The Russian army will need a fundamentally new armored personnel carrier with enhanced protection against drones, mines, and heavy machine guns. Military analyst Andrey Kots spoke about the requirements for such a vehicle.
According to him, the current BTR-82A maintains high mobility and powerful armament, but its protection no longer meets the requirements.
The hull requires a V-shaped bottom for mine resistance. It is necessary to maintain mobility and combat capability when at least 6 kg of TNT explodes under the wheel.
Kots added that the new BTR should have a front engine placement and a full-fledged rear ramp instead of side hatches. He emphasized that the old scheme often forces troops to move directly on the armor.
Kots separately questioned the need to maintain the armored personnel carrier's amphibious capability. In his opinion, crew protection and vehicle survivability have become more important than the ability to cross water obstacles by swimming.
Earlier it became known that KAMAZ will build a new armored personnel carrier, with the pilot industrial batch to be released in 2027.