MT-LBu
The MT-LBu is a Soviet multi-purpose fully amphibious armoured carrier which was developed under the factory index Ob'yekt 10 in the late 1960s, based on the MT-LB. It has a more powerful engine, a 40 cm higher hull and a longer chassis with 7 road wheels on each side. Development. In the 1970s the Soviet Central Auto and Tractor Directorate embarked on a development program to replace the AT-P series of artillery tractors (that were based on the ASU-57) with a new generation of vehicles. The MT-L was developed to meet this requirement  based on the PT-76 chassis. The MT-LB is the armoured variant of the vehicle. Entering production in the early 1970s, it was cheap to build, being based on many existing components including the engine which is actually a truck engine. The MT-LBu is a bigger, unarmed version that is used as the basis for many specialised vehicles. It was built at the Kharkov tractor plant in the USSR as well as Poland (Stalowa Wola) and Bulgaria (Beta JSCo.). Description. The crew—a driver and a commander—is located in a compartment at the front of the vehicle, with  the engine behind them. The compartment at the rear has a volume of 13 m³. A load of 6,500 kg can be towed. The vehicle is fully amphibious, being propelled in the water by its tracks. The vehicle is lightly armoured against small arms and shell splinters with a thickness of 3 to 10 mm of steel. The troop compartment has one roof hatch over the top, which opens rearwards. In the centre of the roof there is a big circular opening that is covered with a blanking plate with hatch when no turret is mounted. The MT-LBu has  only 2 firing ports: one in the front right side, the other in the rear door, both with an associated vision device. The driver is provided with a TVN-2 infra-red periscope, which in combination with the OU-3GK infra-red/white light search light provides a range of about 40 m. The MT-LBu is equipped with an NBC detection device GO-27, a filter system FVU and a navigation apparatus. Variants. Poland. Polish HSW S.A. (Huta Stalowa Wola S.A.) has a license to produce MT-LBu. Belarus. Based on older versions – mostly of the 1V12 series – Minotaur from Belarus has  developed new versions of the MT-LBu: