Correction: The Ukrainian vehicle is based on the slightly larger MT-LB variant, the MT-LBu! Thanks for watching, check out our accompanying article for this video here - armourersbench.com/2023/06/24/russia-ukraines-adapted-mt-lbs/ - Matt
My favourite versions of MT-LB's are the ones with ZSU-23-2 and with the 2 S-5 rocket pods on it. This thing is surprisingly moddable and can be adapted to almost any mission on the field.
MT-LB is essentialy soviet equivalent of M113, APC , AA platform , Med evac and so on depending on mods. I would actualy say that they are better than M113 in my oppinion.
The raised turrets are probably going to be used in a defensive role. The vehicle can be parked behind a berm or a wall and the raised turrets can fire over and provide a good vantage point for a senty.
If it’s not used as a hull-down static defense, it’ll attract a lot of attention. And can you imagine trying to fire from that turret while on the move?
No. Its because these were designed for mounting on a boat, so it has machinery and whatnot that extends for another meter or so into that trunk and the Russians couldn't/didn't want to cut a hole in the hull so they just welded the whole thing down and called it хороший.
@@obsidianjane4413Thanks for this explanation. I’ve been wondering why the turrets were installed so tall when that would make them bigger, easier to shoot targets.
Could also be due to how the turrets are made. Since they are made to be on ships the tube could hold the mechanics. Like the motor and gearing to turn the turret. Or the ammo belts.
The MTLB us as popular as it is for the same reason the M-113 is so popular... More than anything it's utility and simplicity, next is its modularity and ease of modification and upgrade 😉
Yeah the M113, most commonly known as the aluminum coffin because it's a very large, barely armored death trap especially for the poor troops inside. It's also noisy and rough riding!
I mean it is a tracked metal box with a huge flat bed. Whatever you can do to a Hilux, you can do better with said metal box. Similar logic with m113 tbh. It was used as a testbed for practically everything from 20mm to 105mm, atgm to sam, and more.
Something is really bothering me about the rocket launching version at 5:50 That sign post is weirdly floating, but also casting a shadow on the road wheel. The dirt pile also has a part of the side armor of the MT-LB on it somehow.
Love the MT-LB. Its the Kei Truck of tracked fighting vehicles, it could get just about anything done. A true workhorse that deserves all the love it gets.
Important thing to point out, the Ukraine complex modification is based not on basic MT-LB, but on the enlarged MT-LBu. Roadwheels are the biggest giveaway, there is 7 of them instead of 6.
I remember the masses laughing at it but I for one am impressed that I’d get to see such a mod. I’ve read about such mods done in WW2 so to see such a mod work in 2022-23, that’s interesting
The best use so far is MTLB with a Russian Lancet-4 tube drones - new version of a drone 3x bigger. Each MTLB would pack 2x 4 drones. That would be almost idea use of the vehicle.
Год назад
Nice overview Video. I dont have time to follow all these online Videos :) Recently I was allowed to ride in the back of an MT-LB at a German Museum and that was quite something. The Rapira modification doesnt seem to have cought on though. Or I think we would be seeing more of them on Videos.
Dug into the ground with just the turret showing these would be terrifying anti-infantry weapons in ambush situations. As an aside I wonder if there are any M136 VADS still in storage? Again as an anti-drone and anti-personnel weapon.
As others have commented, it's like the M113. I had the chance to play with the Vulcan 20mm AA variant of a 113 one REFORGER. I would take that vehicle in a Cav' platoon any day. What we are seeing here is some serious ad hoc'ing, unlike the ACAV kit for a 113 which was purpose built. I also sensed a challenging number of calibers and ammunition types, adding to the complexity of supply. Unless you're not planning to outlast your basic load?
I love the idea of mounting an old navy mg turret on these things. Those twin guns would be a terror. Only a matter of time before they put a quad on. One thing Russians do well is build things to last. They don't care about looks, only function in extreme conditions.
I'm surprised you think this would not be capable against drones, particularly how many we see simply hovering...if the 25mm rounds have proximity fuses, they ought to be effective.
Proximity fuses have only recently been miniaturised down to 30mm, I doubt there are any 25mm proximity fuses, especially for 1950s naval gun that has not been widely used for many decades.
