BTR-90
In 1994 the Russian Army publicly displayed the BTR-90 [BTR = Bronyetransporter - Armored Transporter]. This vehicle has a slightly larger and higher hull hull than the previous BTR-80, with a pointed nose resembling LAV-25. It is unclear if the BTR-90 will be produced for the Russian Army or for export only. While it has the same turret as the BMP-2 , production vehicles (assuming it is accepted into service) are almost certain to have a different turret
An armored personnel carrier of the new generation- BTR-90, has four types of weapons installed in one and the same section. These are an automatic gun, a machine-gun, a grenade launcher and an anti-tank missile complex. The equipment makes it possible to wage a fight against tanks, artillery pieces, mechanized infantry combat vehicles, helicopters and manpower of the enemy at a distance of over 4 kilometers both from a position and in movement. The high weight-carrying capacity and considerable inner capacity (12 cubic meters) of the eight-wheel BTR-90 allow to transport heavier weapons, such as an anti-tank gun, a 120-millimetre artillery piece and anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles. BTR-90 can move at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour on motorways and over 50 kilometers per hour on highly-broken ground. It can move even if its four wheels have been damaged. Despite a relatively big weight (about 21 tons) BTR-90 can without any preparations move across water obstacles due to two water-jet propellers. The machine can sail at under three-point weather and can easily travel aboard and off a landing ship. BTR-90 is the first of the armored personnel carriers which can be equipped with an automatic control system to carry out an effective control of the transmission and engine and other vitally-important parts of the machine.
Sources and Methods
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/btr-90.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Sunday, September 03, 2000 12:23:18 PM