The BTR-50P is based on the chassis of the PT-76 light amphibious tank with a new superstructure added to the front of the vehicle. The hull of the
BTR-50P is made of all-welded steel with the crew compartment at the front, personnel compartment in the centre and the engine compartment at
the rear. The driver is located in the centre of the hull front and has a one-piece hatch cover incorporating vision blocks and periscopes.
Its armour is very thin by modern standards being; 11mm front, 10mm side/top and 7mm rear.
The torsion bar suspension consists of six rubber-tired road wheels with the drive sprocket at the rear and the idler at the front. There are no
track-return rollers. The first and last road wheel stations have a hydraulic shock absorber and the steel tracks each have 96 links when new.
The engine used in the BTR-50P is one half of that fitted to the T-54 MBT. The vehicle has three fuel tanks, two in the right forward side of the engine
compartment and one at the rear.
The BTR-50P is fully amphibious and propelled in the water by two water-jets at the rear of the hull. The only preparation required before entering the
water is to erect the trim vane at the front of the hull and switch on the two electric bilge pumps. There is a manual bilge pump for emergency use.
Steering is accomplished by opening and closing the two doors over the rear water-jets: to go left the left water-jet is covered and to turn through
180ø the left water-jet sucks in water and the right water-jet pushes it out. The vehicles low freeboard of .15-.20m and its lack of schnorkel limit
its swimming capability to only the calmest water.
An infra-red driving light and spotlight are often fitted to the vehicle.
