BTR-60

The BTR-60 is an 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier developed in the Soviet Union, serving as the first in a long line of Soviet wheeled APCs. It was widely exported and saw extensive service in numerous conflicts globally.

Designed in the late 1950s to replace the open-topped BTR-152, this vehicle was engineered to provide motorized rifle divisions with amphibious capability and improved off-road mobility, officially entering Soviet service in 1959. It first saw combat during the 1969 Sino-Soviet border clash and later became a ubiquitous workhorse during the Soviet-Afghan War, as well as various Cold War-era conflicts across Africa and the Middle East. Despite design flaws like its awkward twin-engine configuration and difficult troop egress, the vehicle established the standard layout for subsequent Soviet wheeled armor. Today, while largely relegated to reserve or secondary roles in Russia, upgraded variants of this pioneering APC continue to be operated by dozens of militaries worldwide.