Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license.
Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat.
We can research this topic together.
Soviet tracked amphibious transport
PTS
PTS-M
Type
Tracked amphibious transport
Place of origin
Soviet Union
Production history
Manufacturer
Lugansk teplovoz LTvZ, Soviet State Factories
Produced
Begun 1965
Specifications
Mass
17,700 kg (39,000 lb)
Length
11.52 m (37 ft 10 in)
Width
3.32 m (10 ft 11 in)
Height
2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)
Engine
A-712PV12 water-cooled diesel (PTS) or V-54P V12 water-cooled diesel (PTS-M) 250 hp (190 kW) 350 hp (PTS-M)
The PTS is a Soviettrackedamphibious transport. PTS stands for Plavayushchij Transportyer - Sryednyj or medium amphibious transport vehicle. Its industrial index was Ob'yekt 65.
Introduced in 1965, it is large, with a substantial payload of 10 tons, two to four times the capacity of the BAV 485, and better cross-country performance, at the cost of somewhat higher purchase costs because it is tracked. The most common model is the improved PTS-M that is powered by a 350 hp diesel engine.
Description
The PTS has a boxy, open watertight hull, with six road wheels per side, front drive sprocket, rear idler sprocket, and no return rollers. Like the BAV 485, and unlike the DUKW, it has a rear loading ramp. The crew is seated at the front, leaving the rear of the vehicle open for a vehicle, which can be driven (or backed) in, rather than lifted over the side. The engine is under the floor. Propulsion in water is by means of twin propellers, in tunnels to protect them from damage during land operations.
PKP trailerPTS-2
The PTS-M also has a companion vehicle, the PKP, a boat-like amphibious two-wheeled trailer, with fold-out sponsons providing stability on water; the combination allows the PTS-M to accommodate an artillery tractor, field gun (up to medium caliber), its crew, and a quantity of ammunition, all in one load.
PTS-10: Czech designation of PTS-M; can carry 70 passengers.
PTS-2: Replacement based on new larger chassis, with higher side walls and larger loading platform.
PTS-3: Upgrade of PTS-2 with higher sides.
PTS-4: Based on T-80 chassis with improved armor and larger props.
PLAM: Chinese variant on indigenous chassis with MG turret on the cab.
In 2014, the Russian Defense Ministry intends to purchase an undetermined number of PTS-4s, which underwent acceptance trials in 2011. The vehicle will be fitted with a remotely operated 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine gun and a multi-fuel engine. The PTS-4 weighs 33 tons, with a payload of 12 tons on land (18 tons on water). Projected maximum road speed is 60 km/h (37 mph), with an expected maximum speed in water of 15 km/h (9.3 mph). Unlike its predecessors, it uses T-80 suspension components. The fully enclosed cab offers protection against small arms fire and splinter. Production began in 2014.
Users
Self-propelled PTS on the marchLoading equipment before crossing
The PTS-M was adopted by the Soviet Army and Warsaw Pact forces, and has been supplied to Egypt, the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Uruguay, and other nations.
^ Hogg, Ian V., and Weeks, John. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles. (London: Hamblyn Publishing Group, 1980), p.309, "PTS Tracked Amphibian".
Hogg, Ian V., and Weeks, John. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles, p. 309, "PTS Tracked Amphibian". London: Hamblyn Publishing Group, 1980.
PTS-M
_(1).png)
_(2).png)
Algeria
Egypt - PTS-M (used during operation Badr)
Georgia
Indonesia (Indonesian Marine Corps)
Iraq
Russia PTS4 OTM UralTM building, PTS 2 PTS3 . PTS1 BTR50 reactivated
Russian separatist forces in Donbass - PTS-2
Serbia - 12 PTSM
Sudan
Syria
Uruguay - 2 PTS in service as of 2016
Vietnam
Poland - 282 PTS-M 
Ukraine - 15 PTS-2
Latvia - PTS in reserve in the 54th Engineers Battalion
Croatia - 4 PTS-2
Czech Republic
Hungary - Some in service for use during 2024 Central European floods
Slovakia
Soviet Union - Passed on to successor states:
Yugoslavia
Republic of Srpska