The BTR-152 (Bronetransporter) followed the BTR-40 as one the Red Army's first mass produced Cold War armored personnel carriers. It was based on the chasis of the ZiS-151 6x6 truck and has a layout that is little different from similar vehicles of the time, and a far cry from its revolutionary successor the BTR-60. The box-like hull is made of all-welded steel and has the engine located in the front, behind which is seated the commander and driver behind a windscreen that features an armored shutter as well as an armored roof. As many as three machine guns can be fitted on roof-mounted sockets To the rear is the rather large, open-topped troop compartment which could carry as many as 17 infantrymen, one of the largest loads in any APC. Troops enter and exit through twin rear doors, and there are three firing ports as well. Unfortunately, the BTR-152 lacks a number of key features including NBC protection, amphibious capability, or night vision equipment. Overall protection is limited as well and cross-country performance is poor. Despite this, the BTR-152 became the standard APC of Soviet motorized units in the early part of the Cold War until replaced by the much superior BTR-60 in the 1960s. It was also exported extensively to dozens of Soviet client states and allies around the world, mostly in Africa and Asia (as well as the Warsaw Pact). Hundreds remain in service.

Based on the ZiL-151 truck, the initial BTR-140 began development in November 1946 and entered service as the BTR-152. The subsequent BTR-152V featured a central tire regulation system while the BTR-152V1 had a front-mounted wench; this was absent in the BTR-152V2 while other improvements including infrared driving lights led to the BTR-152V3. The definitve APC variant was the BTR-152K which included full overhead armor protection though at the cost of a reduced troop load (to 13). Non-APC versions include the BTR-152U command vehicle with a higher superstructure, the BTR-152A anti-aircraft vehicle with twin 14.5-mm machine guns in a manually operated turret, and the BTR-152B artillery command vehicle. Foreign users also modified it extensively. East German versions were known as the SPW-152 while a Chinese reverse-engineered copy was known as the Type 56.