Description

At Russian Arms Expo 2013 defense exhibition in Nizhny Tagil (Russia), the Russian Defense Company Uralvagonzavod has unveiled a new version of its Terminator, fire support armoured fighting vehicle BMPT-72.

The idea to build new heavily armed tank support vehicles emerged on the basis of experience acquired by the Russian military during the First Chechen War in North Caucasus, especially during the urban fighting in Grozny in 1995 when Russian troops lost a large number of combat vehicles to “guerrilla warfare” tactics used by Chechen separatists. As the first production of BMP-T, the BMPT-72 is based on the chassis of the Russian-made main battle tank T-72.

The vehicle offers new protection and fire power especially in urban operations. The BMPT-72 is able to fight a full range of modern targets as main battle tank, armoured infantry fighting vehicles and other combat vehicles, dismounted infantry, and guided missile combat teams. The BMPT-72 is an extensive modernization of the world-famous T-72 main battle tank, also produced by Uralvagonzavod. Compared with the BMPT predecessor, the BMPT-72 has an improved fire control system and better turret weapon station protection.

According to manufacturer Uralvgonzavod, the key advantage that the BMPT-72 gives to all the counties that operate T-72 tanks is that they can promptly and at minimal cost upgrade their armies to an ultra-modern level, and enhance capacity, mobility, protection and armament without purchasing new high-cost machines.

Armament

The BMPT-72 or Terminator 2 is fitted with a new unmanned redesigned fully stabilized electromechanical turret, with lower profile and better protection. The main armament of the BMPT-72 turret consists of two 30mm automatic guns 2A42 and one PKTM 7.62mm coaxial machine gun which can be used against light armoured vehicles and manpower. The guns can fire a wide range of ammunitions as APERS-T (Anti-Personnel ammunitions), HEF-I (High-explosive Fragmentation Incendiary), AP-T (Armour Piercing)., and KE (Kinetic Energy). Two anti-tank guided missile Ataka-T launcher units are mounted to each side of the turret. The missile 9M1201 can be equipped with two types of warheads, hollow-charge and high-explosive concrete-piercing. The BMPT-72 is equipped with computerized fire control system with multichannel sighting system and weapon high-accuracy laying systems. The vehicle carries 850 rounds for the 30mm guns and 2,100 ammunitions for the 7.62mm machine gun. The turret protection includes armored shields for the missiles, protecting the missiles from splinters and firing of small arms.

The turret can be rotated on 360 ° with elevation from -5° to +25° for the anti-tank missile and from -5° to +45° for the guns and coaxial machine gun. The anti-tank missile can engage a target up to a maximum distance of 6,000 m while the guns have a maximum range of 2,500 against light armoured vehicles and 4,000 against light tactical vehicles and troops.

A screening system increases the self-protection of the BMPT-72 which is designed to counter laser target-designators and laser rangefinders. Six smoke grenade launchers are mounted to each side of the turret. When the screening system warns the crew of laser attacks a smoke is created by the launch of grenades.



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