MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) – The first batch of armored personnel carriers (APC) BTR-82A made by Arzamas Machine-Building Plant has been delivered to the railway station Ozerishche, Minsk, the Belarusian Defense Ministry told BelTA.
Most of the new armored vehicles will be handed over to the 120th Independent Mechanized Brigade. Some will be handed over to the 72nd Joint Training Center and the Military Academy of Belarus.
The APCs were delivered as part of the plans to replace tracked armored vehicles of Belarusian mechanized infantry units with wheeled ones. This batch of armored personnel carriers BTR-82A is fitted with Belarusian communications systems made by OAO Agat-System and Belarusian sights made by OAO Peleng.
In addition to the APCs Belarus received two armored recovery and repair vehicles BREM-K based on BTR-80 chassis. They will be handed over to the 120th and 6th independent mechanized brigades.
The second batch of armored personnel carriers BTR-82A out of a battalion complement is expected to arrive in November.
A BTR-82A armored personnel carrier is a cutting-edge Russian wheeled armored vehicle, which entered service in the Russian army in 2013 to replace the Soviet APC BTR-80. BTR-82A APCs are also used by the armies of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
