http://lenta.ru/news/2009/11/04/btr/

Seems like they are burring the BTR-90 in favor of a modification to the BTR-80. BTR-82 will have a 14.5mm gun and BTR-82A will have a 30mm one, the "turret" will be stabilized and they will install new sights.

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I think BTR-90 will be redesigned ... once more.

So besides the armament, will there be any other changes? I think we have talked about this before, on their own the BTR-80 is a fine and relatively cheap wheeled APC, but its getting a bit long in the tooth compared to some western equivalents like the VBCI, Boxer, LAV III, Pandur II, and the AMV. The Chinese Type 07 is also in the latters category.

Its kinda a shame that it seems like even the Ukraine has been quicker to the gun in modifying their wheeled APC's, as can be seen by the BTR-3.

Since they gave them a new designation, they should "significantly" differ from the 80s models. BTR-90 apparently has a sh1tty engine which needs to be replaced with something else and the armament could also be tweaked.

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I remember one of the Russian forum members saying here a long time ago that despite being superior to the BTR-80 more or less, the Russian Army in trials (including in Chechnya) found the BTR-90 to not be as well armored as originally thought, overweight, and the cost was deemed prohibitive compared to the BTR-80A (which could do the same job more or less).

Dont know too much about the tests, but the engine is one issue that always seems to come up.

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