According to the First Deputy Chief General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces, Mr. Igor Korol
Belarus is about to receive the second BRT-82A armored personnel carrier battalion from Russia
“We have received one battalion set of BTR-82As in late September, which operates in the 120th mechanized brigade"
"The second battalion set of these state-of-the-art vehicles will reach Belarus within a month. It will go to the 6th mechanized brigade,” said Igor Korol
Accordingly, in addition to receiving more advanced armored vehicles BTR-82A
the Belarusian Army will also receive more multi-purpose combat helicopters from Russia in 2022
It is known that the first batch of BTR-82A armored personnel carriers was delivered to the Belarusian Armed Forces at the end of September
In addition, many other advanced weapons were also transferred by Russia to the Azerbaijan Army and the Kazakh Army
About these BTR-82A, it is considered one of the most modern armored personnel carriers in the world serving in the Russian Army today
This is the most modern and latest version developed on the basis of the previous BTR-80 multi-purpose military vehicle
BTR-82A was commissioned by Russia in 2014 and has been operating up to now
In terms of design, the BTR-82A is designed based on the chassis of the predecessor BTR-80A
with a length of 7.65m, a width of 2.9m and a height of 2.8m
With a relatively massive overall weight, reaching 15.4 tons
BTR-82A is widely applied with improved armour, spall liners, more modern night vision device TKN-4GA
GLONASS navigation system and a more powerful engine of 300 hp
These giving BTR-82A superior bulletproof ability, better resistance to different types of explosive devices than the old version
BTR-82A can resist 12.7 - 14.5mm bullets, much better than BTR-80 which can only resist 7.62mm bullets
This new version is also modernized in terms of armament
It is equipped with a 30mm caliber 2A72 automatic cannon with a maximum combat radius of 2km, and coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun
The 2A72 is a very powerful weapon that can destroy other armored vehicles, even low-altitude helicopters and ground fortifications
With a high angle of fire, this cannon is extremely suitable for the vehicle when fighting in mountainous terrain
ensuring firepower for self-defense and combat
Compared with previous versions, the BTR-82A also has many upgrades, especially the electronic system
providing the most optimal ability when operating
Interior of this armored vehicle is lined with spall liner
This APC has a double hull floor for improved protection against landmines and improvised explosive devices
However design of this vehicle is old and it do not offers the same blast protection as modern Western armored personnel carrier
This APC has a crew of three and accommodates 7 fully equipped troops
Each infantryman is provided with firing port and periscope for aiming
Troops can fire their weapons from inside the armored hull
A rear-mounted engine of the BTR-82 is a significant drawback, as ambushed troops have to leave the vehicle via side doors, under direct enemy fire
The vehicle is equipped with a new KamAZ turbocharged diesel engine, developing 300 hp
Vehicle also has auxiliary power unit, which powers all systems and charges the batteries, when the main engine is turned off
This armored personnel carrier also has an improved suspension, and is fitted with a central tyre inflation system and self-recovery winch as standard
BTR-82A is fully amphibious. On water it is propelled by a single waterjet, located at the hull rear
The vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 100km/h, and a range of 600km
It can be said that with new weapons, Belarus has a strong military foundation, bringing the country's military strength to a new level