APC-4
The BTR-4 "Bucephalus" is a family of modern Ukrainian armored personnel carriers. It is the only serial floating wheeled APC that has doors.
The BTR-4 is designed to transport personnel of motorized rifle units and provide fire support in combat. The APC can be the basic vehicle for equipping special quick reaction forces and marines. The APC is capable of conducting combat operations in a variety of environments, including those where the enemy is using weapons of mass destruction. It can perform the assigned missions both by day and at night, in different climatic conditions, on roads with different surfaces and in full off-road conditions. The ambient operating temperature range is from -40 to +55 °C, the same as that of other armored vehicles produced by the USSR, Ukraine and Russia.
History
The development of the armored vehicle was initiated in 2002 by the Kharkiv Machine Building Design Bureau within the framework of the Ladia design and development project.
A demonstration prototype of the armored personnel carrier was first demonstrated at the Aerosvit-XXI exhibition in 2006.
In late November 2008, work began on the production of the first production BTR-4[14].
In February 2009, a version of the BTR-4 equipped with the BM-7 "Parus" combat module was first presented at the IDEX-2009 arms exhibition[15].
Until the end of 2014, 45% of Ukrainian-made parts, 45% of Russian-made parts and 10% of imported parts produced by other foreign countries were used in the production of the BTR-4; in 2015, 35% of imported parts were used in the production of the BTR-4 (with no Russian-made parts used). In 2017, 88% of Ukrainian-made parts and 12% of foreign-made parts were used in the production of the BTR-4.
Design
BTR-4 has three compartments:
front - control compartment
middle - engine-transmission compartment
rear - combat and troop compartments.
This layout enables rapid conversion of the combat and troop compartments without changing the layout of the power pack and transmission to produce a wide range of vehicles.
The payload capacity of the armored vehicle chassis not only makes it possible to create variant versions and families of vehicles, but also to install additional armor protection against automatic small-caliber cannons.
Capacity, people:
Crew: 3 (driver, commander, gunner)
Troops: 7-9 (depending on combat unit)
Additional equipment
In 2014, the National Guard and Armed Forces of Ukraine began installing gridded anti-battery shields on BTR-4 armored personnel carriers
Modifications
BTR-4A - version with Iveco engine and Thunder combat module (ordered by Ukrainian MOD). Can be equipped with turret from BTR-80, BMP-1, BMP-2 or combat modules BAU-23x2, Shkval, BM-3M Shturm. The BMP-3 turret can also be fitted after modification of the turret plate.
BTR-4V, with BM-7 "Sail" combat module, 442 hp German "Deutz" diesel engine and American "Allison" automatic gearbox for the failed contract with Macedonia.
BTR-4E is a modification of the linebacker version with BM-7 "Parus" combat module developed for Iraq.
BTR-4E1 - A modification of the BTR-4E with enhanced protection (by installing a set of hinged armour). A demonstration model was produced in March 2014[19].
BTR-4MV - the first vehicle was produced in January 2013 and presented in February 2013 at the IDEX-2013 exhibition. Compared to the BTR-4E, the following changes have been made to the design: a new hull shape in the nose, which increased the degree of protection in the frontal projection (there are no armored windows and side doors for the commander and the driver mechanic, who land through separate hatches); provision is made for additional protection (including ceramic protection); a ramp is installed in the rear; the Deutz BF6M1015CP (450 hp) engine is installed. Armor protection provides ballistic protection of the third level according to STANAG 4569. The hull armor can withstand a 7.62 × 54 mm bullet at a range of 30 meters, and in the frontal projection the protection corresponds to Level 3+ and withstands a 12.7 × 99 mm bullet at a range of 30 meters.
BTR-4MV1 - version of BTR-4MV with enhanced protection (mounted set of hinged armor, combat module covered by mesh screen). Demonstration specimen first unveiled on October 10, 2017
BTR-4M - a modification for the Indonesian Marines with additional floats, the standard version is equipped with the BM-7 "Sail" combat module with a 30-mm ZTM-1 automatic gun, a 30-mm automatic grenade launcher and a 7.62-mm PKT machine gun, an anti-tank guided missile system "Barrier"
Production
Production of the first production BTR-4 began in late November 2008.
