Former USSR • '''BTR-50P (Ob'yekt 750)''' (1952) – The first production version with an open troop compartment. The vehicle had no integral armament, but it did have a pintle mount for a 7.62 mm SGMB medium machine gun. Early production BTR-50P models had folding ramps at the rear of the hull to enable either a 57 mm
ZiS-2, a 76.2 mm
ZiS-3 or an 85 mm
D-44 anti-tank gun to be loaded and fired on the engine decks. The weapon could also be fired when the vehicle was afloat, but only when the water-jets were in operation. This system had one great flaw, the muzzle of the gun was usually over the open personnel compartment and as such submitted any occupants to a considerable amount of concussion and fumes. These ramps were absent in later production models. •
BTR-50P – Converted into an artillery portee vehicle. This version carried its gun in the crew compartment, thus placing the muzzle of the gun outside the vehicle. While seen mostly carrying the 57 mm
ZIS-2 anti-tank gun, there were also two other variants of this vehicle that carried anti-aircraft (AA) weapons. •
ZTPU-2 (
zenitnaya samokhodnaya ustanovka) – BTR-50P converted into a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG), armed with twin
ZPU-2 14.5 mm heavy machine guns (1,280 rounds). Prototype. •
ZTPU-4 (
zenitnaya samokhodnaya ustanovka) – A BTR-50P converted into a SPAAG armed with quadruple
ZPU-4 14.5 mm heavy machine guns (2,560 rounds). Prototype. •
BTR-50P – Converted into a Forward Air Control vehicle with a second superstructure on top of the first. •
BTR-50P – Converted into an NBC reconnaissance vehicle with a second superstructure on top of the first. •
BTR-50P – Has a longer nose section. • '''BTR-50PA (Ob'yekt 750M)''' (1954) – BTR-50P armed with a 14.5 mm
KPV heavy machine gun on a pintle mount at the front of the troop compartment. •
BTR-50PA with its heavy machine gun mounted on the commander's cupola. • '''BTR-50PK (Ob'yekt 750K)'
(K stands for krisha'' – "roof") (1958) – A BTR-50P fitted with an armored roof, the troops embarking and disembarking the vehicle via two rectangular roof hatches that open to either side. There is also another rectangular roof hatch at the front of the roof. It was armed with a pintle-mounted 7.62 mm SGMB medium machine gun. This variant has an NBC protection system. The vehicle had two ventilators, one at the front of the troop compartment on the right and one at the rear, also on the right. It is likely that these vehicles were mostly upgraded from BTR-50Ps. Another production run of the BTR-50PK had a single firing port on each side of the superstructure. They were rarely seen in use as APCs as the majority consisted of specialized variants, such as command vehicles, before being replaced by another batch with two firing ports on each side of the superstructure. •
BTR-50PK – Fitted with a locater light in the center of the engine deck. This variant was issued to Soviet marine and assault river crossing units. •
BTR-50PK – Converted into a training vehicle with four cupolas on top of the roof. •
BTR-50PK – Has a longer nose section. Used by marine units. •
UR-67 (
ustanovka razminirovaniya) – Mine-clearing vehicle equipped with a UR-67 rocket launcher system which has three launchers firing UZP-67 or UZR-3 tubes filled with explosives. The UZP-67 or UZR-3 are carried in a fabric tube container carried inside the hull. The mine clearing procedure is composed of driving the vehicle to the edge of the minefield and aligning it before the rockets are fired from its elevated launcher at the rear of the vehicle. The rocket tows the line charge, which is secured to the launcher vehicle, across the minefield. The line charge is then positioned by the vehicle crew and detonated to clear any mines in its vicinity. The cleared lane is usually 60 m to 150 m long and 2 m to 5 m wide. The vehicle has a crew of three. Some of the vehicles were based on the BTR-50PK, others were based on the PT-76. They were known in the west as the
MTK and
MTK-1. Only a small number remain in service, most have been replaced by the UR-77. •
BTR-50PN (1958) – Early command vehicle with three radios (including an R-113) and three whip antennas. Only a small number were built. •
BTR-50PU (
mashina upravleniya) (1959) – Unarmed command vehicle. It carries a crew of 10 and has an armored roof with oval hatches and four whip antennas. Most of the BTR-50PUs have two projecting bays on the front of the vehicle (the respective NATO codes are:
BTR-50PU(1) and
BTR-50PU(2)). The two bays are the same shape, unlike in the OT-62 TOPAS, which is otherwise very similar in appearance. The vehicle has ten seats, of which four are for the commander and his staff, four are for the radio operators and two are for the vehicle's commander and driver. The staff compartment has a collapsible table, a second small table for the commander, two hammocks and three ladders. An emergency escape hatch is provided in the floor of the vehicle and the vehicle has
thermal insulation. Specialized equipment consists of KN-2 and KP-2 navigation devices; an AB-1-P/30 1 kW generator (located on the rear engine deck);
R-105, R-105U and R-113 VHF radios; a R-112 HF transceiver, a
R-311 HF receiver; a collapsible 11 m mast antenna for the R-105U; a light 10 m telescopic mast for the R-112; a R-403BM relay-set; R-120 intercom and a P-193A 10-line field telephone switchboard with six TAI-43 field telephones and four cable reels, each with 600 m of two-wire cable. The navigation system includes a gyro course indicator and course plotter (the former indicates the vehicle's course, the latter plots it on a rectangular co-ordinate system). Some vehicles have different numbers of stowage boxes in different arrangements on the rear engine decks. Some vehicles have a second generator. •
BTR-50PU with a longer nose section. •
BTR-50PU-2 – An improved version with more modern radio equipment, most probably the
R-123 and the R-130M. It is externally similar to the BTR-50PU, but has a portable generator located immediately behind the troop compartment. •
BTR-50PUM – A modernised variant, it is equipped with a large AMU telescopic antenna mast and R-123 (3×), R-130, R-326, R-405D and T-218 radios. This model has a square antenna stowage box on the right front side of the hull. •
BTR-50PUM-1 (1972) – latest model with a crew of up to 8 and fitted with the same radios as mounted in the R-145BM (
BTR-60): R-111 (2×), R-123MT, R-124 and R-130M. •
MTP-1 (
mashina tekhnicheskoj pomoshchi) – A technical support vehicle with a raised troop compartment and a light crane. •
Polyesye – A civilian version of the MTP-1.
Belarus •
BTR-50PKM – An upgraded BTR-50PK with a UTD-20 engine developing 300 hp (224 kW), new steering, brake systems and driver's optronics. •
MTP-300T – Technical support vehicle, fitted with a manipulator, a universal welding machine, towing and lifting gear, a workbench, spare parts etc. •
SPW 50PK(Akl) (
Aufklärung) – Version for reconnaissance units. •
SPW 50PK(D) •
SPW 50PK(B) (
Bergefahrzeug) – A BTR-50PK converted into a recovery vehicle. It weighed 14 tonnes and had a crew of two (commander and driver), with seats for four auxiliary personnel. During rescue operations the vehicle can accommodate up to eight personnel. The SPW-50PK(B) is fitted with R-123M and R-124 radios, a rear-mounted coupling for towing, a tow hook, two extra towing cables, two special quick-release shackles, standard shackles and snap hooks, a searchlight, two lifebelts, life jackets, a set of tools, fire extinguishers and four fenders. •
SPW 50PK(BBS) (
Batteriebeobachtungsstelle) – Observation vehicle for air defense units. •
SPW 50PK(KM) (
Kernmine) – SPW 50PK, equipped with a tool set for combat engineers PGS-5 (
Pioniergerätesatz) to locate and retrieve mines. •
SPW 50PK(LA) (
Luftabwehr) – Command vehicle for air defense units. •
SPW 50PK(MRF) (
Minenräumfahrzeug), also known as
Minenräumfahrzeug 50PK (SPW) – A mine-clearing vehicle, equipped with two containers for mine-clearing charges WLWD of Polish design. The containers were loaded onto the roof of the troop compartment via two ramps, welded on the engine deck. •
SPW 50PK(Pi) – Command vehicle for combat engineer (
Pioniere) units. •
SPW 50PK(S) – Command and staff vehicle. •
SPW 50PK(UF) (
Unterwasserfahrt) – SPW 50PK, equipped with a tool set for combat engineers PGS-4 (
Pioniergerätesatz) to prepare river crossings. •
SPW 50PU – NVA designation for the BTR-50PU. •
SPW 50PU(A) – Locally modified version for the commanders of the divisional artillery.
Egypt •
BTR-50PK – Fitted with a glassed cabin on top of the standard superstructure.
Finland •
BTR-50YVI (
yhtymän viestijärjestelmä) – BTR-50PK converted into a command and staff vehicle. It is fitted with the YVI-2 digital communication system, a telescopic mast, the
NSVT 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and additional armor. Fielded in 1994. •
BTR-50PUM – Upgraded BTR-50PU fitted with the equipment of the R-145BM (BTR-60 variant) and smoke grenade launchers, one NSVT 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and additional armor. •
BTR-50PUM1 – Modernized PUM with western radio sets.
