The MT-LB is a far outdated armoured vehicle with no brilliantly glorious combat carrier.
Its combat capability and ballistic protection are insufficient against modern threats. So,
why it is still indispensable? Now, we are investigating the MT-LB, our time's one
of the most confusing armoured vehicles. Please don't forget to subscribe to our channel
before we start, and give us a thumbs up if you like our video. To be notified of our new video,
please click the bell button. Also, you can now click the join button to support our channel.
And as always, we would greatly appreciate all the likes, comments, and shares.
The MT-LB is a tracked armoured vehicle that hard to be described. It takes its name from
the initials of "Mnogotselevoy tyagach legky bronirovanny", which means "multi-purpose towing
vehicle light armoured". Many assume that it is the counterpart of the M113 in the Eastern block.
Yet, the MT-LB is not an armoured personnel carrier but an artillery tractor, as its name
refers. This nearly 60-years old beast is not clearly a warhorse, but what about a workhorse or
a mule? In some way, the MT-LB has a unique place between these last two. To better understand the
creation of this vehicle, let's briefly look at the history of the tracked artillery tractors.
The continuous track design, patented in 1905 by the British Hornsby agricultural company,
paved the way for new opportunities for armies to also operate on rough,
frozen and wet terrains efficiently. So, the British Army tested the new technology
several times to create a tracked artillery tractor between 1905 and 1910, but not adopted.
So, Hornsby sold its patents to the US Holt company.
Then the First World War broke out. And the British Army began to acquire
the first operational tracked artillery tractors from Holt.
Yet it took a long time for these vehicles to replace horses for the job.
In the 1930s, many countries began to invest in tracked artillery tractors
due to the mechanization of their armies. One of them was the USSR. The reorganized
Red Army now had the anti-tank guns and battalion artillery. So, it began to
need a tracked artillery tractor, which could tow these weapons while following the tanks.
The answer to this requirement, the T-20 Komsomolets, became operational in 1937. But, it
was armoured, which made the vehicle too weighty to tow heavy artillery, and it was too expensive.
So, the USSR also started the production of the unarmoured STZ-5 in 1937.
These two vehicles performed their duties during the Second World War.
But, when Germany surrendered in 1945, the USSR was still using horses to tow
some of its artillery pieces. To complete its mechanization,
the Soviet Army began to operate the unarmored AT-Ls in 1947 and the armoured AT-Ps in 1951. But,
the last one was too small with an insufficient towing capacity. Thus, in the late 1950s,
the Soviet Army demanded the development of a new tracked artillery tractor to replace the AT-Ps.
The works began in 1962. The MT-L was created based on the PT-76 amphibious
light tank chassis to meet the requirement.
Its armoured variant was the MT-LB. After trials in 1964, the serial production started in 1966.
The actual producer was the Soviet Kharkiv Tractor Plant, which is now a Ukrainian company.
After the USSR collapsed, the Russian Muromteplovoz OJSC and Uralvagonzavod companies
have also continued the production, modernization and overhaul efforts for the MT-LB in Russia.
Besides, Bulgaria and Poland have produced the vehicle under license.
The total production of the MT-LB is over 55,000 pieces.
The driver sits on the front left side of the hull, while the commander is on the right.
They have large windows, which provide a wide viewing angle. These windows are covered by
armoured plates during the action. And the driver begins to use the three periscopes on the top.
The commander has two pericopes. There are also observation blocks on the sides.
Up to 11 infantry or up to 2,000 kilograms of cargo can be carried in the rear compartment,
which has two hatches over the top, two doors at the rear, and four firing ports.
The vehicle can tow a load of 6,500 kilograms.
The small turret at the front housed a 7.62mm PKT machine gun with a 360-degree manual traverse
and an elevation of −5 to +30 degrees. It is controlled by the commander.
Besides, many users of the MT-LB use the vehicle as a personnel carrier or even
infantry fighting vehicle, so they have fitted the different weapon systems on the vehicle.
For example, on some Ukrainian MT-LBs, there is a 12.7mm DShK machine gun inside an armoured cupola.
