The ability of tanks to "defend" is gradually weakening, but Russia has successfully solved this problem, writes the user "Sokhu". Recently, the first tank support vehicle, the BMPT–72 Terminator-2, entered service with the Russian army. Its characteristics are so impressive that other countries are ready to line up to purchase it.
In the minds of many people, tanks are the most powerful land combat vehicles that are not afraid of fierce battles and hurricane fire. However, in real combat, following the advent of an increasing number of anti-tank weapons, the ability of tanks to defend themselves is gradually deteriorating. In such circumstances, there is an increasing need for "reinforcement" from the outside. The appearance of infantry fighting vehicles helps to partially eliminate the threat of hitting tanks at close range. However, due to the rather thin armor, these vehicles are often the first to "die in battle". In this case, what features should "tank bodyguards" have in order to provide effective protection? This issue is currently relevant for weapons developers.
In recent years, Russia has been developing tank support combat vehicles to solve this problem. Recently, the first tank support vehicle, the BMPT—72 Terminator-2, officially entered service with the Russian Ural Tank Division. Why did it take so many years to test this machine, and it has only just entered service?
The development of tank support combat vehicles of this series dates back to the street battles that took place in Grozny between the armed forces of Russia and Chechnya. The Russian army suffered heavy losses for many reasons, including low military morale, poor tactical cooperation, and even the theft of explosives from the dynamic protection units of the main battle tanks. In fact, if the United States army or the troops of other countries were in such conditions, their armored forces would also suffer serious losses. The Russian army explains this by the lack of tank cover, believing that the Russian tanks were largely destroyed by the Chechen armed forces due to the late provision of cover by infantry and infantry fighting vehicles.
Thus, the creation of weapons to protect tanks with stronger armor and higher firepower has become the goal of the Russian army. As a result, the design of a tank support combat vehicle was adopted. It was decided to use a main battle tank as the chassis for the "fire terminator", and 30—millimeter automatic cannons, a twin machine gun and automatic grenade launchers as weapons. This weapon allows you not only to hit enemy soldiers scattered in different directions, but also to attack targets inside buildings at a high angle of inclination. In addition, the vehicle was equipped with several anti-tank guided missiles of various calibers, the range of which exceeds even guided artillery shells fired by Russian tanks.
The BMPT-72 Terminator 2 is an improved version of the tank support combat vehicle, which was developed and produced by the Russian company Uralvagonzavod. According to the assumption of the Russian army, in the conditions of future street battles, the Terminator-2 will be able to interact with two battle tanks and strike targets located at different heights and from different angles. In particular, this will make it possible to destroy enemy forces hiding in tall buildings and debris. Therefore, strict requirements were imposed on this type of fire support vehicle in terms of fire and defensive capabilities, as well as mobility.
The BMPT-72 Terminator-2 is equipped with a new remote-controlled turret, which is smaller and has improved protection. The main armament of the turret consists of two 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannons and a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun paired with them, which can be used to fight light armored vehicles and soldiers. Two Ataka anti-tank missile launchers are located on both sides of the tower. The 9M1201 missiles used can have two types of warheads — with a cumulative warhead and a high-explosive warhead. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with an automated fire control system, a multi-channel aiming system and a high-precision weapon control system.
Since the Terminator-2 is used for street fighting, the machine probably has outstanding firepower. The crew of the BMPT-72 consists of three members, while the previous version of the machine required five people to operate. The hull and turret of the Terminator-2 are made of armored steel, and dynamic protection elements are installed in the front of the turret.
Of course, having firepower and armor protection is not enough to provide effective protection for tanks. After all, the support vehicle must interact with the tanks and not be inferior to them in terms of speed. In this regard, the developers have improved the BMPT-72 power system by replacing the 12-cylinder V-92-C2 diesel engine with an improved version of this turbocharged engine. Due to this, the car has better cross-country ability and higher driving speed. The maximum speed of the Terminator-2 reaches 70 kilometers per hour, and the maximum distance is 600 kilometers. In addition, the machine can overcome obstacles up to 1.5 meters high.
In the future, the BMPT-72 will play an invaluable role for the Russian tank forces, and will also be exported to foreign countries, as international demand for this type of weapon is relatively high. Due to the low cost, easy use and high practicality, many countries around the world are ready to purchase Russian tank support vehicles in order to replenish weapons and increase the combat capability of the armed forces. It can be expected that the Russian Terminator-2 will be popular on the international market.