I don't understand the hate the MT-LB is getting. It's a solid design for what it is supposed to be. Just like the M113. It's an armoured box on tracks. A battle taxi/armoured utility vehicle. Meant to be little more than a step up from a basic truck or a jeep. It's simple, it's rugged, versatile and cost effective. The fact that it's still being widely used by both sides in such a wide range of uses is evidence of that. Most of the time you don't really need an MBT or an IFV to get the job done. You just need something that can cross a muddy field reasonably quickly and can bounce a few rifle rounds and shell splinters.
I have been on a MTLB and m113, mtlb’s space is too small compare to m113, when it run on rough road, my head keep bump on the roof, and m113 more comfortable
I will add it to the list but at the moment I've got so much to cover I just don't have enough time (or rather time to spare) to cover everything I'd like to!
people be ridiculing these kinds of vehicles but.. why spend hundreds of thousands if not millions to develop an entirely new vehicle than just stick a turret you already got and isn't being used on an APC that you already have in service? hell, if these 25mm's got AP rounds, they might be able to take out stuff like BMP's!
I'm not ridiculing them for their decision to adapt these vehicles, I'm ridiculing them for how crudely they've done it, at least with the Russian vehicle. Just because of how much bigger it makes the silhouette, if I was an MT-LB crewman and I was told my vehicle would be converted into a primitive IFV by adding autocannons, I'd spend the whole time praying that they were attaching a ZU-23 mount rather than the goof auhh naval turret.
@@moritamikamikara3879 this isn't WarThunder where you're peeking over hills with your guns at -30 elevation shooting at blind as fuck lvl 1 players driving past.... the height of the modification changes pretty much nothing. Besides, i assume the height is due to the autoloader/feed system something you can't remove unless you want a bolt action 25mm
Bradley turret has a longer 25mm cannon that fires depleted uranium rounds. This MT-LB couldn’t penetrate anything with significant armor and it’s own armor is too weak for it to provide frontline fire support. MT-LB can’t even survive .50 cal. The armor of a M2A2/3/4 Bradley for comparison can withstand 30mm BMP auto cannon
I still say that a lot of the gun modded MT-LBs were done by or for the Russian Navy to be used with their naval Infantry/Marines. Most the gun mounts look small gunboat and larger ship turrets, this video points to two MT-LBs variants that used a Russian Navy turrets. I could also easily believe that Ukrainian Marines are getting a lot MT-LBs with old naval guns on them too. There's just no evidence of that at the moment or at least I haven't seen it.
It's at the start of the video, I have 2 full videos on it. Here you go: ruclips.net/video/onroLhwyj0o/видео.html & ruclips.net/video/s6vBAJDUdpg/видео.html
@@TheArmourersBench Oh I guess I missed that video since it was released 10 months ago. By the way russians tried to copy that design but their makeshift mtlb was destroyed recently. Also I heard about breech loading mortars that were put at the top of mtlbs but haven't saw a video or photo of those types.
@@TheArmourersBench Unfortunately there is no close up photos. Only a drone footage. It is listed on Oryx as well as other rare confirmed mtlb samples that were damaged or captured.
the mtlb is the Russian version of the simple mobile metal box that can be modified to anything you think of, like m113, you can turn it into a mortar carrier, artillery, ifv, spaa, supply vehicles, and anything you can think of, they may look silly but it's not a bad idea to use large stockpiles of ammunition and weapons that would have never been used if the modifications never happened, at the end of a day, its just more ammo that you can use
The gunshield on the second ukrainian modded mt-lb makes little sense to me, the armor is so sparce you would be hard pressed to expect it to actually offer much protection yet it adds additional weight to the fire control system and vehicle.
@@TheArmourersBench Exactly, the armored remote weaponstations that i have seen so far usually place the armor directly onto the optics or ammunition, seems far more weight efficient.
yeah, ukranian ones seem to be a product of some industrial facility, russian ones look like they were made by some dudes in the garage of the military base without any official approval
Closest equivalent would be the M113. Countless variants of this vehicle. After starting as an APC other uses included command vehicle, mortar carrier, anti tank TOW launcher, Charparel anti aircraft missile launcher, ADATS missile carrier, M61 gun carrier, light tank with 76mm gun, etc., etc., etc.
