The Soviet BAV 485 amphibious truck could carry 25 troops. Its rear cargo compartment was designed for up to 25 fully equipped soldiers, or approximately 2,500 kilograms of cargo.
The BAV 485 was developed after the Soviet Union received 586 American DUKW amphibious trucks through Lend-Lease during World War II. Soviet engineers copied the successful DUKW concept but adapted it to domestic production, using the ZIS-151 six-wheel-drive truck as its initial platform.
Production began in 1952 at the ZIS factory in Moscow. The vehicle had a waterproof hull, a rear tailgate for easier loading, and a propeller for water propulsion. After the ZIL-157 truck entered service, the modernized version became the ZIL-485A, also known as the BAV-A.
The troop figure is sometimes confused with the vehicle's payload figure or with the larger tracked PTS amphibious transporters that later replaced it. The BAV was a six-wheel amphibious truck, not a tank or armored personnel carrier.