Indonesia •
BTR-50PM (
Palawa Modification) –
Indonesian Marine Corps BTR-50s modernized with
BTR-2000 upgrade package from Nimda, Israel in 1990s. Fitted with AN/VRC-64 and PRC-33 radios instead of the 10-RT, new brake system,
FN MAG machine gun instead of the PKT and a Detroit Diesel 6V92T engine instead of the original V-6V. •
BTR-50P(M) – Indonesian Marine Corps BTR-50s overhauled, reconditioned, and fitted with new fire extinguisher system by PT Lumindo Artha Sejati in 2019–2021. •
PAL-AFV (
Armoured Floating Vehicle) – Upgraded version, developed by the PT PAL Indonesia in cooperation with
Pindad. This vehicle has a new nose section, a raised rear hull section and powered by a 300 hp engine. Combat weight is 14,700 kg, with transport capacity is 3 + 14 troops. Photo
Iraq •
BTR-50P – Converted into a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (
SPAAG) and armed with a Soviet 23 mm
ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft autocanon. Fitted with additional armor around the engine decks to maintain its amphibious ability. •
BTR-50PK converted into a SPAAG armed with Czechoslovak twin 30 mm
M-53/59 autocannons in an open-tub mount.
Israel •
BTR-50PK fitted with a pintle-mounted 7.62 mm
FN MAG machine gun in front of the commander's cupola. •
BTR-50PK armed with three pintle-mounted US
M1919A4 .30 cal medium machine guns (one on the front of the superstructure and one on each side), another was pintle-mounted in front of the commander's cupola.
Poland •
OT-62 TOPAS (OT-62 stands for
Obrněný Transportér vzor 62 – "Armored Personnel Carrier model 62") ("TOPAS" stands for
Transportér Obrněný PÁSový – "Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier") – A series of BTR-50 variants developed jointly by Poland and Czechoslovakia. They are similar to the BTR-50PK but have hatches in the hull sides, a more powerful PV-6 engine giving 300 hp (224 kW) and two projecting bays in front of the superstructure instead of one like similar looking BTR-50PU (however the bays are different from one another in terms of shape).
Serbia •
BTR-50S (2005) – An upgrade package for the BTR-50PK offered by the Serbian defense firm Yugoimport SPDR. The package adds a turret (from the Yugoslav
M-80 APC). It is armed with one 30 mm cannon, one 7.62 mm
Zastava M86 machine gun, two ATGM launchers capable of firing
9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM)s and four smoke grenade launchers.
South Lebanon •
BTR-50PK – Converted into an improvised
medevac vehicle with a cut down front and a hatch in the front.
Ukraine vehicle used by the South Lebanon Army in the Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel. 2005. •
BTR-50PK based ARV. •
BTR-50M – BTR-50PK upgrade built by Morozow. It features improvements in firepower and mobility, both of which can be carried out independently. Improvements in firepower are achieved by adding one of two new fighting modules (turrets), both of which are armed with one 30 mm ZTM1 or 2A72 autocannon, one 7.62 mm KT or PKT coaxial machine gun, one
9K113 Konkurs (NATO:
AT-5 Spandrel) ATGM and one 30 mm
AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher. Both main guns are stabilized in the vertical axis (the second variant has a two axis stabilization) and have electro-mechanical aiming drives. Both have a maximum effective range of 4,000 m and can be elevated or depressed between −10° and +60° or −4° and +60°. The vehicle carries 150 rounds (the second variant carries 350 rounds). Both machine guns have a maximum effective range of 1,600 m. The vehicle carries 2,000 rounds in four batches of 500, (the second variant carries the same quantity of ammunition but in two batches of 1,000 rounds). The ATGM system has a minimum range of 100 m and maximum range of 4,000 m with four missiles. The automatic grenade launcher has a maximum range of 1,700 m. The vehicle uses a number of instruments with its armament. These include the TKN-5 day/night sight with a laser rangefinder, the PZU-7 day sight for firing at air and ground targets and the 9Sh119M1 anti-tank guided missile system sight. Mobility is improved by replacing the Soviet-built engine with the UTD-20 6-cylinder 4-stroke V-type water-cooled diesel engine built in Ukraine, replacing the gearbox with a planetary system and installing hydraulic volumetric transmission. The suspension has also been improved by adding three return rollers. The vehicle has a new system of air intakes and exhausts on the left hand side of the front of the engine deck. This upgrade can also be applied to BTR-50PU vehicles. This vehicle has a greater combat capability, lower fuel consumption and a higher
power-to-weight ratio. The vehicle can operate in temperatures between −40 °C and +55 °C and has an increased road speed of 75 km/h. As a result of all these changes the vehicle is now higher—3.085 m (the second variant is 2.895 m) and heavier—16.6 tonnes (the second variant weighs 16.8 tonnes). There are also additional improvements which can be carried out at customer's request. Those include adding
kevlar-type spall liner to improve vehicle's protection, navigation system for improving tactical mobility and air conditioning system for improving crew comfort and allowing easier operation in hot climate. ==Operators==