Thirteen enterprises of the Ukroboronprom concern are involved in the production of the BTR-4. In February 2016, the intention was announced to use the production facilities of the Kharkiv Turboatom plant in the production of the BTR-4.
In July 2016, it was announced that Kharkiv machine-building plant FED had mastered the production of LED headlights for the BTR-4E (previously the armored vehicles were fitted with imported, foreign-made headlights).
One of the enterprises necessary for the production of the BTR-4 is located in Crimea, the Feodosiya State Optical Plant. This enterprise produces the Arkan fire control system for all APC combat modules, a differential to the vehicle's axles, the laser irradiation detection system for APCs, and the Linkay automated vectoring system (which also allows the APC to determine the location of the laser irradiation source).
cost
The average cost of the APC-4 under the 2009 contract to deliver 420 armored personnel carriers to Iraq was about $1.1 million per unit.
The average cost of the BTR-4s under a 2012 contract to supply 100 armored personnel carriers to Kazakhstan was $1.5 million per unit
On September 25, 2009, a contract was signed to supply 420 vehicles to Iraq(270 BTR-4s with the Parus combat module, 80 BTR-4K command vehicles, 30 BTR-4KSh command and staff vehicles, 30 BSEM-4K armored medical vehicles and 10 BREM-4 armored recovery vehicles) for a total of $457.5 million, the order was paid by the United States.
The first batch of 26 vehicles passed acceptance in March 2011 (the shipment was delayed due to problems with the guns) and was shipped to Iraq on April 20, 2011.
The second batch of 62 armored vehicles was produced in April 2012 and shipped to Odessa on 12 September 2012 for sea transportation to Iraq.
On February 7, 2013, the Iraqi side signed the act of acceptance of another batch of 40 BTR-4.
On February 28, 2013, a representative of the Security and Defense Commission of the Iraqi parliament, Shivan Mohammed Taha, accused the Ukrainian side of disrupting delivery dates and poor product quality: since the contract was ratified, about 100 vehicles have been delivered instead of the envisaged 420, and the APCs themselves are "very old, the hulls are rusty, the vehicles are unserviceable."
On January 2, 2014, the Iraqi side returned a batch of 42 BTR-4s to Ukraine, explaining this by the presence of cracks in the hulls of the armored personnel carriers.
In the fall, the Iraqi army's APC-4s took part in the battles against ISIS (in particular, on October 24, 2014, in the battles for the city of Jurf Al-Nasr).
The Iraqi military, which received a batch of 88 Ukrainian BTR-4 armored personnel carriers, was able to start only 56 vehicles, but only 34 of them moved from the ground. This was stated in a letter sent to Ukroboronprom by the former head of Ukrspetseksport, A. Kovalenko, dated July 28, 2014.
Kazakhstan - On May 3, 2012, an agreement on the joint production of 100 BTR-4s was announced, but no production was started. On May 21, 2014, it was announced that a test specimen of the BTR-4 was returned to the Ukrainian side to correct deficiencies in the complaint.
Indonesia - delivery of five BTR-4-M armored personnel carriers manufactured at the State Enterprise Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau. Morozov Design Bureau, which is part of Ukroboronprom, took place under a contract signed in 2014 between Spetstekhnoeksport and the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.
Machine evaluation
The design of the BTR-4 and its layout have received mixed reviews among experts. For example, Russian military expert Mikhail Baryatinsky believes that, despite a number of shortcomings and "childhood diseases," the Ukrainian armored personnel carrier offers a good price/quality ratio. Tsyganok says that the first consignment of 26 vehicles for delivery of the BTR-4 to Iraq revealed a number of problems: irregularities with the sensors of the vehicle control system, failures in the fire control system at high ambient temperatures, unstable operation of the transfer case and gearbox, leakage of lubricating oil, etc.. Russian commentator I. Kataev noted that the creation of the BTR-4 was an undeniable step forward compared to the BTR-70, but there remain issues related to the ideological backwardness of the BTR-4 design, its technical crudity and low production quality.
Advantages
Layout suggests safer troop exit; remote-controlled module; compliance with standards
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