{{Infobox Weapon
|name=BTR-60
|image=300px
|caption=BTR-60PB
|origin=Soviet Union
|type=Wheeled Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier
|is_vehicle=yes
|service=1959 - present<ref name="Pancerni 1">[http://www.pancerni.abajt.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=37 "Pancerni 1"]</ref>
|used_by=See Operators
|wars=See Operational history
|designer=V. A. Dedkov
|design_date=1955<ref name="Pancerni 1"/>
|manufacturer=Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ)
|production_date=1959 - 1976<ref name="Pancerni 1"/>
|number=10,250
|variants=See Variants
|crew=2 + 16 passengers (BTR-60P)<ref name="BTR-60 softland">[http://softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/btr60/btr60.html "BTR-60 softland"]</ref> </br> 2 + 14 passengers (BTR-60PA)<ref name="BTR-60 softland"/> </br> 3 + 14 passengers (BTR-60PAI and BTR-60PB and BTR-60PZ)<ref name="BTR-60 softland"/>
|length=7.56 m<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide">[http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/cv/inf/BTR-60.html "Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"]</ref>
|width=2.825 m<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"/>
|height=2.06 m </br> 2.31 m (BTR-60PAI, BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ)<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"/>
|weight=10.1 tonnes (BTR-60P) </br> 11.1 tonnes (BTR-60PA)<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"/> </br> 11.4 tonnes (BTR-60PB)<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"/>
|armour=Welded steel<ref name="Pancerni 1"/> </br> Frontal armour can withstand 7.62 mm bullets (BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ)<ref name="Pancerni 1"/> </br> The rest of armour protection can withstand 7.62 mm bullets from 100 m (BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ) <ref name="Pancerni 1"/> </br> 7 mm hull upper front </br> 9 mm hull lower front </br> 7 mm hull sides <br>5 mm hull upper rear </br> 7 mm hull lower rear <br> 5 mm hull bottom <br> 7 mm hull roof (BTR-60PA, BTR-60PAU, BTR-60PAI, BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ) <br> 7 mm turret (BTR-60PAI, BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ)
|primary_armament=7.62 mm DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun (500 rounds) (BTR-60PA) </br> 14.5mm KPV heavy machine gun (500 rounds) (BTR-60PAI, BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ) </br> GSh-30-1 30x164mm automatic cannon
|secondary_armament=2 x 7.62 mm PKT, SGMB or PKB light machine guns (BTR-60P and BTR-60PA) (3,000 rounds) (optional) </br> 7.62 mm PKT light coaxial machine gun (3,000 rounds) (BTR-60PAI, BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ)
|engine=2×6-cyl. gasoline GAZ-49 (BTR-60P, BTR-60PU, BTR-60PA, BTR-60PAU and BTR-60PAI) </br> 2×6-cyl. gasoline GAZ-49B (BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ)
|engine_power=94 hp (70 kW) each (BTR-60P, BTR-60PU, BTR-60PA, BTR-60PAU and BTR-60PAI) </br> 115 hp (86 kW) each (BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ)
|suspension=wheeled 8×8
|clearance=475 mm<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"/>
|fuel_capacity=290 l<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"/>
|speed=80 km/h on road<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"/> </br> 10 km/h on water<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"/>
|pw_ratio=18.6 hp/tonne (13.9 kW/tonne) for BTR-60P and BTR-60PU </br> 16.9 hp/tonne (12.6 kW/tonne) for BTR-60PA, BTR-60PAU and BTR-60PAI </br> 20.2 hp/tonne (15.1 kW/tonne) for BTR-60PB, BTR-60PBK and BTR-60PZ
|vehicle_range=500 km<ref name="Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"/>
}}

The '''BTR-60''' is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers. It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for BTR-152 and was seen first time in public in 1961. BTR stands for ''Bronetransportyor'' (БТР, Бронетранспортер, literally "armoured transporter").  [http://www.milparade.com/Soderzhaniye.pdf].

The welded steel boat-shaped hull provides protection against small arms fire and shrapnel.

== History ==

The truck-based BTR-152, developed after the Second World War, had given the Soviet army useful experience of wheeled armoured personnel carriers. Between 1956 and 1957 a decision was made to convert all rifle and mechanized divisions into new motor rifle divisions, a requirement for a new vehicle was drawn up.

