Notes:
Using the Soviet BTR-60PB as a base, the Romanians came up with the at
first very similar TAB-71 series of APCs.
In addition to Romania, the TAB-71 was used by Yugoslavia and later
Moldova. Yugoslavian and Moldavan
examples may still be in service, but Romanian TAB-71s have long been replaced
by the TAB-77 and later APCs. The
TAB-71 was first seen by the West in 1972 and is externally very similar to the
BTR-60PB, though the vehicle is believed to have been in service since the late
1960s. Internal arrangements are different and the turret used is also
different. In addition to the basic TAB-71 APC and its upgrades, there are
several command variants as well as an ARV and mortar carrier (only APC-types
will be covered here).
The TAB-71
As stated
before, the basic form of the TAB-71 is very similar to that of the BTR-60PB.
The engines are in the rear; this means that there is no door or hatch in
the rear of the vehicle for the troops to enter and exit, the troops must
therefore enter and exit through a pair of roof hatches, making them vulnerable
if this is done under fire. There
are small hatches in the sides between the second and third roadwheels.
These are commonly called by the Romanians “suicide hatches” as they are
very small, almost impossible to squeeze out of wearing even minimal gear, and
generally used only in emergencies or to feed supplies through; you definitely
can’t come out of them in a fighting posture. The front of the vehicle has a
boat-shaped nose, and the driver on the left and commander on the right have
bullet-resistant windshields to their front and small windows to either side.
The windshields have armored shutters which may be closed over the windshields
with vision slits in them. The
commander has a hatch overhead which opens forwards, but no sort of weapon
mount. The driver has no hatch, but
does have a head for a night vision block. Behind the commander’s and driver’s
position is the small turret; this turret is the same as used on the MLVM
tracked APC, and it has a small hatch in the turret roof.
The turret is manually-operated. There are no firing ports and no special
provisions for fire other than manual fire extinguishers.
The crew and troops have a collective NBC system to plug into.
A front-mounted winch is mounted for self recovery; this has a capacity
of 5.5 tons and 60 meters of cable.
Like the
BTR-60PB, the TAB-71 is powered by twin gasoline engines, but the engines used
on the TAB-71 are much more powerful Saviem SR-225 engines each developing 140
horsepower. The vehicle is still
very difficult to drive, as transmission is manual with the driver having to
shift each engine individually in gear simultaneously in order for the vehicle
to continue to operate smoothly. The vehicle is amphibious with minimal
preparation (a trim vane must be erected from the driver’s compartment and bilge
pumps turned on), requiring 4 minutes. Once in the water, the TAB-71 is
propelled by the motion of its wheels. Suspension is 8x8 and of the
off-road-type, with central tire pressure regulation.
The TAB-71M,
also called the TAB-72, is fitted with the same Saviem 797-05 diesel engines as
the TAB-77; there are still two mounted and the driver difficulty is still
present, as the manual transmission is retained.
These engines each have a capacity of 130 horsepower.
The engines are mounted in a somewhat larger compartment, which
unfortunately takes room away from the troop compartment.
The “suicide hatches” have been made a little larger, but are still a
tight squeeze. The turret is modified and has more vision blocks than the
TAB-71’s turret, and the gunsight head is improved and better protected.
Command Variants
The TAB-71A
R-1450 is a minor command variant, for use at platoon command levels.
The primary difference is the addition of an additional long-range radio
and short-range radio with associated antennas on the roof.
The TAB-71A R-1451 is used at a somewhat higher level of command; it has
two long-range radios and two short-range radios, a removable pole-type antenna
to extend communications range, and a small box on the right side of the roof
which houses a 1kW generator. The
turret of the R-1451 houses only a PKT machinegun; the KPV and the associated
ammunition and stowage are deleted.
