Army 2019: BT-3F APC will be armed with 30mm gun.

A BT-3F armored personnel carrier (APC) meant for the Russian Armed Forces will be armed with a 30 mm gun, which will replace 7.62mm and 12.7 mm machine-guns, Sergei Abdulov, the chief designer of JSC SKBM, an affiliate of the High-Precision Systems Holding Company, has told TASS.

BT-3F APC displayed at Army 2019 (Picture source: Army Recognition)

"The Russian Defense Ministry has an interest in BT-3F APC, especially in a possibility to make the weaponry more powerful. Preparatory works have been scheduled to precede the mounting of a 30-mm module," Abdulov explained. A floating BT-F3 APC is mounted on the chassis of BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles and is designed to transport infantrymen (up to 14 men) and provide fire support. The vehicle weighs more than 18 tons. Its armor guarantees perimeter protection.

The basic variant of a BT-3F APC is armed with a remotely controlled 7.62 mm machinegun. Another weapon set for BT-3F comprises the Kord 12.7 mm machinegun.