Development proceeded along two paths, a more expensive vehicle, that would eventually become the BMP-1 for tank divisions and a cheaper vehicle for use in motor rifle divisions. Two design bureaus were given the requirements, GAZ led by V. A. Dedkov, and ZiL led by Rodionov and Orlov. 
GAZ had already developed an 8 wheeled vehicle, the izdeliye 62B, this was used as the basis for the new izdeliye 49. The GAZ-49 petrol engine that had been used on the BRDM-1 vehicle was selected. ZiL developed a 6x6 design, the ZiL-153, similar in hull shape to the GAZ design. Both were submitted to state trials in 1959, and the GAZ design was selected and given the designation BTR-60P.

== Description ==
thumb|left||The driver's station
BTR-60 has standard APC formation. The crew compartment is in the front, troop compartment in the middle and engine compartment in the rear. In BTR-60P and BTR-60PA the crew consists of driver and commander. Driver's seat is on the left and commander's seat is on the right. In BTR-60PAI, BTR-60PB and BTR-60PZ the crew consists of driver, commander and gunner. Driver's and commander's stations are in the same place as in the previous models. Gunner operates the small MG turret. He uses PP 61 A optical sight. Both driver and commander have forward views through bulletproof windshields which can be additionally protected with steel covers which have small openings through which they can also see what's in front of the vehicle. They can monitor the area around the sides of the vehicle with use of periscopes. Both driver and commander have night sight devices. The commander uses TKN 1 night sight device and driver uses TWN 2 night sight device. Commander also has R-113 radio for communication. In some BTR-60PA R-113 was replaced with R-123.<ref name="Pancerni 1"/>

The troop compartment is behind the crew compartment and before engine compartment. It can transport up to sixteen fully equipped soldiers. Because the roof was added in BTR-60PA, the number of soldiers that BTR-60 was able to carry in its troop compartment went down from 16 to 14. Also BTR-60 has three firing ports on each upper side of the hull through which the infantry being transported can fire at the enemy with their personal weapons.<ref name="Pancerni 1"/>

The engine compartment is in the rear part of the vehicle. The vehicle is propelled by two six cylinder gasoline GAZ 49 engines which deliver 94 hp (70 kW) each. The BTR-60PB introduced new GAZ 49B engines which developed 115 hp (86 kW) each among other improvements. Each engine is propelling two of the vehicles axles. The engine on the right hand side propels the second and the forth axles, while the engine on the left hand side propels the first and the third axles. The vehicle has a single shielded clutch and two gear boxes. Each axle has its own differential. Each axle is hanged on transversal torsion bars. The first two axles have two hydraulic absorbers, the third and forth have one hydraulic absorber. The first and second pair of wheels can be turned.<ref name="Pancerni 1"/>

BTR-60 is fully amphibious and moves in water propelled by a single water-jet mounted at the rear of the hull. Also all APCs from BTR-60 series have infrared searchlight.<ref name="Pancerni 1"/>

== Operational history ==

The BTR-60P was produced from 1959 to 1963, and had an open roofed crew compartment. The next version, the BTR-60PA, entered production in 1963<ref name="opfor">OPFOR Worldwide Equipment Guide, TRADOC DCSINT Threat Support Directorate, January 1999.</ref> and had an armoured roof, though the capacity was reduced from 16 troops to 14 troops. The appearance of the German HS.30 APC, armed with a 20 mm cannon prompted the addition of a small turret fitted with a KPVT 14.5 mm heavy machine gun. The new vehicle was designated the BTR-60PAI and entered service in 1965, but was quickly superseced by the BTR-60PB, which had a better sighting system for the gun. The turret design was later reused for the BRDM-2.

The BTR-60PB remained in production from 1966 through to 1976, when it was superseded by the BTR-70. In Russian service, many BTR-60 variants are replaced by variants of the BTR-80/K1Sh1 or are upgraded with the engines of the BTR-80.

BTR-60s were employed widely both by the Soviet Army and by more than thirty export customers<ref name="opfor"/>.  Operators of the BTR-60 have included Congo, Cuba, Djibouti, East Germany, Ethiopia, Finland, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Libya, Mali, Mongolia, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, North Korea, Romania, Soviet Union, Syria, Uganda, Vietnam,Yugoslavia / Serbia, Yemen, and Zambia, as well as many of the successor states of the Soviet Union<ref name="westhorp">Chris Westhorp (editor), ''The World's Armies: An Illustrated Review of the Armies of the World'', Salamander Press, c. 1991, ISBN 0-517-05240-7</ref>

The BTR-60 has seen action in the Yom Kippur War, 1971 War between India and Pakistan where it was used very effectively to punch a hole through to Jessore and subsequently Khulna, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Chechen and Yugoslav wars.

