The head of the Main Armored Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Alexander Shevchenko, told reporters that by the end of the year the Russian army A unique development of Uralvagonzavod - the Terminator tank support combat vehicle (BMPT) - will be adopted.

According to Shevchenko, “many countries, primarily Israel and Syria,” showed interest in the new product.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin was surprised that Tel Aviv and Damascus became interested in “The Terminator” so late. “It’s strange that they took so long to swing,” he wrote on Facebook.

In 2011-2013, 10 Terminators were sold to Kazakhstan. During the international forum Army-2017, the Ministry of Defense and Uralvagonzavod signed a contract for the supply of BMPT. The number of purchased vehicles is not reported.

• RIA News
• Sergey Subbotin

Universal combat vehicle

The nickname “Terminator” was given to the machine coded “object 199 “Frame”” of the Nizhny Tagil design bureau (JSC UKBTM). Since the beginning of the 2000s, Terminator 1 and Terminator 2 were created on the basis of the T-72A and T-90. In the near future, “Terminator-3” will appear on the T-14 “Armata” platform.

The vehicle is armed with one Kord machine gun, two 30-mm 2A42 cannons (850-900 rounds), two AGS-17 grenade launchers and four anti-tank guided missiles (cumulative and thermobaric) of the Ataka 9M120-1 type with a laser guidance system.

The Terminator is capable of hitting tanks and armored vehicles at a distance of up to 10 km, depending on the ammunition. In this case, the range of a tank gun usually does not exceed 5 km. The BMPT crew consists of five people: a commander, a gunner, a driver, and two operators of course grenade launchers.

A special feature of the “Terminator” is the modern automatic fire control system (FCS) “Frame”. The vehicle is equipped with all-aspect ballistic protection against weapons. According to media reports, Uralvagonzavod intends to supply Terminator-3 with new caliber guns and updated combat modules.

The Terminator weighs about the same as a regular tank - over 40 tons. The vehicle is not superior to tanks in maneuverability and speed. However, the BMPT commander has a 360° field of view thanks to five TNPO-260 periscope observation devices.

The Terminator is, in essence, a universal combat vehicle capable of performing many critical functions on the battlefield. But the primary task of the BMPT is to support tank forces.

The Terminator's weapons are designed to destroy enemy tanks and armored vehicles, as well as anti-tank guns, which are used by artillerymen. In addition, the BMPT can hit low-flying objects, destroy machine-gun nests and other engineering fortifications where infantry take refuge.

• RIA News
• Mikhail Voskresensky

Tanks under cover

Tanks must operate under cover not only from the air, but also from the ground. This was well understood back in the USSR, studying the rich experience of military operations in which Soviet soldiers participated.

The first experimental tank support combat vehicle was created in the mid-1980s at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant under the code “object 781”.

The BMPT was developed on the basis of the T-72B main tank. Chelyabinsk designers were inspired by the experience of using the “hellish thresher” (anti-aircraft self-propelled tracked system ZSU-57-2) in urban battles in Vietnam and the Middle East.

The experience of the war in Afghanistan also had a huge influence. In open areas and in urban conditions, tanks turned out to be quite easy targets for enemy mobile missile systems. In such conditions, the BMP-2 demonstrated greater effectiveness, the advance of which was covered by anti-aircraft guns. self-propelled gun ZSU-23-4 "Shilka".

• RIA News
• Kirill Kallinikov

Soviet troops needed a new combat vehicle that would have tank-level armor and powerful weapons, including anti-aircraft. However, perestroika and the collapse of the USSR buried the original and necessary project for the Ground Forces.

The need for BMPTs re-emerged during the two Chechen campaigns, when, without proper artillery and aviation preparation, Russian tanks often found themselves trapped by militants, especially when storming cities.

The modern Syrian army has a similar problem. After the start civil war Photos appeared on social networks showing Soviet ZSU-57-2 - they were formally withdrawn from service with the SAR army in the 1990s. According to unconfirmed reports, a number of "thresher" actually took part in the fighting.

