Ukraine manufactures combat vehicles based on MT-LBu chassis

The Ukrainian defense industry serially modernizes the Soviet MT-LBu to perform combat missions on the front line. The video of the upgraded vehicles was made public on social media. MT-LBu is a Soviet universal tracked platform developed by the Kharkiv Tractor Plant back in the 60s on the basis of the MT-LB armored tractor.

The vehicle was created as a chassis for installing special equipment, as well as armored vehicle for transporting infantry and equipment. In the published video, the Ukrainian military showcased a convoy of six modernized armored personnel carriers.

Modernized vehicles have received a set of additional armor on the sides. The installation of such kits is especially relevant for these vehicles due to the symbolic armor protection of the original chassis. For understanding, the thickness of the armored panels of the sides and stern of the MT-LBu is 7 mm at a small angle, and in the front - up to 14 mm.

This is enough to protect against small debris and light rifle fire. However, 7.62 mm assault rifles and machine guns can already penetrate this armor. The crew of the armored personnel carrier consists of two people: the driver and the vehicle commander.

The squad compartment can accommodate up to six soldiers. The combat vehicle was equipped with a remote combat module of unknown origin with a mounted KPVT 14.5mm heavy machine gun. The module is also equipped with a protective shield in the front projection, hinting at the lack of appropriate protection of the installation itself.

The optical station of the machine gun installation with several TV surveillance channels also attracts attention. It can be assumed that one of them is infrared or thermal imaging for operation in conditions of poor visibility.

Combat module with a KPVT machine gun on the chassis of the MT-LBu armored personnel carrier, June 2023

The level of execution of the combat module suggests that it was produced in Ukraine by one of the defense enterprises already during a full-scale invasion. Its weapons are powerful enough to destroy lightly armored equipment such as Soviet IFVs and armored personnel carriers, however it is less effective against manpower.

In general, the production of these combat vehicles is a forced decision due to the lack of high-quality armored personnel carriers and IFVs in the armed forces.

The Ukrainian military-industrial complex and the state are trying in every possible way to compensate for this with the available funds and resources.

More about such equipment Militarnyi explains in a full article "MT-LB: combat chariot of the Russo-Ukrainian war."