Image source: topwar.ru
Recently, another MT-LB armored vehicle armed with a 100 mm MT-12 Rapier anti-tank gun was seen equipping Russian troops. Western observers have already dubbed this "hybrid" MT-LB-12, as it has repeatedly met on the front lines of both sides of the conflict.
As indicated in the Western press, this improvised self-propelled howitzer can fire ATGM 9M117 (Knuckles complex) and high-explosive shells, including from closed positions, at a maximum range of 8,200 meters (mounted fire).
The Rapier entered service in 1970. The MT-12K modification, introduced in 1981, was able to launch ATGMs, which allowed missiles to penetrate armor up to 600 mm thick.
MT-12 is actively used by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Armed Forces of Ukraine for both defensive and offensive purposes. The placement of the gun on the MT-LB increases its mobility and allows you to move over rough terrain due to the use of this high-terrain tractor as a platform.
Image source: topwar.ru
However, the MT-LB-12 system has a number of notable disadvantages. The tractor's light armor provides minimal protection even from small arms, not to mention anti-tank weapons, and the lack of mine protection increases the risks for the crew.
The design of the vehicle, designed to transport troops in cramped conditions, limits the space for the placement of calculations and ammunition. The Rapier has small vertical aiming angles and is characterized by significant recoil when firing.
- it is said in the Western press.
