Like all BTR variants, the BTR-90 is a variation of the BTR series and is an 8 wheeled Armoured Personnel Carrier. It was developed in 1993 and was first shown in Russia in 1994 and essentially is a larger version of the BTR-80, fitted with a BMP-2 turret. Since it is bigger than the BTR-80 there has to be added benefits, one of which is that the armour on the front of the APC can withstand 14.5mm fire. (.57 calibre)
Armaments
Like the BTR-80A, Mi-28 attack chopper and BTR-T, it is armed with a 2A42 auto-cannon (30 mm), which has a very fast rate of fire. (550 rds/min) As with all variants of BTR/APC which carry this weapon, including the BTR-90 they have a very high (360°) arc of fire where they can aim the turrets gun at high elevation ranges of -5 to +75° with a range of 2.5 km. – This helps if there is a target such as a helicopter flying in the air, with the combined fast rate of fire and high angle it can easily dominate the sky above. The BTR-90 is also armed with a 7.62 mm PKT coaxial weapon, as well as an anti-tank guided missile (AT-5 Spandrel) and grenade launchers. (30 mm AGS-17) There is also a fire control system which means the weapons on this vehicle can be used while on the move. With all of this fire power includes firing ports where infantrymen can fire their own weapons out of which increases the amount of fire power this vehicle has to offer.
Other information
The BTR-90 weighs in at 20.9 tonnes, has a length of 7.64 meters, width of 3.20 meters and a height of 2.98 meters. The capacity of people of this vehicle totals in at 12 people. With 3 crewman being the commander, gunner, driver and the rest of the 9 left being the passengers. The vehicle in question was produced in low numbers which means that this is a rare vehicle to see in the Russian military. As such the vehicle is only used in internal military affairs most of the time. BTR-90 is also capable of a maximum speed of 100 k/m along smooth road and on cross-country land, it is capable of only 50 k/m. There are also other variations of the BTR-90, one of which has a 100mm cannon and also another variation which was produced that had a 125mm low pressure cannon.
