Russia has tested a new frost-resistant Russian armored personnel carrier BT-3F for units performing tasks in the Arctic. It was created at "Kurganmashzavod" - part of the "High-Precision Complexes" holding of the Rostec State Corporation.
The BT-3F armored personnel carrier will transport motorized infantry and special forces, but it can be transformed into a medical vehicle or a tactical command post. It has an insulated body and an independent heating system that can maintain a positive temperature in the cabin even when the main engine is turned off. The Arctic BT-3F is armed with a 12.7-mm autonomous combat module with an integrated thermal imager and laser rangefinder.
The regular BT-3F, on the basis of which this frost-resistant equipment was created, weighs almost 19 tons. It was created on the basis of the BMP-3F infantry fighting vehicle for the transfer of special forces, marines and coast guard units, both on land and with overcoming water obstacles. The maximum speed afloat is 10 kilometers per hour, on the highway - 70 kilometers per hour. Inside the armored personnel carrier there is a diesel multi-fuel four-stroke liquid-cooled engine, which has a range of up to 600 km.
Inside - conditions for comfortable transfer. The seats are adjustable and have seat belts. The seats of the armored personnel carrier have energy-absorbing properties - they reduce the load on the spine of paratroopers and crew members when detonated by a mine and when driving over rough terrain.
The capacity of the vehicle is 15 paratroopers plus the vehicle commander and driver-mechanic. The original BT-3F is armed with a remotely controlled combat module with a large-caliber machine gun plus two additional machine guns for aimed fire. The sighting system includes a thermal television sight and a laser rangefinder.