TASS — about new armored vehicles at the international military-technical forum "Army-2023"
On the main street
Armored vehicles at the Army Forum in the Patriot Park near Moscow are traditionally in the most prominent place - parked at the main exhibition pavilions. Here you can see the main battle tanks of the Russian army T-90M, T-72B3, T-80BVM, infantry fighting vehicles BMP-3 and BMP-2, as well as the latest Russian protected wheeled armored vehicles “Typhoon”, "Akhmat", "MIC-Ural", "Spartak" and about a dozen more samples similar equipment created for the most diverse needs of the army: from the transportation of personnel to the fight against drones. One of the most striking exhibits in the parking lot of armored cars this year was the ultra-protected Tiger-M, which among the developers received the dashing nickname “Mad Max". The car really resembles the technique on which the heroes of the cult action movie traveled through the desert. The fact is that the car is equipped with an additional set of quick-installable armor protection, which almost completely covers the entire body of the car. Such a cape can be installed on the Tiger-M in 40 minutes. On the battlefield, it provides protection from a direct hit by 7.62 mm bullets.
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| Tiger-M armored vehicle with an additional set of quick-install armor protection. |
| Source: Georgy Sultanov/ TASS |
The Tiger-M, which passed fire tests in Syria and special operations in Ukraine in its previous versions, is designed for transporting military personnel, cargo and towing trailers weighing up to 12.5 tons. The car has proven itself well both as an all-terrain vehicle and as a high-speed maneuverable car capable of accelerating up to 120 km/h. According to open sources, in the special operation “Tiger-M” is used with a remotely controlled combat module "Arbalet-DM". The laser rangefinder and thermal imager of the weapon ensures high accuracy of machine gun fire at any time of the day.
At the Army 2023 forum, it became known that the updated Tiger, sewn into armor from head to toe, was also successfully tested in its own.
Deep restyling for armored personnel carriers
In recent years, one of the most famous Russian armored vehicles has undergone several major upgrades and arrived at Army 2023 in a completely new look. The improved BTR 82A was presented by one of the largest Russian defense enterprises, the Military Industrial Company (MIC).
“The car has preserved the chassis and transmission from the BTR 82. The main change affected the case. The troop compartment is located at the rear, the engine and transmission compartment of this version is in the front. The main tasks in creating this machine were to increase ergonomics, the level of armor protection and comfort for the crew, which was realized in the improved version of the BTR-82A,” the managing director of LLC “TASS" said in an interview.Military Engineering Center” Military Industrial Complex Yuri Zelenov.
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| Armored personnel carrier BTR-82A. |
| Source: Georgy Sultanov/ TASS |
As noted in the materials of the Military-Industrial Company, the updated eight-wheeled APC is designed to accommodate 10 people, is equipped with a 330 horsepower YAMZ 536 diesel engine and can accelerate up to 80 km/h on the highway. The main weapon of the novelty was a 30 mm 2A72 cannon. The armor of the car is capable of withstanding the impact of B-32 armor-piercing bullets.
"The BTR-82A armored personnel carrier with enhanced ballistic and mine protection is designed for use in combined arms units of the Ground Forces, marine units of the Navy and special units for transporting personnel, fighting air and surface targets, enemy manpower and protecting the combat crew stationed inside the vehicle," the company's reference materials say..
“Terminator-2”
According to the Ministry of Defense, Russian Terminator tank support vehicles (BMPT) are used in a special operation in Ukraine along with other armored vehicles. In May 2023, the Defense Ministry published in its Telegram channel a report about the crew of the car, which successfully accompanies the tanks of the “Southern” group of troops in battles. “I am very glad that I have been entrusted with such a unique technique. There are not so many “Terminators” in our region, but they are very effective. Therefore, our comrades respect us, and our enemies fear and hate us,” the commander of the Terminator crew with the call sign “Student” says in the video of the Ministry of Defense.
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| BMPT “Terminator-2". |
| Source: Vasily Kuchushev/ TASS |
The first “Terminator“ participating in the SVO is made on the basis of the chassis of the T-90 tank, the second, presented at the ”Army" on the basis of the T-72 - one of the most massive in the world (supplied to more than 50 countries). The vehicle is armed with 30 mm automatic cannons, guided missiles and a paired 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun. “Terminator-2", whose crew, unlike the first model, has not five, but three people, develops speeds up to 60 km / h.
"Terminator-2” gives a second life to the domestic T-72 tank. They are equipped with a combat module, a modern fire control system, a large ammunition package – 860 rounds and a complex of guided weapons, including Ataka-T missiles (an anti-tank guided missile with a radio command control system approx. TASS). The machine allows you to conduct long–term aimed fire, hold positions, capture strong points,” Ilya Onegov, a specialist at Uralvagonzavod Concern, told a TASS correspondent.
According to the Russian weekly “Army Standard”, the Terminator-2 cannon can fire not only conventional, but also so-called “smart” projectiles. “The Scientific and Production Association “Pribor" has created a “smart” projectile with controlled air detonation for a 30-mm cannon. It is designed to defeat enemy manpower in shelters, as well as missiles and drones. A conventional projectile with a contact fuse is triggered when it hits an obstacle. And “smart” is next to or above the target. The principle is borrowed from anti–aircraft missiles,” says one of the reviews of the Army Standard.
Pre - production “Armata”
On July 19, it became known about the use of the latest Russian T-14 Armata tanks by the grouping of Russian troops “South” in battle. They did not participate in the assault operations and were used for strikes on Ukrainian positions. The same sample from the manufacturer - Uralvagonzavod, which can already be called pre-production, was also presented at Army 2023.
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| Tank T-14 "Armata". |
| Source: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation |
According to Ilya Onegov, a representative of Uraldvagonzavod, unlike the ceremonial versions of the Armata, a new armor protection is installed on the upgraded pre-production version, and some tank variants are already equipped with a “Cape” (a special coating that reduces not only the likelihood of the tank being detected by the enemy, but also complicates the guidance of high-precision weapons). The main idea of the hull design remains the same – it is the protection of the crew. In addition, the updated version of the T-14 retains the concept of isolated placement of people from fuel and ammunition, a remotely controlled turret module is used, as well as materials that reduce radar visibility.
“So far, this product reflects all the best that can be in “Armata". Many innovations are not visible, since they are inside the machine, but, nevertheless, the perfection of this machine continues,” summed up the representative of Uralvagonzavod.
Prepared by Vasily Kuchushev