Also, we can see the various types of manned or unmanned turrets with different automatic guns,
machine guns, grenade launchers, and anti-tank missile systems on the vehicle.
One of the well known them is the Ukrainian MT-LBMSh with the Shkval combat module.
This variant produced for Myanmar has one 30mm ZTM-1 main gun, one coaxial 7.62mm KT-7.62 machine
gun and two Barrier anti-tank guided missiles. Also, the MT-LBM 6MB version of the Russian Army
is fitted with a remote-controlled weapon station with a 30mm gun.
We should add that the Swedish variant called Pbv 401 had one locally-built 7.62mm MAG machine
gun instead of the PKT. They came from the East-German surplus and are now all retired.
The 14.5mm ZPU, 23mm ZU-23-2 and 30mm M1980 anti-aircraft guns are also mounted on the MT-LB.
Yet, they are generally used for ground fire support missions, rather than air defence.
Besides, many MT-LB uses have placed different calibre multiple
launcher rocket systems on the vehicle. The welded steel hull with a thickness
of 3 to 10 millimetres is resistant against small arms and shell splinters.
The fuel tanks are located in the crew compartment. It is a
factor that reduces survivability. It is seen in many combats that some
MT-LB users have fitted armour plates to the vehicle to increase ballistic protection.
The use of sandboxes is another common practice. The MT-LB has CBRN defence capability.
The Soviet engineers preferred the YaMZ-238 diesel engine in the MT-LB, also used in the
KrAZ-255 6x6 truck. It is positioned right behind the crew on the middle left side of the vehicle.
The MT-LBM1 variant has a new 300 horsepower engine.
During water crossing, the hull of the MT-LB is almost completely submerged. So, it requires
special preparation, and the vehicle's amphibious capability is limited in the calm waters.
The MT-LBV variant is the low-pressure track version,
with 565 millimetres of tracks. It has good mobility on ice and soft ground.
The MT-LB has countless production variants, non-serial prototypes, and locally modified
models. Due to our time limitation, we can briefly mention only a few important ones.
The SNAR-10 Leopard and SNAR-10M Pantera are variants that have ground surveillance radars.
In addition to the USSR, Bulgarian, East Germany, and Poland developed command and control models.
The Polish Armed Forces also uses electronic jamming and intelligence variants of the vehicle.
Bulgaria developed the MT-LB's reconnaissance and artillery forward observer versions.
Besides, there are chemical reconnaissance, recovery, engineering,
and ambulance variants in use. The MT-LB's hull is the carrier
platform of the 9K35 Strela-10, whose NATO reporting name is SA-13 Gopher,
and 9M337 Sosna-R, whose NATO reporting name is SA-X-25, air defence systems.
The 9P149 Shturm-S anti-tank version has a retractable launcher for 9M114 Kokon
anti-tank missiles, whose NATO reporting name is AT-6 Spiral.
The 2S24 carries the 82mm 2B24 or 2B14 Podnos mortars.
The Bulgarian SMM B1.10 Tundzha has the
120mm M-38/43 mortar, while the MM 74 B1.10 Tundzha-Sani has the 120mm 2B11.
The Kazakh Aybat is fitted with a 120mm Soltam mortar.
Ukraine has placed the 82mm 2B9 Vasileks on some of its MT-LBs.
The MT-LBu developed in the late 1960s is the stretched variant of the MT-LB. It has a more
powerful engine, a 400-millimetres higher hull and seven road wheels on each side.
The MT-LBu are generally used for command and control, communication, target location, fire
control centre and electronic intelligence duties. Also, it has mine-laying, long-range chemical
detection, supply, ambulance, infantry fighting, and mortar carrier versions.
The 122mm 2S1 self-propelled howitzer is based on the MT-LBu.
Its 2S34 variant has the 120mm 2A80-1 gun-mortar. The UR-77 Meteorit mine-clearing system
has a rocket-launched explosive hose. Bulgaria developed the BMP-23 armoured
infantry fighting vehicle based on the 2S1 hull. It has a 23mm 2A14 gun, a 7.62mm PKT machine gun
and 9K111 Fagot anti-tank missiles, whose NATO reporting name is AT-4 Spigot. The
BMP-30 is the modified BMP-23 version with the turret taken directly from the BMP-2.
