The PT-76 was an amphibious light tank that was introduced in 1952 in the Soviet and Warsaw Pact armies. The welded steel hull housed the driver at the front, the commander and gunner in the central fighting compartmet with its turret; and the engine compartment at the rear.

The vehicle's suspension featured six small road wheels, a front idler wheel, and a rear sprocket powered by a 240hp water-cooled engine. The vehicle was fully amphibious, being propelled in the water by two water jets mounted at the rear of the hull, and stabilized by a forward trim vane.

The PT-76 was used by reconnaissance companies for deep reconnaissance, and its chassis served as the basis for an extended family of light armored vehicles.