BAV 485

The ZiS-485, army designation BAV (Russian, большой автомобиль водоплавающий - bolshoi avtomobil vodoplavayushchiy, big floating vehicle), is a Soviet amphibious transport.

Introduced in 1952, it was intended to complement the GAZ 46 4x4 amphibious reconnaissance vehicle, but using the ZiS-151 6x6 truck (also used in the BTR-152) as its basis. Similar in size to the DUKW, which it resembles, the BAV has a rear tail gate making loading and unloading easier, rather than all cargo being loaded over the side by crane.

Initially based on ZiS-151 truck, after the introduction of the improved ZiL-157 the vehicle was modernized using its components now bearing the designation ZiL-485A (army designation was BAV-A).

The cargo body is open, but a canvas cover is available.

Propulsion in water is by means of propeller.

BAVs were used in service by Warsaw Pact Armies and in the Middle East up to the 1980s.

In use by the Soviet Union and its allies and client states the BAV was gradually replaced by the much larger tracked PTS amphibious vehicles.