Although somewhat similar in appearance to the Russian BTR-80, the BTR-3 is an entirely new vehicle rather than an update of the existing vehicle
This is a modern line of armored personnel carriers originating from Ukraine, developed in the early 2000s
Currently the BTR-3 is active in a number of militaries around the globe, most notably the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Myanmar
The BTR-3 is designed to be able to perform multiple roles, such as carrying troops, weapons and other supplies to support armed forces on the battlefield
It can be used as a reconnaissance, combat support and patrol vehicle
The hull of the BTR-3 is designed with all-welded steel armour
which provides maximum ballistic protection to troops against small-calibre automatic weapons
The body of the vehicle is lined with Kevlar liner for better protection
Basically, the design of the BTR-3 is quite similar to the previous Soviet-era BTR wheeled vehicles
with a weight of about 16.4 tons, a length of 7.65 m, a width of 2.9 m, and a height of 2.8 m
The crew of 3 includes commander, gunner and driver.
The passenger compartment can accommodate 6 soldiers
The armor provides protection against small arms fire and artillery shell splinters
It is fitted with NBC protection and automatic fire suppression systems
The BTR-3 has greater internal volume, more powerful and fuel efficient engine, and many other improvements over the BTR family
It was powered by a Deutz AG engine, with 326 hp
The maximum speed is 85 km/h, the range is 600 km
This APC is fitted with a central tyre pressure system, that allows to adjust the tyre pressure to suit terrain conditions
Also it is fitted with run-flat tyres
The BTR-3 is fully amphibious. On water it is propelled by a single waterjet
The troop compartment accommodates six soldiers who enter and leave the vehicle by a door in either side of the hull
The lower part of the door folds downward to form a step, with the upper part opening forwards
There are also hatches in the roof and firing ports with associated vision devices provided in the sides and front of the vehicle
An air conditioning system is fitted as standard to ensure crew comfort in hot conditions
Variants of the BTR-3 include: BTR-3U "Hunter", BTR-3E, BTR-3DA, and BTR-3KSH
The BTR-3U is fitted with the one-person KBA-105 "Shkval" unified fighting module which can accommodate 30mm gun
.62mm coaxial machine gun, 30mm automatic grenade launcher and anti-tank guided weapons
This module design is versatile, but can also with another turret
The sighting systems include a commander's 1PZ-3 observation periscope
and a TKN-4S Agat stabilised sight which is integrated with the missile fire control system
BTR-3DA is an upgraded version purchased by the Ukrainian armed forces in 2017
BTR-3DA is BM-3M Shturm-M weapon station armed with ZTM-1 30mm autocannon, KT-7,62 machine gun, KBA-117 30mm grenade launcher
BTR-3KSH is a version of command and control vehicle
By far, the largest foreign operator of the BTR-3 is Myanmar, with a contract around 1,000 vehicles
Other operators include UAE, Azerbaijan, Chad, Ecuador, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Thailand