MT-LB - Ukrainian Service
Ukraine has been known to employ the MT-LB in various roles including as an armored personnel carrier, command post vehicle, recovery vehicle, and ambulance. During the conflicts that Ukraine has been involved in, such as the ongoing war in Donbass, MT-LBs have been used extensively. Due to the escalating need for armored vehicles, the Ukrainian forces have reportedly made several field modifications to their MT-LBs, including the addition of extra improvised armor for better protection.
Ukraine has also used the MT-LB as a platform for various weapons systems. For example, some Ukrainian MT-LBs have been fitted with the "Stugna-P" or "Skif" anti-tank missile systems, turning them into tank destroyers. Another variant is the MT-LB "Sfera", a modernized version with better optics and communication equipment, used as an artillery observation post vehicle.
In general, despite the considerable age of the tractors, the Ukrainian military had no particular complaints about the MT-LB. Among the main advantages, the guys note ease of use, high throughput and reliability, which will not go anywhere if the device is well taken care of. They say that this applies to almost all the equipment that was designed at the Kharkiv plant during the Soviet Union; Russian-made devices are significantly inferior in terms of these indicators. The main drawback of the MT-LB is the high volume of the engine, which practically leaves no chance of moving unnoticed.
It is worth noting an important detail that in terms of the number of manufactured devices, the "family" of military tracked vehicles based on a light multi-purpose transporter-tractor was among the most massive in the world at the end of the second millennium. In addition, at the end of the 90s, such machines were in service with more than thirty countries and managed to prove themselves reliable and unpretentious. This was due to the fact that they successfully passed the test of many military conflicts that took place in completely different climatic conditions.
Armored medical vehicle (AMV) – designed for collecting and transporting the wounded from the battlefield and the center of mass sanitary losses, with the provision of first aid. The research and production company "VK Sistema" presented armored medical vehicles based on the MTLBu. The company supplies the Armed Forces of Ukraine with armored medical vehicles based on the MTLB multi-purpose tractor. During 2016-2017, 30 units of MT-LB-S were purchased, and in general, the contract provides for the purchase of 120 medical vehicles for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The machine on the MT-LB chassis (light armored multi-purpose tractor) was created in 2014-2015. It differs from the usual version of the tractor by the increased height of the landing compartment, which ensures the placement of the wounded on stretchers in two tiers. The new version of the medical evacuation vehicle received a modification of the basic chassis with the installation of armored glass for the driver's mechanic, asphalt shoes on the tracks, new lighting devices and a modified aft part of the hull. Unlike the basic MTLBu, in the stern part of the MTLBu C armored medical evacuation vehicle there are two hinged doors for easy loading and unloading of the wounded.
The actual implementation of the DOZ 2016-2018 for the main samples of weapons and military equipment (OMT) was no more than 30%. Negative examples can be given for purchase abroad. For example, the order of the self-propelled mortar "Tunja" , the funds from which were returned to the state budget.
The 120-mm self-propelled mortar "Tunja" based on the MT-LB was developed in the 1970s by the "Burevisnyk" TsNDI, but was not adopted by the Soviet army due to the development of the 120-mm semi-automatic rifled howitzer-mortar 2A51, which was armed with the 2C9 "Nona" self-propelled guns -WITH". But SM "Tunja" was produced under license in Bulgaria, in particular, it was also supplied for export. The basic version of the SMM B1.10 "Tundzha" is armed with a 120-mm M-120 mortar of the 1955 model, the SMM 74B1.10 "Tundzha" ("Tundzha-Sani") is distinguished by the use of the 2B11 mortar (in service since 1981) as the main weapon. from the complex 2C12 "Sani".
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