When the Russians did it, it was a hilarious NAFO meme about Russians being idiots. Now that Ukraine has done it, it’s pure genius! Lol. Very funny to observe. 😂
Its the same as if you compare the US Army and Taliban using Rocketpods bolted on Pickup trucks. Russia is expected to be a modern military, ukraine is the small country desperately fighting for its survival. So stuff like MTLB Rocketartillery is seen different than russian naval turrets on them.
your "gotcha" attempt to point out the so-called "double standard" had failed to take into account that the country in question getting mocked claim to be the 2nd strongest army in the world and a world superpower in similar standing as USA.
Correction: The Ukrainian vehicle is based on the slightly larger MT-LB variant, the MT-LBu! Thanks for watching, check out our accompanying article for this video here -
armourersbench.com/2023/06/24/russia-ukraines-adapted-mt-lbs/ - Matt
My favourite versions of MT-LB's are the ones with ZSU-23-2 and with the 2 S-5 rocket pods on it. This thing is surprisingly moddable and can be adapted to almost any mission on the field.
MT-LB is essentialy soviet equivalent of M113, APC , AA platform , Med evac and so on depending on mods. I would actualy say that they are better than M113 in my oppinion.
@@LonelySidTheSlothmuch lower profile has its perks.
ZU-23-2*
The raised turrets are probably going to be used in a defensive role. The vehicle can be parked behind a berm or a wall and the raised turrets can fire over and provide a good vantage point for a senty.
Indeed that hull down advantage would be smart to use.
If it’s not used as a hull-down static defense, it’ll attract a lot of attention. And can you imagine trying to fire from that turret while on the move?
No. Its because these were designed for mounting on a boat, so it has machinery and whatnot that extends for another meter or so into that trunk and the Russians couldn't/didn't want to cut a hole in the hull so they just welded the whole thing down and called it хороший.
@@obsidianjane4413Thanks for this explanation. I’ve been wondering why the turrets were installed so tall when that would make them bigger, easier to shoot targets.
Could also be due to how the turrets are made. Since they are made to be on ships the tube could hold the mechanics. Like the motor and gearing to turn the turret. Or the ammo belts.
The MTLB us as popular as it is for the same reason the M-113 is so popular... More than anything it's utility and simplicity, next is its modularity and ease of modification and upgrade 😉
now that I think of it, MTLBs are pancake'd m113
One is flat and one is boxy. I would personally go with the boxy one due to space.
Also because there’s a shit ton of them.
Yeah the M113, most commonly known as the aluminum coffin because it's a very large, barely armored death trap especially for the poor troops inside. It's also noisy and rough riding!
Gotta say I that I love people applying technical logic to actual AFVs as well as the traditional Hiluxs
I mean it is a tracked metal box with a huge flat bed.
Whatever you can do to a Hilux, you can do better with said metal box.
Similar logic with m113 tbh. It was used as a testbed for practically everything from 20mm to 105mm, atgm to sam, and more.
Something is really bothering me about the rocket launching version at 5:50 That sign post is weirdly floating, but also casting a shadow on the road wheel. The dirt pile also has a part of the side armor of the MT-LB on it somehow.
Yeah, I think that's someone using a clone mask to remove something, probably a watermark.
Love the MT-LB. Its the Kei Truck of tracked fighting vehicles, it could get just about anything done. A true workhorse that deserves all the love it gets.
The MT-LB and the M113 both are the best APC on the era as both are adaptable,reliable and rugged.
@@aker1993 The MT-LB is not an APC, its a prime mover. Basically, a glorified armored tractor. Thats the beautiful thing about it.
Love the looks of the MT-LB for sure!
@@aker1993mtlb can swim whereas the m113 can't swim
@@aker1993mtlb это не бронетранспортер, его назначение это тягач
Important thing to point out, the Ukraine complex modification is based not on basic MT-LB, but on the enlarged MT-LBu. Roadwheels are the biggest giveaway, there is 7 of them instead of 6.
Yes you're right!
Every vehicle can take on combat roles if you are brave enough :D
I present to you, the Battle Segway 😂
@@ImperatorSomnium I'm thinking recoilless rifle attachment.