Syria will come in handy

Gazeta.Ru military expert, reserve colonel Mikhail Khodarenok believes that the use of Terminators by Syrian troops would be very appropriate. “Militants are often armed with ATGMs (anti-tank systems). Tanks have always been extremely vulnerable to mujahideen with grenade launchers. In addition, “Terminator” should make it easier to storm cities,” Khodaryonok told RT.

“In my opinion, Israel is unlikely to acquire Terminators.” The vehicle will most likely be in demand in Iran, other countries of the Middle East and states that are actively building up and developing tank forces,” suggested RT’s interlocutor.

“In Russia, Terminators will probably go to tank units. However, for this it is necessary to review the states, timesheets for the states, organizational structure. This is a fairly long process, and we need to prepare for the arrival of the cars,” Khodarenok noted.

General Director of OJSC Uralvagonzavod Oleg Sienko informed the public about plans to prepare the production of a tank support combat vehicle (BMPT) based on the unified Armata platform. The project received the unofficial name “Terminator-3” and has already been characterized by experts from the analytical publication The National Interest as particularly dangerous for the US ground forces, since we are talking about a system that completely discredits the entire American ground military strategy.

The modern organizational structure of the US ground forces, requirements for their weapons and methods of use on the battlefield are based on the principles that emerged as a result of the Second World War and reinforced by the experience of using the American army in subsequent conflicts. First of all, this concerns the concept of maximum preemptive fire impact. The enemy's positions and heavy weapons must be destroyed by missile and bomb strikes, artillery fire, mortars and tank guns. Infantry is used at the final stage for the final clearing of the territory and collecting trophies. This strategy was most clearly formulated in its final form in the doctrine of “Shock and Awe” (Shock and Awe, 1996) and implemented in Operation Iraqi Freedom (the US invasion of Iraq in 2003).

Relying on absolute air superiority and the absence of a continuous front line, American troops, as part of brigade columns, carried out a series of cutting outflanking maneuvers with the aim of localizing the defense centers of the Iraqi army, depriving it of mobility, cutting supply lines and disorganizing the command and control system. Having tank battalions at the forefront, the advancing American units sought to destroy Iraqi heavy weapons immediately from extreme distances, which were usually 1600-2200 meters. To a large extent, success was ensured by the superiority of the American army in reconnaissance (all types) and detection (thermal imagers), especially demonstrating superiority at night and in poor climatic conditions, in particular, in smoke and dust storms.

US Army during operations in Iraq, 2003

If the exposed defense site was not captured after the first strike, patrols of observer-spotters were left along its perimeter, and the ground units bypassed it and moved on. The elimination of the encircled groups was the task of the second echelon infantry, which moved with a gap of 12-20 hours from the first line combat formations. As a result, already on the 19th day of the operation - April 9 - the troops of the anti-Iraqi coalition occupied Baghdad, and by May 1, 2003, all organized resistance to the Iraqi army, whose generals were simply bought up by the Americans (a very effective military strategy, by the way), was eliminated.

M1A1 Abrams pose in front of the Hands of Victory statue in 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq

Despite the efforts of the Western media to praise the superiority of the American ground strategy, even in Iraq its fundamental vulnerabilities were noted. First of all, there is a critically high dependence on fire support from aviation and a sharp drop in the effectiveness of units in close contact combat, especially where infantry support with artillery and tanks was impossible. This was most clearly demonstrated in the battles for Kirkuk, Mosul and, in particular, in the battle for Fallujah in April 2004 (the suppression of an uprising of the local population by the US 82nd Airborne Division).

The fighting in Fallujah showed the American army's unpreparedness for close contact combat.