Although BTR-60 still remains in service with many of the world's armies it is almost never used as an APC anymore. They are still being used though as mobile command posts, artillery forward observation posts, airplane guidance posts, communication posts and many other specialized vehicles.<ref name="Pancerni 2">[http://www.pancerni.abajt.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=37&limit=1&limitstart=1 "Pancerni 2"]</ref>

== Variants ==
right|thumb|300px|BTR-60PB in Batey ha-Osef museum, Israel
right|thumb|300px|BTR-60PB in Yad la-Shiryon museum, Israel

===Bulgaria===
* '''BTR-60PAU''' - Artillery command variant of the BTR-60PA with 4 whip antennas.
* '''BTR-60PB''' with Polish WAT turret from SKOT-2AP. Only a prototype was made.<ref name="JED The Military Equipment Directory"/>
* '''BTR-60PB-MD''' (''bronyetransport’or moderniziran '') - BTR-60PB upgraded with VAMO DT3900 or Rover TD-200 diesel engine, four MB smoke grenade dischargers on the turret (two on each side), "Melopa" night sight, new day sight, new NBC protection system and modern radios. It also has a rear view mirror on the left hand side of the hull. Only a prototype was made.<ref name="JED The Military Equipment Directory"/>
** '''BTR-60PB-MD1''' - Version for the Bulgarian army, powered by a Cummins ISB 25.30 turbocharged Euro 3 diesel engine of 250 hp and fitted with side hatches. So far 10 delivered.
** '''BTR-60PB-MD3''' - This appears to be an export model, fitted with a KamAZ diesel engine, different sights and eight additional smoke grenade launchers in the front right corner of the hull. The prototype, shown in 2004, was based on a BTR-60PA.

===Cuba===

*'''BTR-60PB''' armed with 73 mm gun with a long barrel in truncated cone BMP-1 turret. It also lacks the hand rails on the upper side of the hull. It is designed to be used for fire support.<ref name="JED The Military Equipment Directory"/>
*'''BTR-60PB''' armed with 100 mm gun in heavily modified T-54 turret. The hull seems to be modified as well since the two hand rails on the side of the hull are gone and the other two are moved to the center of the hull between the upper and lower parts of the side of the hull. The lights in the front seem to have an armoured protection. The chassis has also been modified as th vehicle has a BTR-80 style straight chassis with no slope near the engine compartment. It is designed to be used for fire support.<ref name="JED The Military Equipment Directory"/>
*'''BTR-60''' armed with twin 23 mm anti-aircraft guns (probably ZU-23-2). It is designed to be used for anti-aircraft purposes.
*'''BTR-60''' armed with twin 37 mm anti-aircraft guns. It is designed to be used for anti-aircraft purposes.

===Djibouti===

*'''BTR-60PB''' armed 90 mm AML-90 gun in French Panhard AML (AML-245) turret. Only one BTR-60PB was converted and it was done so to make use of a spare turret after the original Panhard AML hull was destroyed in a road accident.<ref name="JED The Military Equipment Directory"/>

{{Czołg infobox|
nazwa            = BTR-60|
grafika          = 300px|
podpis           = BTR-60PB|<!-- opcjonalny podpis rysunku -->
kraj             = |
producent        = |
trakcja          = kołowa (8x8)|<!-- gąsienicowa, kołowa -->
typ              = transporter opancerzony|<!-- np. czołg lekki, ciężki, podstawowy, transporter opancerzony} -->
zaloga           = 2 + 14 (16)|
konstrukcja      = |<!-- data budowy prototypu -->
produkcja        = 1959 - 1976|<!-- lata produkcji -->
wycofany         = |<!-- data wycofania z użytku -->
egzemplarze      = |<!-- ilość wyprodukowanych egzemplarzy -->
silnik           = 2 x silnik gaźnikowy|<!-- typ silnika -->
moc              = 2 x 90 KM|
mocjedn          = 17,47 KM/t|<!-- moc jednostkowa (np. w kW/tonę) -->
naciskjedn       = |<!-- nacisk jednostkowy (np. w kg/cm²) -->
transmisja       = |<!-- układ przeniesienia napędu (mechaniczna, elektromechaniczna..) -->
dlugoscmax       = 7,56 m|<!-- długość całkowita czołgu -->
dlugosckadlub    = |<!-- długość kadłuba -->
dlugoscltyl      = |<!-- długość całkowita z lufą obróconą do tyłu -->
szerokosc        = 2,83 m|<!-- szerokość kadłuba -->
szerokoscekr     = |<!-- szerokość całkowita z ekranami przeciwkumulacyjnymi -->
wysokosc         = 2,06 m (kadłuba)<br />2,31 m (całkowita)|<!-- wysokość do stropu wieży -->
wysokoscmax      = |<!-- wysokość maksymalna -->
powboczna        = |<!-- powierzchnia boczna w m² (jednostka wstawiana automatycznie) -->
powczolowa       = |<!-- powierzchnia czołowa w m² (jednostka wstawiana automatycznie) -->
przeswit         = 0,475 m|
masawlasna       = |
masabojowa       = 10,3 t|
zbiorniki        = 290 l|<!-- pojemność zbiorników paliwa -->
typpanc          = |<!-- typ pancerza (reaktywny, warstwowy, kompozytowy, itd. -->
grubpanc         = |<!-- grubość pancerza -->
pmaxdroga        = 80|<!-- prędkość maksymalna na drodze w km/h -->
pmaxteren        = |<!-- prędkość maksymalna w terenie w km/h-->
pmaxwoda         = 10|<!-- prędkość maksymalna w wodzie w km/h (dla pojazdów pływających) -->
pmaxtyl          = |<!-- prędkość maksymalna na biegu wstecznym -->
brodbezprzyg     = |<!-- głębokość brodzenia bez przygotowania -->
brodzprzyg       = |<!-- głębokość brodzenia po przygotowaniu -->
rowy             = 2 m|<!-- zdolność przekraczanych rowów o szerokości -->
sciany           = 0,4 m|<!-- zdolność przekraczania pionowych ścian o wysokości -->
stoki            = |<!-- zdolność podjazdu na stoki o nachyleniu max -->
zasieg           = 500|
artyleria        = |<!-- uzbrojenie artyleryjskie -->
karabin          = 1 x wkm KPWT kalibru 14,5 mm (500 naboi)<br />1 x km PKT kalibru 7,62 mm (2000 naboi)|<!-- uzbrojenie strzeleckie -->
rakieta          = |<!-- uzbrojenie rakietowe -->
inne             = |<!-- inne opcjonalne typy uzbrojenia -->
wyposazenie      = |<!-- wyposażenie dodatkowe (moździerz, wyrzutnik granatów dymnych itd.) -->
wlasciciele      = ZOMO, Litwa, Finlandia, Estonia|<!-- użytkownicy -->
rzut             = |<!-- rysunek w trzech/czterech rzutach-->
}}
'''BTR-60''' - radziecki transporter opancerzony. Pierwszy z radzieckich ośmiokołowych transporterów.

Pod koniec lat 50. XX wieku rozpoczęto w ZSRR prace nad następcą 50. i 60. prototyp nowego transportera. Po testach został on w 1959 roku przyjęty do uzbrojenia jako BTR-60P. Pierwsza publiczna prezentacja miała miejsce w 1961 roku.

BTR-60P był pojazdem ośmiokołowym, z napędem na wszystkie koła. Kadłub pancerny dzielił się na dwa przedziały: załogowy z przodu i napędowy z tyłu. W przedniej części przedziału załogowego miejsca obok siebie zajmowali mechanik-kierowca i dowódca, za nimi znajdowały się ławki, na których siedziało od 8 do 16 żołnierzy desantu. Przedział desantowy był odkryty. Za przedziałem desantowym znajdował się przedział napędowy z dwoma silnikami gaźnikowymi. Uzbrojenie pojazdu stanowił jeden SGMB kalibru 7,62.

Wkrótce po rozpoczęciu produkcji BTR-60P rozpoczęto prace nad wersją dowódczą tego wozu. Miała ona nosić oznaczenie BTR-60PK. Podstawową różnicą w stosunku do BTR-60P było zastosowanie zamkniętego przedziału desantowego. Dzięki temu możliwe było wyposażenie pojazdu w układ ochrony przed bronią masowego rażenia. Ponieważ ówczesna doktryna Armii Radzieckiej przewidywała użycie taktycznej broni jądrowej, nowy pojazd produkowany od 1963 roku stał się wersją podstawową pod oznaczeniem BTR-60PA.

W KPWT i PKT. Ponieważ montaż wieżyczki utrudnił wsiadanie przez górny właz, pojazd wyposażono w dwa niewielkie włazy boczne.

Produkcję BTR-60 zakończono w połowie lat 70. po rozpoczęciu produkcji transportera BTR-70.