MT - LB The MT - LB ( многоцелевой тягач легко бронированный , Mnogotselevoy Tyagach Lekhko Bronirovannyi / multi - purpose light - armoured towing vehicle ) is a Soviet multi - purpose fully - amphibious armoured vehicle which was first introduced in the late 1960s . Initially the vehicle was known as the M 1970 in the west . Description . The MT - LB amphibious armoured tracked vehicle is fully amphibious , propelled in the water by its tracks . The low - silhouette MT - LB has a flat - track suspension consisting of six road wheels with no return rollers . The box - like welded steel plate hull has a crew compartment at the front , engine immediately behind on the left side , and a troop compartment at the rear which has inward - facing folding canvas seats for 10 infantrymen . The flat hull roof has two forward opening troop exit hatches . The infantry enter and leave the vehicle by two rear doors which are provided with firing ports . The total of four firing ports also include one on each side of the vehicle . The small turret to the right of the commander ' s position mounts a single 7 . 62 - mm machine gun . Standard equipment on all vehicles includes an NBC protection system . The MT - LB is an amphibious armored tracked vehicle with a low - silhouette , box - like hull made of welded steel plates and a small turret on the right front , mounting a single 7 . 62 - mm machine gun . There are four firing ports , one on each side of the vehicle and one in each of the two rear exit doors . Two additional , forward - opening , troop exit hatches are located on the flat hull roof . The flat - track suspension consists of six road wheels with no return rollers . The MT - LB can employ an extra - wide - track with an " aggressive " grouser to make over snow and swamp operations easier . The wide - tracked version , designated MT - LBV , has a track which is 565 mm wide compared to the normal 350 - mm - wide track . The wider track reduces ground pressure from 0 . 46 to only 0 . 28 kg / cm . The MT - LB is a multipurpose vehicle . When used as an ARC or command vehicle , it can carry ten personnel besides its two - man crew ( driver and commander - gunner ) . It also is used as a prime mover for various types of artillery . In this case it can also carry the artillery crew ( six to ten personnel ) . It is frequently used as prime mover for the 100 - mm antitank gun T - 12 . As a cargo and general transport vehicle , it has a cargo capacity of 2 . 0 metric tons ( towed load 6 . 5 metric tons ) . The wide - tracked MT - LBV is used as a soft - terrain vehicle . The MT - LB is lightly armed and lightly armored . The MT - LB was first designated M 1970 since it was initially identified by the West in 1970 . Its design is based on the MT - L light transport vehicle and prime mover . The MT - L , which is unarmored and turretless , was first developed for geological research in the far north . Variants . The MT - LB chassis also has become the basis for a variety of other vehicles . Russian AG - 17 30 - mm automatic grenade launcher modification is available for use on MT - LB . Russian KBP offers a drop - in one - man turret , called Kliver , with a stabilized 2A72 30 - mm gun , a 4 Kornet ATGM launcher , thermal sights , and improved fire control system .