Armored Mystery from Arzamas, or Vanity around the BTR-82AM
Approximately a month before the last reports - in the twenties of September - a small note appeared on the official website of the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant about the festivities dedicated to the fortieth anniversary of the company's foundation. The holiday was held at several venues, including in one of the workshops of AMZ, where artists of the factory initiative and ensemble of the Volga Command of the Internal Troops performed. During this concert, the press photographer of the AMZ official website took a snapshot, which aroused increased interest on the part of specialists and amateurs of military equipment. On it, several employees of the plant are watching the performances of artists, sitting and standing on a certain armored vehicle. According to the general outlines of the corps, an armored personnel carrier of the BTR-80 family was recognized in it, but its tower and armament attracted particular attention.
Very quickly, the assumption appeared that this is the modernization of the BTR-82А armored personnel carrier, which had been rumored earlier. Later, after the publication of information on the ordering of repairs, the armored vehicle from the AMZ workshop was sometimes called BTR-82AM, although there was no official information about the armored personnel carrier that served as a spectator platform. In addition, there is every reason to consider an armored personnel carrier from the workshop of the Arzamas plant just a little modified BTR-82А, which differs from the original version of this modification by the presence of a perforated gun cover. As for the rest, the car seen at the factory, as far as it can be argued, is similar to those captured in the photographs of the BTR-82A, which are available on the same AMZ website. The towers of both designs have a number of identical characteristics, which serves as proof of identity.
Another question caused weapons "Lit" cars. On the existing photos of the BTR-82A it is clearly visible that it is equipped with an automatic 2A72 cannon of 30 caliber of millimeters. This gun is not difficult to recognize by the characteristic casing of the barrel in its breech part and by two annular bulges: at the muzzle and in the middle of the barrel. In the photograph from the workshop, the front "ring" is noticeable, located near the barrel. At the same time through the holes of the perforation can be viewed plate fins. Obviously, the gun of this armored personnel carrier has additional means of air cooling. Such a nuance attracts attention and makes you wonder: what kind of gun is installed on the "shop" armored personnel carrier? The most likely version of the origin of the fins of the barrel is a kind of modernization, carried out by the developers of the gun and not publicized at the time. There is information regarding the two-plane stabilization of the BTR-82 weapons. In addition, a rifle-caliber machine gun paired with a gun is mounted on a combat module in a separate casing.
The remaining measures of refinement of the BTR-80 to the state of the BTR-82A are sufficiently known and do not cause any special questions. So, instead of the native engine power 260 hp BTR-82A has a 300-strong diesel, which increases the speed and maneuverability. Slightly modified chassis. For the first time in the practice of building domestic armored personnel carriers, the BTR-82А has a number of design features necessary to protect against mines and shelling from small arms. To this end, the bottom of the car received a new two-tier design that absorbs the energy of an explosion, and all the internal parts of the armored hull are covered with a special anti-splinter backlash that delays the fragments of armor that come out when hit by some projectiles and protects themselves from bullets or projectiles. According to various estimates, the survivability of the BTR-82А is approximately 20% higher than that of the base BTR-80.
It is possible that upgrading to the state of the BTR-82AM implies minor changes in weapons, namely the installation of a protective casing, but the basis for the update is likely to be a significant change in the composition of electronic equipment. There is information about the imminent launch of the launch of the Agat-MDT sighting and observation system, through which the crew of the armored personnel carrier can detect and destroy targets in all weather conditions, including at night. Agat-MDT has optical and thermal imaging observation channels, as well as a laser range finder and a ballistic computer. The use of such sighting and observation complex significantly increases the combat capabilities of the armored personnel carrier. However, due to the lack of official data on the modification of the BTR-82AM, it is impossible to say for sure about the presence of Agata-MDT on it.
In general, the BTR-82AM project, as opposed to just “82”, still remains a kind of secret vehicle, the appearance of which was not announced. All versions are based solely on fragmentary information and just one photo from the workshop of the Arzamas engineering plant. So the characteristics, equipment and armament of the armored personnel carrier BTR-82AM will be in dispute in the near future. Only the publication of official data will shed light on the appearance of the mysterious armored personnel carrier.
On the materials of the sites:
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/
http://amz.ru/
http://rosoboronpostavka.ru/
http://gurkhan.blogspot.ru/
http://militaryparitet.com/
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