From the experience of the battles in Iraq and the operation in Afghanistan, the command of the American army made the following conclusions. The main striking means of ground combat are artillery, as well as attack aircraft and helicopters. But even in their absence, the brigade’s range of fire on the enemy of 2 km provides guaranteed superiority, since the Soviet/Russian-made T-55, T-64 tanks and early modifications of the T-72 encountered in battle confidently fired the M1 Abrams MBT. are amazed, while he himself was never hit at such a distance. The threat of a tank attack from the enemy is stopped by organizing ambushes of mobile anti-tank systems (heavy, such as TOU-2, and universal, such as FGM-148 "Javelin"). Thus, the enemy infantry is deprived of tank cover at a distance from which it itself is not yet capable of causing damage, and is then destroyed by the fire of large-caliber weapons from infantry fighting vehicle modules. In particular, the automatic 25mm cannon M242 "Bushmaster" BMP M2 "Bradley" and 12.7 mm machine guns M2 "Browning" BMP M1126 "Stryker".

ATGM FGM-148 "Javelin"

The new structure of the US Armed Forces is based on the field manual FM 3-96 "Combat Brigade", adopted in October 2015, to which it is planned to transfer ground forces by 2030. By this time, the army will have to consist of 58 combat brigades, including: 10 armored brigades, 8 Stryker brigades, 14 light infantry brigades. Each of them has combat autonomy of up to 3 days in the event of a large-scale conflict, and up to 7 days when performing “peacekeeping missions” and in low-intensity conflicts. The US Army command believes that the brigade is capable of deploying in 8-9 hours and taking full control of the situation within a radius of up to 50 km.

Fighting machine MGS M1128 Stryker, modification with 105mm tank gun

The appearance of information about Russian work in the field of creating combat vehicles supporting BMPT tanks (the Frame-99 project) did not initially cause concern among the American command. The first sample Object 199, which later received the unofficial name "Terminator", was a T-72A tank chassis with the turret replaced by an automated weapons module, consisting of two 30mm 2A42 automatic cannons, a 7.62mm PKTM machine gun, and four Ataka-T ATGM launchers. , as well as two automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 "Plamya".

Object 199 (BMPT "Frame" / "Terminator")

Despite the wide range of weapons and the presence of anti-tank missiles with a range of up to 6 km, in general this vehicle is considered a Russian analogue of the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle of the M2A2 modification. The retrofitting of the BMPT Object 199 with more advanced reconnaissance, guidance and target designation equipment, the introduction of some design improvements and the installation of the Relikt dynamic protection complex, which resulted in the BMPT-72 Terminator-2 project, were also not appreciated by the American command. First of all, because both projects were not adopted by the Russian army. On this moment they are supplied only to the ground forces of Kazakhstan.

Fire support combat vehicle BMPT-72 "Terminator-2"

This position of the RF Ministry of Defense was perceived by the military-political leadership of NATO as confirmation of the lack of understanding in the Russian army of the fundamental purpose of such a machine, and its role in the concept of combined arms combat as a whole. The statement by the General Director of Uralvagonzavod indicates that the search for the concept has been completed and the functional purpose of the machine has been determined.

According to currently available information, "Terminator 3" is a BMPT based on the self-propelled part of the "Armata" platform, similar to the latest T-14 tank, with the installation of an AU-220M automatic combat module developed by JSC Central Research Institute "Burevestnik". Its main distinguishing feature is the 57 mm cannon, designed for light warships and adapted to land conditions. With a rate of fire of 300 rounds per minute, a firing range of up to 16 km and an altitude reach of more than 4 km, it ensures the destruction of all types of air and ground targets on the modern battlefield.

Automatic combat module AU-220M

The module was developed within the framework of the Russian-French ATOM heavy infantry fighting vehicle project, after the closure of which they were used in the new modification of the BMP-3 "Derivation", which is currently undergoing a cycle of field tests.