The interior of the R-1451 is rearranged for command functions, and has a small
amount of space for map stowage, marking and office-type supplies, and room for
the radio operators. It does not
carry a dismount crew. The TAB-71A
R-1452 is used at even higher command levels; the turret is unarmed and contains
extra day and night vision devices, and the interior is heavily rearranged with
room for a command staff, map stowage, a map board, two long-range, two
medium-range, and two short-range radios, a radio teletype machine (one of the
long-range radios is modified to allow the transmission of this data), and
office and plotting supplies. The
roof of the R-1452 has a 4kW generator, and also has a small crane with a
capacity of 1 ton to allow the generator to be dismounted and remounted.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
TAB-71 |
$67,566 |
G, A |
1.6 tons |
11 tons |
3+8 |
4 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
TAB-71M |
$67,491 |
D, A |
1.6 tons |
11 tons |
3+8 |
4 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
TAB-71A R-1450 |
$68,041 |
D, A |
1.2 tons |
11 tons |
3+7 |
4 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
TAB-71A R-1451 |
$62,112 |
D, A |
800 kg |
11.3 tons |
3+5 |
5 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
TAB-71A R-1452 |
$86,599 |
D, A |
700 kg |
11.5 tons |
3+5 |
6 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
TAB-71 |
183/92 |
42/21/5 |
290 |
195 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF3
HS3 HR2 |
TAB-71M/R-1450 |
171/86 |
39/20/4 |
290 |
135 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF3
HS3 HR2 |
TAB-71A R-1451 |
166/83 |
38/19/4 |
290 |
139 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF3
HS3 HR2 |
TAB-71A R-1452 |
164/83 |
37/19/4 |
290 |
142 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF2 TS2
TR2 HF3
HS3 HR2 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
TAB-71/TAB-71A R-1450 |
None |
None |
KPV, PKT |
600x14.5mm, 2500x7.62mm |
TAB-71M |
+1 |
Basic |
KPV, PKT |
600x14.5mm, 2500x7.62mm |
TAB-71A R 451 |
+1 |
Basic |
PKT |
2500x7.62mm |
Notes: The
Romanians not only built the BTR-70 under license, they built their own version
of the BTR-70, the TAB-77. The
TAB-77 first appeared in the late 1970s to the West, but was probably in service
with the Romanians a couple of years earlier than that.
The Romanians do not appear to have ever had any export customers for the
TAB-77. There are a number of
different versions of the TAB-77 that were built, including several upgraded
models and prototype versions. (The prototype versions will not be covered
here.) The Chinese purchased a number of TAB-77s in the 1980s for evaluation
purposes, and they reportedly entered limited test service, though the idea was
not further pursued.
The TAB-77
The hull follows
the basic model of the BTR-70, though with some detail differences, primarily to
suit local Romanian manufacturing methods.
The main difference is the engines; the two gasoline-powered engines of
the BTR-70 are replaced with a pair of 132-horsepower Savia 797-05M1 diesel
engines which give the TAB-77 greater range.
The TAB-77, however, is heavier than the BTR-70, so even though engine
power is comparable, the TAB-77 is slower than the BTR-70.
The turret is also different, being of higher profile, and having weapons
with greater elevation and depression (-12 degrees and almost straight up). The
turret has no hatch in the roof, and vision is through vision blocks or the
gunsight (which also has a night vision device).
The turret is manually-operated. The TAB-77 retains the “suicide hatches”
of the TAB-71M; the primary entrance and exit for the troops is still a pair of
roof hatches. There are, however,
three firing ports in each side of the troop compartment and two in the rear.
The engines are at the very rear of the vehicle, as on the TAB-71.
The driver and commander are in the front of the vehicle, with the driver
on the right and commander on the left; they have bullet-resistant windshields
to the front with armored shutters which may be lowered and have vision slits in
them. To their sides are small
windows over which armor plates may be slid.
The commander has a hatch over his position; the driver does not have a
hatch, but the roof does have an opening for a night vision block.
As stated above,
the TAB-77 uses different engines than the BTR-70.
Suspension is 8x8 off-road-type; the front four wheels are the steerable
wheels. The TAB-77 is still
difficult to drive due to the manual transmission and twin engines.
The driver has a central tire pressure regulation system. The crew has a
collective NBC system. Armor is
all-welded steel, but is relatively light (though an improvement on the TAB-71).
The vehicle is amphibious, with a trim vane requiring erection from
inside the driver’s compartment and bilge pumps turned on, as well as a waterjet
once the vehicle is floating. The
crew is protected by an automatic fire detection and suppression system.
The same front-mounted winch as on the TAB-71 is on the TAB-77, with a
capacity of 5.5 tons and 60 meters of cable.
The B-33
Zimbru
Originally
thought to be simply an upgrade of the TAB-77, the B-33 in fact uses the BTR-80
as a base. It was first seen in
1996. The B-33 is powered by a single 280-horsepower diesel engine.
(Transmission is still manual.) Layout is largely the same as on the
TAB-77, but to the side of the commander’s compartment is an additional firing
port. The turret is the same as on the TAB-77, but has an IR searchlight on top
(controllable from inside the turret) and a bank of six smoke grenade launchers
at the rear of the turret. Gone are
the “suicide doors;” the doors are now large enough for troops to enter and
leave the vehicle through them, and are clamshell doors opening upwards and
downwards. The roof hatches open
outwards and can be locked open vertically; for this purpose, they each have a
firing port in them, with the soldier using the hatch as a gun shield.
The winch has been increased in strength to 6 tons, but still with 60
meters of cable. The B-33 is fitted
with a modern radio set, including a long-range, medium-range, and short-range
radio.
The Zimbru 2000
is a further development of the B-33, powered by a German-made 260-horsepower
turbocharged diesel coupled to an automatic transmission.