@@SlavicCelery works, as long as it doesn't foll of a cliff haha
@@ImperatorSomnium That's why there's an ammo segway and one carrying sandbags.
@@SlavicCelery nice
0:25 that's straight up WW2 era Panzerjäger
5:07 and that's a Flakpanzer.
Damn, really did not think I'd see something like this in modern days😂
MT-LB *EXTRA SHOOTY!*
Thank you for all of your hard work.
Thank you, much appreciated.
An MTLB trebuchet would be a great siege adaptation!
MT-LB battering ram would be cool
MT-LB siegetower when?
There were also some Ukranian MTLBs that were fitted with Rapira AT guns , looking much like WW2 style tank destroyers.
Yes! I have a couple of videos on them ruclips.net/video/s6vBAJDUdpg/видео.html
5:39 tracks as add on armor? Nice. And cheap, there are plenty tracks laying arond on the battle field
I remember the masses laughing at it but I for one am impressed that I’d get to see such a mod. I’ve read about such mods done in WW2 so to see such a mod work in 2022-23, that’s interesting
this is like the Eastern equivalent of the Toyota hallux
Ukraine are using toyota hilux now donated by Japan
Western. Japan being considerably further east than Ukraine.
This is "kit bashing" taken to a new level.
The best use so far is MTLB with a Russian Lancet-4 tube drones - new version of a drone 3x bigger. Each MTLB would pack 2x 4 drones. That would be almost idea use of the vehicle.
Nice overview Video. I dont have time to follow all these online Videos :) Recently I was allowed to ride in the back of an MT-LB at a German Museum and that was quite something.
The Rapira modification doesnt seem to have cought on though. Or I think we would be seeing more of them on Videos.
Adapt, improvise, overcome!!! Necessity is the mother of all invention.
The Ukranian modded ones looks to be the larger variant of the MTLB
There are dozens of even Mtlb unmodified Variants, for example MTLB-Y its feet higher. There are some lower, wider etc.
Yea, they are not only larger, but have 7 roadwheels. So it is MT-LBu
Dug into the ground with just the turret showing these would be terrifying anti-infantry weapons in ambush situations.
As an aside I wonder if there are any M136 VADS still in storage? Again as an anti-drone and anti-personnel weapon.
As others have commented, it's like the M113. I had the chance to play with the Vulcan 20mm AA variant of a 113 one REFORGER. I would take that vehicle in a Cav' platoon any day. What we are seeing here is some serious ad hoc'ing, unlike the ACAV kit for a 113 which was purpose built. I also sensed a challenging number of calibers and ammunition types, adding to the complexity of supply. Unless you're not planning to outlast your basic load?
Russia has stockpiles of munitions from WWII and the Cold War. They are not going to run out of ammunition.
I love the idea of mounting an old navy mg turret on these things. Those twin guns would be a terror. Only a matter of time before they put a quad on. One thing Russians do well is build things to last. They don't care about looks, only function in extreme conditions.
Lol only if they’re maintained, which a lot of Russian equipment isn’t.
4:10 this image is trippy
Lol yeah, I think that's someone using a clone mask to remove something, probably a watermark.
I'm surprised you think this would not be capable against drones, particularly how many we see simply hovering...if the 25mm rounds have proximity fuses, they ought to be effective.
True, it might well be what they're intended for but as you say depends if they have proximity fuzed rounds.
Proximity fuses have only recently been miniaturised down to 30mm, I doubt there are any 25mm proximity fuses, especially for 1950s naval gun that has not been widely used for many decades.
Drones are largely plastic - good luck finding a proximity sensor sensitive enough to detect a few grams of metal.
I don't understand the hate the MT-LB is getting. It's a solid design for what it is supposed to be. Just like the M113. It's an armoured box on tracks. A battle taxi/armoured utility vehicle. Meant to be little more than a step up from a basic truck or a jeep.
It's simple, it's rugged, versatile and cost effective. The fact that it's still being widely used by both sides in such a wide range of uses is evidence of that. Most of the time you don't really need an MBT or an IFV to get the job done. You just need something that can cross a muddy field reasonably quickly and can bounce a few rifle rounds and shell splinters.
I have been on a MTLB and m113, mtlb’s space is too small compare to m113, when it run on rough road, my head keep bump on the roof, and m113 more comfortable
Well its a highly mobile all-terrain platform with a flat top. Its almost a crime not to duct-tape some dakka dakka to it.
