D
Land ForcesRussia

BTR-70 (BTR M1978)

8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrierFielded 1972Pending verification
Land ForcesRUS
BTR-70 (BTR M1978)
Photo: RG72 · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fact cardConfidence · Source
System
Type8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier
Date of introduction1972
ProliferationAt least 22 countries
Configuration8x8Med[1]
ManufacturerDedkov Design Bureau in Gorky-ArzamasMed[1]
Crew2Med[1]
Dimensions and weight
Length7.54 m25 ftMed[1]
Width2.8 m9 ftMed[1]
Height2.24 m7 ftMed[1]
Weight11.5 tMed[1]
Automotive performance
Engine2 × ZMZ-4905Med[1]
Engine power120 hpMed[1]
Suspensiontorsion bar with hydraulic shock-absorbersMed[1]
Protection
Armor (turret front)The maximum thickness of the hull is believed to be 10 mm, and the thinnest sections are thought to be 6 mm. This is sufficient to protect against standard 7.62 mm rounds fired at the front of the vehicle from most ranges and against the saMed[1]
NBC Protection SystemYesMed[1]
Smoke Equipment6 x Smoke grenade launchersMed[1]
Armament
Secondary armament1 × turret-mounted 14.5mm KPVT machine gun 1 × coaxial-mounted 7.62mm PKVT machine gunMed[1]
Variants
BTR-70The BTR-70 is the base variant of the family. It is an APC designed to traverse a fire zone with a section of infantry dismounts and provide them with limited fire support from the rear.[1]
BTR-70MBThe BTR-70MB is an upgraded BTR-70 that is in service with an undisclosed country. It is essentially the same as the BTR-70 and designed to perform the same function.[1]
BTR-70MB1The BTR-70MB1 is based on the BTR-70MB with some modifications for Belarusian service, it is intended to replace older APCs such as the BTR-60PB and the BTR-70.[1]
BTR-70VThis variant was also known as the BTR-70 M1986/1 and has a reworked troop compartment that can be used to transport two 30 mm AGS-17 AGLs or stretchers. It can carry a total of 10 infantrymen or eight infantrymen and tw[1]
BTR-70MSThis is a turretless communications vehicle with the MS standing for Mashina Svyazi (signals vehicle). Its status is uncertain.[1]
BTR-70 KShMThis is a command/staff vehicle. The KShM stands for Komandno-Shtabnaya Mashina. It was originally fitted with the R-145BM communications system but it is unclear if this is retained in any vehicles that remain in servic[1]
Summary

The BTR-70 is a Russian-made 8x8 armored vehicle personnel carrier which was shown for the first time to the public in November 1980 during a military parade in Moscow. The vehicle was originally developed during the late 1960s under the industrial designator GAZ-4905.

Draft entry. Values come from the cited public sources and are awaiting editor verification.
CompareJSON
Operators
ArmeniaAzerbaijanBangladeshBosnia and HerzegovinaBelarusGeorgiaKazakhstanKyrgyzstanMexicoNorth MacedoniaMaliMongoliaPakistanRussiaSudanSierra LeoneTajikistanTurkmenistanUkraineUzbekistanZambia
Sources
  1. BTR-70 (BTR M1978) Russian 8x8 Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)
    Published/updated 2026-03-20 · Tier 1 · checked 2026-10-10
Change log
  • 2026-10-10 Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import
  • 2026-10-10 Added photo (CC BY-SA 4.0)