OT-62 TOPAS

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OT-62 TOPAS
Czechoslovakian-made OT-62B APC.JPEG

Template: Infobox AFV / maintenance / picture without description

General properties
crew 2 (commander / gunner, driver) + 16 soldiers
length 7.01 m
width 3.14 m
height 2.10 m
Dimensions 15.0 tons (combat weight)
Armor and armament
Armor rolled steel; Thickness: max. 17 mm
Main armament differently
Secondary armament no
agility
drive PV-6 6-cylinder diesel engine
300 HP (224 kW) at 1,800 rpm
suspension Torsion bar
Top speed 60 km / h (road); 10.8 km / h (in the water)
Power / weight 20.0 hp / t
Range 450 km to 550 km;
approx. 150 km (in the water)

The OT-62 TOPAS is a transport armored vehicle from the late 1950s that was jointly developed by Poland and Czechoslovakia . OT-62 TOPAS stands for Czech O brněný T ransportér vzor 62 T ransportér O brněný PÁS ový , in German: Transportpanzer Modell 62 chain-driven transport tank .

history

In the late 1950s, Czechoslovakia decided to license the BTR-50 . In addition, the license rights of the BTR-50 were bought. Production began in the early 1960s and the first examples were delivered to the Czechoslovak armed forces in 1963. At the same time, the Polish army received the first tanks. At first glance, the OT-62 hardly differs from the Soviet BTR-50PK or the command vehicle BTR-50PU model 2 . Nevertheless, there are some key differences between the BTR-50 variants and the OT-62, such as the higher speed of the OT-62 in the water and on the road, and a fully armored hull. A characteristic difference to the Soviet model is the second bay window on the front of the vehicle.

commitment

The amphibious OT-62 was used by the Polish 7th Coastal Defense Division , where the PT-76 was already in service. The vehicle was also exported to other Warsaw Pact countries, such as Bulgaria . There was also an export to Egypt , India , Iraq , Libya , Morocco , Syria and Sudan . Syrian and Egyptian OT-62s captured by the Israeli army in the Six Day War were retrofitted with an MG FN MAG and continued to be used.

The OT-62 was used in larger numbers in the Gulf Wars .

Versions

A Polish TOPAS-2AP during an amphibious landing exercise

The transport tank OT-62 TOPAS appeared in many different versions and variants. Almost every state that procured this vehicle modified it according to its own intended use. The most common and most widespread versions are shown below:

  • OT-62A (TOPAS)
  • OT-62B (TOPAS-2A)
  • OT-62C (TOPAS-2AP)
  • WPT TOPAZ : Armored recovery vehicles

Web links

Commons : OT-62 TOPAS  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Description on www.army-guide.com (English)
  2. ↑ Armored personnel carrier OT-62 on army-guide.com