Is the MT-LB the new Toyota Hy-Lux of gun platforms?
Could you cover the Lancet drone?
I will add it to the list but at the moment I've got so much to cover I just don't have enough time (or rather time to spare) to cover everything I'd like to!
Just realized that naval mount dshk isnt even a dshk-m. Its feeding mechanism is the round rotary one, not the flat cover
Nice job on a good video!
5:50 looks like an AI photo floating sign armor on dirt lighting looks weird
I think that's someone using a clone mask to remove something, probably a watermark.
@@TheArmourersBench Ah thank you that would make sense.
I don’t know what’s more dangerous being in a vehicle or being on foot these days. I think statistically it’s safer to fly.
Flying in the war in ukraine is pretty dangerous too.
In Vietnam helicoptercrews ie had one of the lowest survivalrates
people be ridiculing these kinds of vehicles but..
why spend hundreds of thousands if not millions to develop an entirely new vehicle than just stick a turret you already got and isn't being used on an APC that you already have in service?
hell, if these 25mm's got AP rounds, they might be able to take out stuff like BMP's!
Да, это творческая самодеятельность.
I'm not ridiculing them for their decision to adapt these vehicles, I'm ridiculing them for how crudely they've done it, at least with the Russian vehicle.
Just because of how much bigger it makes the silhouette, if I was an MT-LB crewman and I was told my vehicle would be converted into a primitive IFV by adding autocannons, I'd spend the whole time praying that they were attaching a ZU-23 mount rather than the goof auhh naval turret.
@@moritamikamikara3879 this isn't WarThunder where you're peeking over hills with your guns at -30 elevation shooting at blind as fuck lvl 1 players driving past....
the height of the modification changes pretty much nothing. Besides, i assume the height is due to the autoloader/feed system
something you can't remove unless you want a bolt action 25mm
@@moritamikamikara3879 they are probably meant to be positioned in a trench so only the turret is up and above ground level
Normal people: woah cool
War thunder players: OP premium tanks that cost arm and a leg.
5:45
Has anybody found out why the street sign is a SCP?
Clone mask too used to remove a watermark at some point probably.
There is probably a MT-LB with a Bradley mounted on top.
Bradley turret has a longer 25mm cannon that fires depleted uranium rounds.
This MT-LB couldn’t penetrate anything with significant armor and it’s own armor is too weak for it to provide frontline fire support. MT-LB can’t even survive .50 cal. The armor of a M2A2/3/4 Bradley for comparison can withstand 30mm BMP auto cannon
Я видел КАМАЗ , на котором сверху был установлен БМД4😂😂😂
И делал пиу пиу пиу пиу из 30мм пушки
nice to see somebody making a sober account of these and not just doing the "russian bad huurrrr" take
The lack of radar guidance makes them unsuitable for AA work. The high elevation suggest urban combat mission
Most drone are very slow. The old AA guns are effective
@@blackpowderriflehunter7573 The problem is that they're also very small
@@RyTrapp0
Volume of fire mitigates that. Also some drones are much larger that the usual quad copters.
I assume they are like ifvs...
No other vehicle has been bastardised is much as the MTLB. Just let the poor thing be
They need a TOW/Kornet ATGM version
I still say that a lot of the gun modded MT-LBs were done by or for the Russian Navy to be used with their naval Infantry/Marines. Most the gun mounts look small gunboat and larger ship turrets, this video points to two MT-LBs variants that used a Russian Navy turrets. I could also easily believe that Ukrainian Marines are getting a lot MT-LBs with old naval guns on them too. There's just no evidence of that at the moment or at least I haven't seen it.
It's probably cuz the top of that armored vehicle is so flat they could mount pretty-much anything on
Russia in 2021: second best army in the world
Russia in 2022: second best army in Ukraine
Russia in 2023: second best army in Russia
Love the Mad Vlad lash-up . Didnt the Nazis in WW2 start bodging up such desperardo things?
Mt-lb look look like nice SA 17 missile carrier !?
Look at what the Syrian did with tracked AA gun, real effective in urban warfare. No match for concrete.
You forgot to mention mtlb + mt12 gun.
