BTR-50

{{Infobox Weapon |name=BTR-50 |image= |caption=Israeli-modified ex-Syrian or ex-Egyptian late-production model BTR-50PK APC at the Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel. 2005. |origin= |type=Amphibious Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier |is_vehicle=yes |service=1954 - present |used_by=See Operators. |wars=See Service History. |design_date=1952 |production_date=1954 - 1970 |variants=See Variants |length=7.08 m |width=3.14 m |height=2.03 m |weight=14.5 tonnes |suspension=torsion bar |clearance=370 mm |fuel_capacity=400 l is a Soviet amphibious armored personnel carrier (APC) based on the PT-76 light tank. The BTR-50 is tracked, unlike most in the BTR series, which are wheeled. The BTR-50 shares many similarities with two other APCs, the OT-62 TOPAS and the Type 77. While the OT-62 is an improved copy of the BTR-50 developed jointly by Czechoslovakia and Poland, the Type 77, based on the Type 63 amphibious light tank developed by the People's Republic of China (PRC), is not a copy of the BTR-50.

Description

Like the PT-76, the BTR-50 has a flat, boat-shaped hull. Unlike the PT-76, it has a new superstructure added to the front of the vehicle. The hull of the BTR-50 is made of all-welded steel with the crew compartment in the front, the troop compartment in the center and the engine compartment at the rear. It has the ability to transport up to twenty fully equipped infantrymen who sit on benches which run across the full width of the troop compartment. They mount and dismount the APC by climbing over the sides of the hull. The driver sits in the center of the front of the hull and has three vision blocks and periscopes located at the top of the sloping glacis plate. During night operations the center periscope can be swapped for the TVN-28 night vision device which gves the driver clear vision up to 60 meters. The driver also has a small hatch that opens upwards - while it cannot be used to leave the vehicle, it can be opened in relatively safe areas for extra vision. In combat the hatch is closed and the driver can use a vision block. There is an emergency hatch under the driver's seat. The commander, who sits on the left hand side of the front of the vehicle, has three vision blocks and periscopes in a projecting bay and a cupola with a vision block facing forward. It is located on top of the projecting bay, opens forward and can be locked vertically. The vehicle can operate in temperatures between -40°C and +40°C.

The torsion bar suspension consists of six evenly spaced large rubber-tired road wheels with a drive sprocket at the rear and an idler at the front. The road wheels are hollow to assist its amphibious capabilities. These wheels increase the APC's buoyancy by 30%. There are no track-return rollers. The first and last road wheels have a hydraulic shock absorber, the steel tracks have a single pin and 96 links each when new. There is a small, thin, horizontal skirt over each track. The BTR-50 is powered by a V-6 6-cylinder 4-stroke in line water-cooled diesel engine developing 240 hp (179 kW) at 1800 rpm. This gives it a road speed of 44 km/h with a cruising range of 400 km. The vehicle can negoiate 30° side slopes, ascend 60° gradients, cross 1.1 m high vertical obstacles and 2.8 m wide trenches. The engine has a cooling system and a pre-heater (intended for ignition when the air temperature is −20 °C or below). The APC has a 5 gear manual shaft-type transmission system similar to that in the T-34/85 medium tank. The gearbox has four forward and one reverse gear. The vehicle has a side clutch that enables it to make turns, mechanical transmission and a bandbrake. The vehicle has three fuel tanks, two on the right of the front of the engine compartment and one at the rear. All three fuel tanks carry a total of 400 liters. The vehicle has four mounts for additional external fuel tanks at the rear of the hull. The two mounts on the corners of the hull are for a flat external tank, the two mounts in the center of the rear of the hull are for a drum-type of tank.

Service history

The BTR-50 was developed in 1952 and entered service with the Soviet Army in 1954. It was first shown in public in November 1957.It served in the motorized rifle regiments of tank divisions and mechanized brigades in the Soviet and East German armies. Some vehicles were then re-used by the Israeli Army. Both sides used BTR-50s during the War of Attrition (1968-1970). During Operation "Raviv" (September 8–9, 1969), an amphibious raid across the Suez Canal, three T-54 tanks and six BTR-50s were used to wreak havoc behind Egyptian lines. BTR-50s were again employed by Egypt, Syria and Israel during the Yom Kippur War (1973). During this conflict, BTR-50s, along with T-54s and T-55s, were used by the IDF during the fighting in and around the city of Suez. The Yom Kippur War also witnessed Israel capture additional BTR-50s from the Egyptians and Syrians. BTR-50M - BTR-50PK upgrade built by Morozow. It features improvements in firepower and mobility, both of which can be carried out independently. - 200 BTR-50s and 150 Type 77s. - 130 BTR-50s ordered in 1977 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1978 and 1979 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service). - 92 were ordered in 1975 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1975 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service). - 500 were ordered in 1964 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1965 and 1966 (the vehicles were possibly previously in Soviet service). 100 were upgraded to BTR-50PKM standard. - 31 ordered in 1969 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1969 and 1970. - 270 were ordered in 1966 from the Soviet Union along with 300 BTR-60Ps as a 110$ deal and delivered between 1967 and 1968. 150 BTR-50s are currently in service. - 300 BTR-50s and BTR-60s in service as of 2000, 2002 and 2005. - 36 were ordered in 1969 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1970. 60 were ordered in 1977 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1978 (the vehicles were probably previously in Soviet service). 540 BTR-50s and BTR-60s are currently in service. - 1 BTR-50PU was ordered in 1982 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1982. - - APC withdrawn, 1,000 BTR-50PU, BTR-50PUM, MTP-1 and UR-67 are currently in service. - BTR-50PU - BTR-50PU - 30 were ordered in 1971 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1973 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service). - BTR-50PK based ARVs. - 20 were received as aid from Israel between 1985 and 1986 (the vehicles were previously in Israeli service). - Passed on to successor states. - 400 were received as aid from the Soviet Union between 1969 and 1973 (some of the vehicles were possibly previously in Soviet service). Passed on to the unified Vietnam state. - 100 were ordered in 1972 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1973 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service). - 120 were ordered in 1964 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1965. Passed on to successor states.

References

External links

BTR-50 FAS.org

Armyrecognition.com

Communication system of a formation at the Finnish Defense Forces website

OT-62 / TOPAS at Globalsecurity.org

Category:Amphibious armoured personnel carriers Category:Command vehicles Category:Armoured personnel carriers of the Soviet Union Category:Armoured personnel carriers of Serbia Category:Armoured personnel carriers of the Cold War Category:Cold War Soviet armoured fighting vehicles Category:Tracked armored personnel carriers