IDEX 2009 :First indigenous APC from Ukraine

One of the vehicles making its first appearance (Outside Display Area) this year at IDEX is the BTR-4 (8x8) armoured personnel carrier (APC) from Ukraine, developed by the famous Kharkov Morozov Building Design Bureau, with production being undertaken by the Malyshev Factory.

The BTR-4 is now entering production for the Ukrainian armed forces, which have ordered an initial batch of 10 vehicles, expected to be completed later this year. This is the first of its type to be developed in Ukraine, since earlier 8x8 vehicles were based on the Russian BTR series, with the powerpack at the rear, which limits the roles the vehicle can undertake. It has commander and driver at the very front, to the rear of which is the compact diesel powerpack. Further to the rear is the troop compartment. Troops are seated either side, facing inwards on seats that are not attached to the floor for higher crew survivability in the event of the vehicle running over a mine.

BTR-4 can be fitted with a wide range of weapon stations. The example being shown at IDEX is equipped with a locally developed turret armed with a 30mm cannon, 7.62mm co-axial machine gun and a bank of two locally developed Barrier anti-tank guided weapons with a maximum range of 5,500m, mounted on the right side of the turret. In appearance, the BTR-4 is very similar to the German Fuchs, but because it is an 8x8 design rather than 6x6, it has greater interior volume.

In addition to the baseline armoured personnel carrier, a wide range of variants have been proposed, including ambulance, command and staff vehicle, mortar carrier and repair and recovery vehicle.

Posted in: Armoured Vehicles,IDEX