Upgraded infantry fighting vehicle BMP-3 (R&D “Derivation”)

The transition to the 57mm caliber is due to the need for guaranteed fire destruction of fortified and armored targets at distances exceeding the effective fire range of Western anti-tank weapons, reaching an average of 3.5 thousand meters. The gun of the AU-220M module is guaranteed to penetrate more than 100 mm of armor at a distance of over 4 km. A standard panel multi-storey building breaks through from 4.5 km. In combination with a machine gun and automatic grenade launcher, as well as detection and aiming means, the module is capable of providing reliable fire cover for tanks and infantry at ranges 1.6-2.4 times greater than the effective fire distance of both the M2 Bradley and infantry fighting vehicles. Stryker" of all modifications, including the M1128, armed with a 105-mm M68 cannon, as well as anti-tank missile systems used by NATO armies. There is no information yet about installing our own anti-tank systems on the AU-220M module, but the need for them is obvious. The Ramka-99 and BMPT-72 projects have anti-tank missile launchers. This predetermines their appearance in the final version on the Terminator-3 BMPT.

BMPT "Terminator-3"

The appearance of such a vehicle in the combat formations of tank and mechanized battalions and/or brigades, as well as equipping the airborne troops with the AU-220M BMP-3 module, and their installation on the promising heavy Kurganets infantry fighting vehicles, means depriving the American ground forces of the tactical basis for their dominance on the battlefield - hitting targets beyond the range of return fire. Including direct support from army aviation, without which the American army is unable to conduct a ground battle.

Of course, some kind of response from the United States will be developed over time. However, given the pace and effectiveness of similar work that has taken place over the past 10-12 years, it is safe to say that at the moment the American command does not even have approximate theoretical ideas about ways to stop the new threat. At the moment, the bet is on DARPA projects in the field of railguns and electromagnetic guns, the dubiousness of which is obvious. Thus, for the next 7-10 years, American ground forces will lose the ability to effectively confront an enemy of equal technological level in a ground battle.

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Various articles In the network dedicated to this machine you can find a huge number. So I decided to post material about this extraordinary example of armored vehicles for discussion on our website, timed to coincide with the display of this vehicle at an exhibition in Nizhny Tagil.

First, a few words about why such a machine is needed in general?

By the beginning of the 80s, the experience of combat training of troops and research results showed that breaking through the enemy’s prepared defense according to the traditional scheme using tanks and infantry fighting vehicles became problematic due to the massive saturation of the defending side with hand-held anti-tank weapons.

In addition, it is worth recalling the experience of using tanks in Afghanistan and Grozny. When modern MBTs became practically defenseless against individual grenade launchers hiding in the folds of the terrain and houses. It was under the influence of this experience that the concept of the BMPT was developed.

The fact is that to combat such threats, the tank’s weapons are excessive and ineffective due to the insufficient rate of fire. A weapon to combat tank-dangerous enemy manpower must not necessarily be powerful, but must be rapid-fire and be able to quickly reorient from one target to another. In addition, the combat vehicle itself had to be different from, for example, an infantry fighting vehicle, in general, in terms of armament, meeting the above requirements, and armored to the MBT level. Since it is still not possible to avoid fire contact with the enemy, and the armor of infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers is absolutely insufficient to withstand hits, not only from grenade launchers, but even from large-caliber small arms.

This is how the idea of ​​the BMPT was born. Essentially, it’s a tank with small-caliber weapons.

In the case of the BMPT, they decided to take the path of developing a combat module with a whole weapons complex. And by installing such a module instead of a tower on such a base.

Several types of such combat modules have been developed. But on the latest version of the BMPT Terminator, the designers came to the conclusion that the most effective is a combat module with the following armament: 2 automatic 30-mm 2A42 cannons with 850 rounds of ammunition, belt-fed, four launchers of Shturm-S guided anti-tank missiles , with cumulative or thermobaric warheads, the latest Kord machine gun (2000 rounds of ammunition). In addition, 2 automatic 30-mm AGS-17D grenade launchers are installed in the frontal part of the BMPT hull, although they have a rather limited firing sector. But in my opinion this is not big problem, since, after all, the main weapons are 30 mm cannons, and grenade launchers are installed to a greater extent so that, in some cases, it is possible to save ammunition for the cannons.

What capabilities does this combat module provide?

