БТР-152: История, Модификации и Боевое Применение

BTR 152s were available in several marks, and were manufactured in large numbers for the Soviet military and export. Late production models utilized automotive components from the more reliable ZIL 157 truck. Three primary variants of the BTR 152 appeared between 1950 and 1959: the base armored personnel carrier with a single pintle mounted 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun, an unarmed command vehicle with a higher roofline, and an anti aircraft variant armed with a ZPU 2 mount.

During World War II, Red Army tacticians favored combined arms offensives, which emphasized the deployment of light infantry in concert with tanks. However, the Soviet infantrymen lacked the armored protection and rapid mobility of the tanks, and remained comparatively vulnerable to enemy fire. By the end of the war, the initial Soviet tactic of tank desant, in which the infantry rode into battle atop the tanks they were supporting, had been superseded by the introduction of M3 Half tracks and M3 White armored cars. These were widely used for troop transport, giving rise to a new doctrine in which armored vehicles capable of keeping pace with tanks brought infantry to an engagement. The infantrymen would then disembark and enter combat on foot. Wartime experiences demonstrated that the Red Army had an urgent postwar requirement for more wheeled armored vehicles, and the general staff specified a new reconnaissance vehicle and armored personnel carrier (APC). Existing M3 half tracks and captured German Sd. Kfz. 251s were studied as potential references for the upcoming design. Soviet BTR 152s were produced between 1950 and 1959, being supplemented by the BTR 60 from 1960 onwards.

BTR 152s first saw combat during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, when they were deployed by the 12th Motorized Brigade of the Soviet Internal Troops to crush Hungary's fledgling uprising. The BTRs were deployed in Budapest and other settlements, as well as on the Hungarian border with Austria. Nevertheless, failure to coordinate combined arms maneuvers often left the Syrian motorized infantry separated from their supporting tank formations and vulnerable to Israeli heavy armor. BTR 152s were deployed by the National Liberation Front of Chad (FROLINAT) during the First Chadian Civil War, and were instrumental in a motorized assault on Salal in April 1978. The BTRs were knocked out by Panhard AML 90 armored cars of the French Foreign Legion. Libyan mechanized battalions also deployed BTR 152s in Chad during the Chadian Libyan conflict, often in concert with tank companies or EE 9 Cascavels. Several were destroyed after taking direct hits from AML 90 cannon fire or SS.11 anti tank missiles. About half of Somalia's BTR 152s appear to have been lost in the Ogaden conflict. Soviet weapons deliveries to Ethiopia accelerated after the outbreak of war, and starting in March 1977 included 40 BTR 152s appropriated from the Soviet Army's reserve stocks. These vehicles were mostly BTR 152Vs but also included the BTR 152A anti aircraft variant. The Soviet Union donated at least six BTR 152s to Mozambique shortly after that country's independence in the mid 1970s. as well as in search and destroy operations mounted near Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) strongholds. It is likely that all Mozambique's BTR 152s were eliminated by land mines or Rhodesian air strikes; A second shipment of BTR 152s was delivered to the People's Forces of Liberation of Mozambique (FPLM) in 1983, but it remains unclear whether these were deployed in front line service.

The BTR 152 is a modified truck chassis with an armored hull and an open topped troop compartment. The sides and rear of the troop compartment are vertical, with corners sloping inwards to deflect shell fragments. There are firing ports on each side of the troop compartment and two rear doors for rapid debarking. Because the original BTR 152 utilized the chassis and engine of the ZIS 151, it shared that truck's maintenance problems and poor cross country mobility. Later variants, using ZIL 157 components, had more power and larger, single tires that reduced the vehicle's shortcomings but did not eliminate them. Serviceability and reliability remained low. BTR 152 converted into a minelayer equipped with racks for anti tank mines. BTR 152V3 – BTR 152V with winch on the front, open top, infrared driving lights, and internal tire pressure regulation system. SPW 152 converted into an armored ambulance. The upgraded version uses a diesel engine with a new gearbox, new driving system with hydraulic transmission, additional armored hood, improved suspension and electricity, lights, optics and other modifications. The upgraded BTR 152 is claimed to have higher speed, lower fuel consumption and is easier to use. Armored medevac variant unveiled in October 2018.