To fall on the enemy like snow on your head, or to come out of sea waters in full armor like the knights of Chernomor – all this is about the marines, or "black berets", a kind of troops of the Navy of the Russian Federation, whose tasks include conducting combat operations during amphibious landings, the defense of naval bases, important sections of the coast and coastal features. Marine Corps Day is celebrated on November 27, when in 1705 Peter the Great created the first regiment of naval soldiers. A rich history of victories, universal and traditionally strong training make it possible to rank marines among the elite of the Russian army. Rostec enterprises have been creating and producing specialized equipment for the Marines for many years, which, like the "black berets" themselves, can both swim and descend from the sky, helping the marines to perform all the necessary tasks.
BMP-3F: victory on land and at sea
Photo: KurganmashzavodThe naval version of the famous BMP-3 was created at Kurganmashzavod (Rostec High-Precision Complexes holding) specifically to increase the mobility, security and firepower of marines.
Compared with the basic model, a number of changes have been made to the design of the combat vehicle, improving its buoyancy and stability on the water. For example, a telescopic air intake pipe and wave-reflecting flaps have been added.
For the BMP-3F, waves of three points are not terrible, and with a two-point wave, it can fire without loss of accuracy. The vehicle is armed with two guns with calibers of 100 and 30 mm and three 7.62 mm machine guns. Water jet propellers allow you to swim at a speed of up to 10 km / h, in total, the car can be on the water for up to 7 hours. The crew of the vehicle consists of three people: the commander, the gunner-operator and the driver. Seven fighters can be transported in the landing compartment.
BT-3F: a soldier is always protected
Photo: Special Engineering Design BureauThe ideal tandem for an infantry fighting vehicle is the new BT-3F floating armored personnel carrier developed by the Special Engineering Design Bureau.
These two vehicles provide not only the delivery of Marines, but also fire support for the operation. The APC is based on the BMP-3 and is maximally unified with it: the chassis, engine, water cannons and other systems are borrowed from the base product. The main differences are in capacity and armament.
With a larger landing load – 14 people – the car retained high mobility and buoyancy. The roof of the marine armored personnel carrier is crowned by a remote-controlled 12.7 mm caliber combat module with a tele-thermal sight with a laser rangefinder. The new naval APC, like the BMP-3F, can be transported by any route, including by air, providing over-the-horizon landing in depth from the coastline.
SPTP 2S25M: Tank ship
Another novelty for the Marines from Rostec is the upgraded 125–mm 2S25 self-propelled anti-tank gun, which is being prepared for mass production at the Kurganmashzavod. This unique machine has no analogues in the world and combines the qualities of a light tank and an amphibious assault vehicle.
The SPTP 2S25M is not inferior in firepower to the T-80 and T-90 tanks thanks to a 125 mm cannon with a target range of up to 5 km, which is a record for its class. Such weapons allow the use of modern armor-piercing-sub-caliber, cumulative, high-explosive fragmentation shells, as well as ammunition with remote detonation. The tank can move at a speed of up to 70 km/ h on land and up to 10 km / h on water with a crew of three people. It is possible to transport the car both by land, and by landing ships, and transport aircraft.
CAO "Lotus": a dangerous flower in the buttonhole of a marine
Photo: TSNIITOCHMASHThe self-propelled artillery gun "Lotus" was developed for paratroopers and marines to replace the Soviet system "Nona".
This aircraft-mounted floating cannon on wheels has already passed preliminary tests and is awaiting the stage of state tests in 2023. The development of the machine is carried out by Tsniitochmash as part of the Kalashnikov group of companies.
The Lotus cannon, elongated in comparison with the Nona, is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 13 km. An additional weapon is a 7.62 mm machine gun with remote control. The new CAO has significantly increased ammunition. The gun, by the way, can also be controlled remotely, so the Lotus remains combat-ready, even if the crew throws it up. The machine is equipped with the latest attack detection and optoelectronic interference detection systems. At the same time, the mass of the Lotus is no more than 18 tons, which allows not only to transport it on transport planes, but also to parachute it.