The turret of the Zimbru 2000 is larger and is an OHWS fitted with a 30mm
2A42 autocannon instead of the customary twin machinegun turret.
This turret hats a hatch in it, and has upgraded night vision equipment
and fire control. Service began in
2007, after the delay of the RN-94 program.
The Saur 1 is
greatly redesigned from the Zimbru 2000, with the engine in the center of the
vehicle, and that engine being a Cummins 275-horsepower engine.
The troop compartment is in the rear and there is a large hatch in the
rear of the vehicle. The front of
the vehicle is redesigned and has a sharper slope than previous models. The Saur
1 has an OHWS like that fitted to the Zimbru 2000.
The Saur 1 is available for export, but no sales have yet been made.
The version made
for Chinese evaluation is believed to have increased armor and is much heavier
than its Romanian counterpart. It
is otherwise like the standard TAB-77.
Command and
Signals Vehicles
The TAB-77A
R-1451/M is a version of the TAB-77 fitted out as a command vehicle.
In this role, the vehicle is fitted with a low-profile turret armed only
with a PKT machinegun. Two
long-range, three medium-range, and two short-range radios are carried, as well
as a radio teletype machine; in later versions, a ruggedized laptop computer is
carried instead of the radio teletype.
A map board and map storage is carried, as well as office and plotting
supplies, and the shelves of the vehicle can be folded out into a large work
space. Three folding chairs are
carried. A hand-held image intensifier and thermal imager is carried.
The
TAB-77A R-1452 is not only a signals vehicle, it carries generators to power the
vehicle and an accompanying R-1451/M.
It has a very long-range radio with a range of 100 km, two long-range
radios, two medium-range radios, and a switchboard, along with necessary commo
gear. It carries 20 field
telephones. An antenna mast can be
erected atop the vehicle to further extend radio range.
The vehicle has a 1kW and a 5kW generator at the rear of the vehicle on
the roof. The R-1452 has a dummy
turret, but it does not rotate and the weapons are fake and the weapons do not
elevate or depress. The false
turret still functions as an observation dome, and is therefore given a value
below. The true armament of the
R-1452 is a pintle-mounted machinegun by the commander’s station.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The B-33 is a rare vehicle in the Twilight 2000 timeline.
The Zimbru 2000 and Saur 1 are absent from the Twilight 2000 timeline.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
TAB-77 |
$47,833 |
D, A |
1.6
tons |
13.3
tons |
3+8 |
8 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
B-33 |
$39,761 |
D, A |
1.5
tons |
14
tons |
3+8 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
Zimbru 2000 |
$44,204 |
D, A |
1.6
tons |
14
tons |
3+8 |
8 |
Passive IR (D, G) |
Shielded |
Saur
1 |
$92,685 |
D, A |
1.7
tons |
13.5
tons |
3+8 |
8 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G), Thermal Imaging (G) |
Shielded |
Chinese TAB-77 |
$48,549 |
D, A |
1.2
tons |
15
tons |
3+8 |
8 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
TAB-77A R-1451/M |
$128,056 |
D, A |
800
kg |
13.7
tons |
3+4 |
9 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
TAB-77A R-1451/M (Late) |
$187,981 |
D, A |
800
kg |
13.7
tons |
3+4 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
TAB-77 A R-1452 |
$43,457 |
D, A |
600
kg |
13.6
tons |
4 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
TAB-77 |
150/75 |
34/18/4 |
290 |
138 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF4 HS3
HR3 |
B-33 |
151/76 |
35/18/4 |
290 |
147 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF5 HS3
HR3 |
Zimbru 2000 |
142/72 |
33/17/4 |
290 |
136 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF5 HS3
HR3 |
Saur
1 |
152/77 |
35/18/4 |
290 |
143 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF6 HS3
HR3 |
Chinese TAB-77 |
137/69 |
32/16/4 |
290 |
156 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF5 HS4
HR3 |
TAB-77A R-1451/M |
146/73 |
33/17/4 |
290 |
142 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF4 HS3
HR3 |
TAB-77A R-1452 |
147/73 |
33/17/4 |
290 |
141 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF4 HS3
HR3 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
TAB-77/Chinese TAB-77 |
+1 |
Basic |
KPV,
PKT |
600x14.5mm, 2500x7.62mm |
B-33 |
+1 |
Basic |
KPV,
PKT |
600x14.5mm, 3000x7.62mm |
Zimbru 2000 |
+2 |
Fair |
30mm
2A42 Autocannon, PKT |
300x30mm, 3000x7.62mm |
Saur
1 |
+2 |
Fair |
30mm
2A42 Autocannon, PKT |
360x30mm, 3600x7.62mm |
TAB-77A R-1451/M |
+1 |
Basic |
PKT |
2500x7.62mm |
TAB-77 R-1452 |
None |
None |
PK
(C) |
2500x7.62mm |
ROMARM TABC-79/ABC-79M
Notes:
This Romanian vehicle uses many automotive components of the TAB-77.