The Opal is the further developed Polish MT-LB variant. It has a reworked nose section and
propellers for better amphibious capability. The vehicle is fitted with a new powered turret,
which houses a 12.7mm NSVT machine gun. Its stretched Opal-II version has seven
road wheels on each side and the 300 horsepower SW680T engine.
The WPT Mors and WPT Mors-II armoured recovery and repair, TRI Hors engineering reconnaissance, TRI-D
Durian mine-clearing, and ISM Kroton mine-laying vehicles are the sub-variants of the Opal.
Today over 25 countries use the MT-LB and its variants.
The MT-LB's two-person crew consists of a commander/gunner and driver. The vehicle,
which can also carry eleven infantry, has a length of 6.45 metres, a width of 2.86 metres,
and a height of 1.87 metres. Its combat weight is 11.9 tons. The 240 horsepower YaMZ 238 diesel
engine provides a road speed of 60 kilometres per hour. Its range is 500 kilometres. The
MT-LB can negotiate 0.61-metre vertical steps and 2.41-metre trenches. It is amphibious with
a water speed of 4.5 kilometres per hour. The MT-LB has one 7.62mm PKT machine gun.
In a possible Third World War, NATO would destroy the road networks of the Warsaw Pact.
So, the MT-LBs, which was essentially a tracked truck,
would have towed the artillery pieces and carried supplies and soldiers over the rough terrain.
Still, the vehicle gained its first combat experience in Afghanistan, not in Europe.
In the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Soviet Army quickly realized that the BTRs,
BMPs and BMDs were not suitable for the country's southern deserts.
These vehicles were bogging down in sandy terrain. So,
they could not pursue the Mujahideen, as they leave the area immediately after an ambush.
But, the MT-LBV variant with wider tracks had a low ground pressure and excellent soft-ground
mobility. These vehicles were perfect for convoy escort missions in this region. They were also
highly suitable for fighting in the mountains. But, Its 7,62mm machine gun with a low elevation
angle was inadequate for combats in the mountainous terrain of this country.
So, the USSR introduced the MT-LBVM, which had a 12.7mm NSVT machine gun with a +70
degree elevation angle. It was the first dedicated armoured personnel carrier variant of the MT-LB.
Still, the vehicle had weak protection, which caused significant casualties.
Nevertheless, the MT-LB also miraculously survived in some cases. According to some Russian sources,
an MT-LB hit by a bunch of grenades in its gearbox managed to pull a wrecked infantry fighting
vehicle out of the combat zone under fire. Some Soviet MT-LBs were fitted with the 82mm
2B9 Vasilek mortars. These mortars had direct fire capability, and they could even be fired
on the move. The Vasilek was a priceless fire support weapon in the convoy escort mission.
Like in Afghanistan, the MT-LB became one of the most helpful weapon systems
of the Russian Army, in both Chechen Wars. But this time, they were also fitted with
SPG-9 recoilless guns and ASG-17 automatic grenade launchers for higher firepower.
Today, they are fighting in Ukraine. Due to their weak ballistic protection, the MT-LBs
of both sides are suffering heavy losses. The MT-LB was not intended for personnel
carrier and infantry fighting roles. As mentioned before, it is not the counterpart of the M113.
Its most likely Western equal is the Swedish Bv-206S.
Still, thanks to its design that can easily be modified, the MT-LB has been fitted with
various weapon types and fought where others could not. Yes, it does not have a brilliant
combat career. But, it is unfair to expect the performance of a warhorse from a mule, especially
if it is a more successful warrior than the other mules. Undoubtedly, the MT-LB is a true legend.
Thanks for watching our video. And please don't forget to subscribe to our channel and click
the bell button to be notified of our new videos. Also, you can now click the join button to support
our channel. And as always, we would greatly appreciate all the likes, comments, and shares.