Designation: BTM-3
Type: Fast entrenching vehicle
Crew, men: 2
Weight, tons: 31.6
Dimensions, m: transport mode: 7.4-3.2-.35 digging mode: 10.9-3.2-3.5
Number of guns/caliber, mm: none
Engine: 380 hp
Max. speed, kmph: 36 / 0.8 (when digging)
Cruising range, km: 560
The fast trench-digging vehicle BTM-3 is designed to dig defensive and communication trenches in soils of up to IV type. The BTM consists of the basis vehicle and digging equipment. A heavy artillery prime-mover was used as the vehicle basis. When the vehicle is moving in transport mode, the gear box provides five gears for forward movement and one for backward. As soon as the vehicle starts digging trenches speed is decreased.
The BTM can dig trenches in curves with a minimum radius of 25 m. The vehicle can switch from transport mode to operating (digging) mode in 10 minutes. When digging at 3rd gear, the BTM can approximately dig an 800 meter long man-sized trench in one hour.