Work Horse To War Horse

Chris Jerrett transforms Skif’s MT-LB.

I have to admit to a certain fascination with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, not least because of their range of military vehicles. Among these is the MT-LB (Mnogotselevoy Tyagach Legky Bronirovanny – transl. ‘MultiPurpose Towing Vehicle, Light Armoured’). In the late 1960s, a development programme was underway to replace the AT-P series of artillery tractors, which led to the introduction of the MT-L (based on the PT-76 amphibious light tank chassis). The MT-LB was the armoured variant of the vehicle, and entered production in the early 70s. It was cheap to build, as it used many existing components, such as the engine that was originally developed for commercial trucks. Testament to its success, the MT-LB has remained in service, both in its original APC role, and in a multitude of variants, including the anti-aircraft version. In the 1990s the MT-LB was modernized Muromteplovoz and MT-LB 6M1B3 (properly MT-LBM izdeliye 6MB3)) version is an anti-aircraft vehicle equipped with the GSh-23V 23mm autocannon, AGS-30 30mm automatic grenade launcher and 12.7mm Kord MG. The MT-LB remains an important component of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and nations worldwide and has seen action recently in both Ukraine and in Syria.

The Model

It would appear that 1/35-scale models of the MT-LB are very limited; the excellent recent releases from Trumpeter, and a few older ones, released over a decade ago, from the Ukrainian company, Skif. While Trumpeter offer an impressive kit of the ‘6MA’ version (complete with fully detailed interior), it was the Skif kit of the ‘6MB1B3’ vehicle that I decided to tackle. Admittedly, this is a far more basic kit but I felt that with certain modifications and refinements, here was the potential for a really decent model.