Though it is primarily still known as the TABC-79, its designation was
recently changed to the ABC-79M. Although classed as an APC, its Romanian
designation is reconnaissance armored personnel carrier.
It is a 4x4 vehicle, smaller but more heavily armored than the TAB-77
series. It is uses many of the same
automotive components as the TAB-77 and is regarded by some experts as a
shortened version of the TAB-77, though it bears only a superficial resemblance
to the TAB-77. The TABC-79 is currently used only by Romania. The TABC-79 has
seen combat service in Kosovo as part of KFOR. One example was purchased by the
Israelis in 1994, for unknown trials, and its current disposition is also
unknown.
The commander
and driver sit at the front of the vehicle, the driver on the left and commander
beside him on the right. The
commander and driver have a windshield to the front that may be covered by an
armored shutter (they then use vision blocks); they also have hatches above
their positions. The turret is
identical to the TAB-77s, except that the vision equipment is better as is fire
control equipment. The passengers
have hatches on either side of the vehicle between the wheels, and another door
on the rear; the side hatches are small, similar to the “suicide hatches” of the
TAB-71M, and the rear door is cramped and narrow.
There is also a hatch on the roof of the vehicle behind the turret.
The troop compartment is relatively small. The TABC-79 has a collective
NBC system for the crew and troops. Protection also includes an automatic fire
detection and suppression system. The passengers have firing ports, two to a
side and two in the rear. The
TABC-79 has a 5.5-ton winch on the front with 50 meters of cable.
There are two
primary variants of the TABC-79: The TABC-79 reconnaissance version, with an
extra long-range radio that is data-capable and a radio teletype; and the TAB-C,
an APC variant which has room for one extra person in the troop section.
There is also the TABC-79M turretless APC, with a pintle-mounted
machinegun and even more room in the troop section.
The TAB RCH-84 is an NBC reconnaissance version with appropriate
biological, chemical, and radiological detection and measurement gear, and a
pair of dispensers for marking flags (40 per side, which are actuated from
inside the vehicle), and a full NBC overpressure suite.
It also has an extra long-range radio with data capability, and
appropriate communications gear for transmitting its findings back to higher
headquarters. The TABC-79A PCMOA is a FIST vehicle with extra observation and
rangefinding equipment in its turret as well as a designator; its turret is
wider but lower in profile, and is armed only with a PKT machinegun. The PCMOA
has extra communications gear, including an extra long-range data-capable
computer and equipment to communicate fire direction information to artillery
and mortar units. It has a limited computer for computation of fire direction
information and coordinates.
The TABC-79 is
powered by a single Savia 798.05N2 turbocharged diesel engine, with an automatic
transmission. The driver has
conventional controls. The engine
is relatively compact, allowing for that small hatch in the rear, though it is
mounted at the rear of the vehicle. The TABC-79 is amphibious without
preparation, requiring only that a waterjet be switched on when the vehicle
begins floating. Suspension is 4x4
and of the off-road-type. Armor protection is slightly improved over the TAB-77,
being on par with the B-33.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
TABC-79 |
$50,423 |
D, A |
700 kg |
9.3 tons |
3+4 |
6 |
Passive IR (D, G) |
Shielded |
TAB-C |
$35,373 |
D, A |
900 kg |
9.2 tons |
3+5 |
6 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
TABC-79M |
$24,295 |
D, A |
1 ton |
9 tons |
3+6 |
6 |
Passive IR (D) |
Shielded |
TAB RCH-84 |
$472,778 |
D, A |
350 kg |
9.5 tons |
4 |
8 |
Passive IR (D, G) |
Shielded |
TABC-79A PCMOA |
$125,195 |
D, A |
350 kg |
9.5 tons |
4 |
8 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G) |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
TABC-79 |
127/63 |
29/15/3 |
200 |
80 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF5 HS3
HR3 |
TAB-C |
128/64 |
29/15/3 |
200 |
79 |
CiH |
W(3) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF5 HS3
HR3 |
TABC-79M |
131/65 |
30/15/4 |
200 |
78 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF5 HS3
HR3 |
TAB RCH-84/TABC-79A PCMOA |
124/62 |
28/15/3 |
200 |
82 |
CiH |
W(4) |
TF4
TS4 TR3
HF5 HS3
HR3 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
TABC-79/TAB RCH-84 |
+2 |
Fair |
KPV, PKT |
500x14.5mm, 2000x7.62mm |
TAB-C |
+1 |
Basic |
KPV, PKT |
500x14.5mm, 2000x7.62mm |
TABC-79M |
None |
None |
PK |
2500x7.62mm |
TABC-79A PCMOA |
+2 |
Fair |
PKT |
2500x7.62mm |