BTR-4 Equipped With New Topaz Combat Module, Ramp, and Anti-Drone Protection

The relocated state-owned enterprise Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau (KhKBM) presented the upgraded BTR-4E Bucephalus armored personnel carrier.

The official presentation took place at the MSPO international exhibition in Poland, according to Militarnyi.

The modernized vehicle’s main feature is the installation of the advanced Topaz combat module. It is currently undergoing testing.

“This is a prototype; we will test it, make refinements after the tests, and then it can be universally mounted on light armored vehicles,” a representative of KhKBM shared.

The Topaz combat module’s armament includes a 30-mm ZTM-1-01 automatic cannon and a twin 7.62-mm KT-7.62N machine gun. It also carries a 12.7-mm K1M (T) machine gun, a 40-mm KBA.419 automatic grenade launcher, and two launch tubes for anti-tank guided missiles. To deploy smoke screens, the combat module carries six 3D6 smoke grenade launchers.

The module’s aiming system includes a stabilized sight with two television channels, a thermal imaging channel, and a laser rangefinder. The system also features a panoramic sight with a similar set of optoelectronic channels.

Thanks to the panoramic sight, the armored personnel carrier’s commander can fire in “duplicate” mode alongside the gunner.

The BTR-4E exhibit model on display has a ramp designed to military specifications at the rear. Over time, the company plans to manufacture production armored personnel carriers with this exact design.

The vehicle’s protection complies with the international STANAG 4569 standard. The frontal armor meets Level 3+ and withstands hits from 12.7 mm armor-piercing incendiary rounds, while the sides and rear, rated at Level 3, withstand 7.62 mm rounds.

The APC’s mine protection is provided by several layers of armored plates corresponding to levels 3a and 3b. Inside the hull, an additional anti-splinter lining made of synthetic aramid materials is installed.

To protect against shaped-charge munitions, grid screens have been installed around the vehicle’s perimeter and in the upper hemisphere. Additionally, special curtains made of chains and metal rods have been deployed to counter loitering drones.

The upgraded BTR-4E is also equipped with an electronic warfare system manufactured by a Ukrainian company. In the future, the developers plan to integrate an active protection system and additional anti-drone nets into both the combat module and the vehicle itself.