960 and GAZ stayed the only maker until 1976; production then moved to the Kurgan wheeled tractor plant and ended in 1987. The BTR-60 was also built under licence in Romania.
The vehicle has two six-cylinder engines of 90 hp placed side by side at the rear, each driving two axles. That design lets the vehicle keep moving on one engine, but it made maintenance more complicated.
BTR-90: the “Rostok”
The BTR-90, also called “Rostok” and GAZ-5923, is a larger relative of the BTR-80 with a turret from the BMP-2. Development began in the early 1990s and the first prototype was shown in 1994. Russian Wikipedia says state trials ended in 2004 and the vehicle was adopted by the Russian armed forces on 9 June 2008. In 2011 the Ministry of Defence stopped buying it, and English Wikipedia says only limited numbers were built, in service with the National Guard.
Design and features
- BTR-60: 8×8 chassis, amphibious, two petrol engines at the rear, each driving two axles.
- BTR-90 drivetrain: eight-wheel drive, an automatic reversible hydro-mechanical transmission that can give different speeds to each side, independent torsion-bar suspension and power steering on the front four wheels.
- BTR-90 capabilities: the vehicle can swim with two water jets, cross trenches 2.1 m wide and climb 0.8 m vertical steps, and a central tyre pressure system lets it move even if four wheels are destroyed.
- BTR-90 protection: better armour than the BTR-80, giving protection from 14.5 mm projectiles over the frontal arc.
BTR variants
- BTR-60P (1959): the first version, with the troop compartment open at the top.
- BTR-60PA (1963) and BTR-60PA-1 (1965): with an armoured roof and later an improved power plant.
- BTR-60PB: the version with the BPU-1 turret with a 14.5 mm and a 7.62 mm machine gun.
- BTR-90 “Rostok”: with a 30 mm cannon, a coaxial machine gun, an anti-tank missile system and a grenade launcher.
- BTR-90 “Berezhok” and BTR-90M: versions with other combat modules (Russian Wikipedia).
Other armoured and military vehicles of Gorky are in our GAZ collection, for example the BRDM-2 and the GAZ-3937 Vodnik.
GAZ BTR questions and answers
What does BTR mean?
BTR is short for bronetransportyor, Russian for “armoured transporter”.
Which BTR did GAZ build?
The BTR-60, from 1960 to 1976. The BTR-90 (GAZ-5923) was developed in the 1990s and shown in 1994.
How many BTR-60 were built?
Russian Wikipedia says from 10,000 to 25,000 depending on the source.
Can the BTR-60 and BTR-90 swim?
Yes, both are amphibious. The BTR-90 swims at up to 9 km/h with two water jets.
Is the BTR-90 in service?
The Russian armed forces adopted it in 2008, but the Ministry of Defence stopped buying it in 2011; limited numbers serve with the National Guard.
Sources
- БТР-60, Russian Wikipedia: development, production, variants
- BTR-60, English Wikipedia: engines, weights, versions
- БТР-90, Russian Wikipedia: development, adoption, variants
- BTR-90, English Wikipedia: description, capabilities, engine
