russian propagandists said that tests of a specialized version of the BT-3F tracked armored personnel carrier, adapted to work in Arctic conditions, are currently underway. From the basic version, this vehicle is distinguished by much wider tracks, which, according to the developers, should reduce pressure on the ground. This is all that is known about the new version of this vehicle at the moment.
Other important details, such as, for example, the expected duration of the tests, the planned start of serial production and when deliveries to the troops will be made, russian propagandists have not disclosed yet. This is stated in the publication of the Polish Defense24 portal.
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The authors of the publication say that the BT-3F tracked armored personnel carrier was created on the basis of the BMP-3 IFV, both vehicles have a high level of unification in terms of main units and spare parts.
The first presentation of the BT-3F APC took place back in 2010, but since then this vehicle has remained in the status of an experimental vehicle, or an exhibit for various exhibitions. For example, at the russian propaganda forum "Army-2023" a version of the BT-3F armored personnel carrier with the Kornet ATGM installed on it was demonstrated - apparently, this vehicle did not interest the russian army.
In open sources, data circulates that the russians allegedly sold several dozen BT-3F armored personnel carriers to Indonesia, to equip marine units. However, this data cannot be confirmed with, for example, data from The Military Balance 2023 handbook.
The following data on the tactical and technical characteristics of the russian BT-3F can be found in the public domain: weight: 18.9 tons; capacity: a crew of 2 people + up to 15 troopers; speed: up to 70 km/h on the highway and up to 10 km/h afloat; armament: 12.7 mm Kord machine gun.
It is possible that the russian occupiers already used BT- armored personnel carriers during the full-scale war against Ukraine. For example, in September 2022, Defense Express reported that the russians probably used BT-3F APCs to organize a crossing over the Dnipro River during the battles for Kherson.
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