New MGT-LB Tractor Revealed by Russia, Set to Replace MT-LB

11 August, 2024 Concept of LGT-LB. Source: Andrii Haruk The latest MGT-LB tracked tractor was shown at the Russian defense industry exhibition ARMY 2024.

This was reported by military historian Dr. Andrii Haruk. Obviously, the MGT-LB is intended to replace the Soviet MT-LB tractor.

The project, whose images appeared in 2017, was created by the Special Machine Building Projects company. The MGT-LB, at least conceptually, was supposed to be an extremely innovative combat vehicle. The truck was to be equipped with a hybrid power plant, electric transmission, intelligent onboard equipment, and remote control capabilities.

Concept of LGT-LB.

Source: Andrii Haruk

Since 2019, references to the promising tractor have faded from the public discourse. However, following the outbreak of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war and the significant losses of MT-LB vehicles, the project has resurfaced in discussions. The model presented at the exhibition is much simpler, equipped with a 450-horsepower turbo diesel engine, which should provide the 16.5-ton vehicle with a speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour on roads and up to 10 kilometers per hour on water.

The MGT-LB has a range of 800 kilometers and a payload of up to 2.5 tons, and it can also pull a trailer weighing up to 7 tons. The crew consists of 2 people, and the landing compartment can accommodate 8 infantrymen.

Concept of MGT-LB. Images from open sources

The layout evidently corresponds to the MT-LB; the engine is located in the middle of the hull, separating the control room and the landing compartment.

The prototype is armed with a remotely controlled module with a 12.7 mm Cord machine gun. According to the developers, the MGT-LB's armor protection meets STANAG 4569 Level 3, which means it is resistant to armor-piercing 7.62mm bullets at a distance of 30 meters and 155mm shell fragments at a distance of 60 meters. Mine resistance corresponds to level 1 of the same standard, meaning the combat vehicle can withstand the explosion of a hand grenade and an anti-personnel mine.

In June, the Finnish armored vehicle manufacturer Patria presented a new armored tracked all-terrain platform "FAMOUS".

The prototype of the Patria tracked armored personnel carrier, June 17, 2024

The new vehicle may become a successor to the Soviet armored MT-LBs, which are widely used in the Finnish army, with about 400 hundred of them, according to open data.