It's at the start of the video, I have 2 full videos on it. Here you go: ruclips.net/video/onroLhwyj0o/видео.html & ruclips.net/video/s6vBAJDUdpg/видео.html
@@TheArmourersBench Oh I guess I missed that video since it was released 10 months ago. By the way russians tried to copy that design but their makeshift mtlb was destroyed recently. Also I heard about breech loading mortars that were put at the top of mtlbs but haven't saw a video or photo of those types.
@@axis1662 I'd like to see the Russian version!
@@TheArmourersBench Unfortunately there is no close up photos. Only a drone footage. It is listed on Oryx as well as other rare confirmed mtlb samples that were damaged or captured.
looks like the tops would blow off in a strong wind
- NATO: you can't put AMRAAM missiles on a MIG-29
- MT-LB: hold my vodka
the mtlb is the Russian version of the simple mobile metal box that can be modified to anything you think of, like m113, you can turn it into a mortar carrier, artillery, ifv, spaa, supply vehicles, and anything you can think of, they may look silly but it's not a bad idea to use large stockpiles of ammunition and weapons that would have never been used if the modifications never happened, at the end of a day, its just more ammo that you can use
MT-LBs from the Thumbnail are from Georgia, not Russia.
Oh really? Got a source on that info so I can correct it?
The gunshield on the second ukrainian modded mt-lb makes little sense to me, the armor is so sparce you would be hard pressed to expect it to actually offer much protection yet it adds additional weight to the fire control system and vehicle.
My thoughts too.
@@TheArmourersBench glad i'm not alone in my confusion
I can only assume it's for elevation but the cutouts are so big they're exposing the action and optics.
@@TheArmourersBench Exactly, the armored remote weaponstations that i have seen so far usually place the armor directly onto the optics or ammunition, seems far more weight efficient.
Compared to the M113 , is it better in terms of survivability and reliability?
In terms of survivability it should be roughly the same.
Reliability, I don't know enough to comment.
The same thing no armor but very good reliability and utility
The Ukrainian add on looks like a actual military upgrade, the Russian one looks like something made by IS.
yeah, ukranian ones seem to be a product of some industrial facility, russian ones look like they were made by some dudes in the garage of the military base without any official approval
Thats a cursed picture if Ive ever seen one lmao.
Very good armoured vehicle the MT-LB .
The Ukrainians need to mount some US CWIS on those - keep pesky drones off the armored columns...
23mm, not 25mm.
The Russian mtlb’s are vs drones.
Potentially yeah.
Does anyone know if the west built anything similar to this vehicle?
Closest equivalent would be the M113. Countless variants of this vehicle. After starting as an APC other uses included command vehicle, mortar carrier, anti tank TOW launcher, Charparel anti aircraft missile launcher, ADATS missile carrier, M61 gun carrier, light tank with 76mm gun, etc., etc., etc.
some say artillery is king of battle, nyet. intelligence.
nothing beats logistics
when this in war thunder
the Ukrainian MTLB are far more slicker and better per say than the Russian one
lol 5:55 i clearly a photoshoped image or it is even completey created by AI. and you want to take seriously.. OMG
Baukommando Becker was far more creative. Our slavic friends are more like orks. Bolting things on top for more dakka!
😻
When the Russians did it, it was a hilarious NAFO meme about Russians being idiots. Now that Ukraine has done it, it’s pure genius! Lol. Very funny to observe. 😂
All in the eye of beholder I guess.
Because they are held to a different standard, as they should be
Its the same as if you compare the US Army and Taliban using Rocketpods bolted on Pickup trucks.
Russia is expected to be a modern military, ukraine is the small country desperately fighting for its survival.
So stuff like MTLB Rocketartillery is seen different than russian naval turrets on them.
your "gotcha" attempt to point out the so-called "double standard" had failed to take into account that the country in question getting mocked claim to be the 2nd strongest army in the world and a world superpower in similar standing as USA.
All fun and games till the sentry tanks roll up and waste you lookin like some Star Wars rebels shit
Until it’s wasted by a rocket launcher.
✨ *promosm*
Cheap (relatively) Simple, easily adapted.
Russian wisdom during war time :
Quantity is quality.
Do as bad as possible as good as necessary.