Thursday, January 30, 2014

Russian Armata Tank has Entered Tested

Russia began trials of the first prototype/pre-production models of the new Armata (Armada) main battle tank (MBT) in late 2013, potentially leading to a limited service entry with the Russian Army in 2016.

Prime contractor for the Armata is the UralVagonZavod Research and Production Corporation - which comprises more than 20 of the major Russian facilities engaged in the design, development, and production of tracked combat vehicles.

The Armata MBT will be armed with an externally mounted 125 mm smoothbore gun with 32 rounds of ammunition, latest information indicates. In addition to conventional ammunition, the 125 mm smoothbore gun will be able to fire a laser-guided projectile with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead out to a range of at least 5,000 m. Secondary armament will consist of a 30 mm cannon and a 12.7 mm machine gun (MG).

The commander, gunner, and driver are all seated at the front of the well-protected hull, with the 125 mm gun and ammunition handling system in the middle and the high-performance diesel power pack at the rear of the vehicle.

The Armata is also being referred to as the Universal Combat Platform (BMP-T-15), with the hull to form the basis for a complete family of tracked combat vehicles.

A heavy infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) variant, called Obyekt 148, is planned to be fitted with the KBP Instrument Design Bureau Epoch Almaty remote control turret (RCT) armed with a 30 mm 2A42 cannon, 7.62 mm co-axial MG, and a bank of two Kornet-EM laser-guided missiles on either side of the RCT. This RCT will also be fitted to the new Kurganets IFV, the replacement for BMP-3 IFV, and the Bumerang 8x8 IFV, which will replace the BTR-80/BTR-80A armoured personnel carrier (APC).

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