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Son Of PT-76 Goes To Iraq
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June 16, 2012: Iraq is buying 500 MT-LB amphibious armored vehicles from Bulgaria. The MT-LB is a 40 year old Russian design, based on the chassis of the even older PT-76 light tank. The MT-LB weighs 12 tons and has thin armor (3-14mm). This gives some protection against 7.62mm bullets and shell fragments. Top speed on roads is 61 kilometers an hour and six kilometers an hour in the water. Armament consists of a 7.62mm machine-gun in a small turret. The crew of two drives the vehicle and operates the machine-gun. The vehicle can carry 11 passengers or two tons of cargo. Iraq is paying $192,000 each for these vehicles, which will probably be used in marchland and along rivers. Over 11,000 MT-LBs were built in Russia, Poland, and Bulgaria, most of them before the Cold War ended in 1991.

 

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HeavyD    Rock On   6/16/2012 3:40:45 PM
$200k?  What a steal.  The MArines oughtta but a few battalions worth.
 
They could improve protection without compromising flotation by installing foam-filled slat armor on the sides - still a deathtrap vs IEDs tho..
 
There is a need for an amphibious APC, especially something with a light enough footprint to deal with marshlands (oh the ecological horror though!).  Bonus points for having enough speed in the water to deal with currents for rivertine ops.
 
IN FACT:  the difficulty for insurgents to plant IEDs in the water, plus the lower profile may make patrolling in the water rather desirable when possible, with the ability to egress water and go overland.
 
 
 
 
 
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