The 30 mm 2A42 cannon is capable of effectively hitting lightly armored targets at a distance of 1500 m, manpower at a distance of 4000 meters, and low-flying air targets up to 2500 m. The Shturm-S ATGM makes it possible to hit a tank and the enemy or low-flying air targets at a distance of up to 6000 m. Well, automatic grenade launchers make it possible to clear the area in front of the BMPT in the amount of three square kilometers.

Also, the undeniable advantage of this combat module is the ability to install it not only on a tank, but also on a lightly armored chassis, such as an infantry fighting vehicle/armored personnel carrier, and even on ships.

Modern aiming and observation devices installed in the combat module. Distributed among all crew members, which makes it possible to timely identify and identify enemy targets. The weapon complex guarantees simultaneous firing at 3 targets. This means that 3 crew members have every chance to conduct independent fire at detected targets in a 360-degree sector. In other words, the high efficiency of the BMPT is guaranteed by the multi-channel nature of the weapon system.

Other performance characteristics of the BMPT depend on the base on which this combat module is installed. Or rather, they repeat the performance characteristics of tank a, which became the donor for the BMPT. In the case of the Terminator BMPT, its base was the T-90S MBT. And it has performance characteristics:

Engine - multi-fuel diesel V-92S2, 740.31-240 with 1000 hp turbocharger. With.
Speed, max — 65 km/h
Cruising range - 550 km

In addition, there are projects for installing the same combat module on the bases of obsolete Soviet tanks, right up to the T-55. In my opinion, this path is the most promising, but for some reason the Russian military did not like it. And they categorically rejected it. After which, the specialists of Uralvagonzavod created this BMPT, based on the base of the most modern Russian tank T-90S. But, oddly enough, the Russian military did not need this vehicle either. In their opinion, the vehicle has a number of serious shortcomings, which do not make it possible to adopt the BMPT into service.

What shortcomings do the Russian military see?

First of all, the Russian military believes that four ATGMs are not enough for a vehicle like the BMPT (I don’t understand whether there is really a problem with adding more launch containers). In addition, these same launchers are absolutely not protected from weapons of destruction, which is generally not acceptable - during the battle, the ATGM will be disabled in the very first minutes (also, eliminating this shortcoming, in my opinion, lies with surface. It can be easily eliminated by installing armored screens on the side of the launch containers). Another drawback is that this ATGM is used in the Ground Forces rather limitedly, therefore, it will inevitably require the introduction of specialists in its maintenance into the unit and, accordingly, the presence of control and testing equipment. This will entail additional material costs, and due to the large weight and size characteristics of ATGMs, it will be necessary to allocate additional transport for their storage and delivery to units.

Also, the military believes that placing a grenade launcher in the frontal plate of the hull is ineffective due to the large number of dead zones in the grenade launcher. But, as I wrote above, in my opinion, a grenade launcher is purely an auxiliary weapon. And if the question is so acute, then it may not be asked at all.

There are also a bunch of less significant complaints about the BMPT from the military. But I won’t describe them. Because even from what is written above it is clear that the claims against the machine are simply ridiculous and easily removable, and clearly do not correspond to the advantages that it can provide if adopted.

To support my thesis, I can say that during the demonstration of the BMPT at an exhibition in Nizhny Tagil, representatives of the Israeli delegation immediately became interested in it. And they even spoke out about the immediate purchase of a batch of BMPTs to support the Israeli Merkava tanks, which are poorly suited for operating in urban environments, and are participating in the cleansing of Palestinian settlements. True, at the last moment the Israelis changed their minds - they decided that they themselves could develop their own analogue of the BMPT. In addition to the Israelis, the military from Malaysia also showed interest in purchasing BMPTs. So, it is possible that the first to receive BMPTs will not be the Russian military.

In conclusion, I would like to say that, in my opinion, the non-adoption of the BMPT into service by the Russian army lies far from the plane of the performance characteristics of this system. The origins of why the BMPT is not accepted into service should be sought in the corruption that permeates everything. Apparently, if the BMPT were adopted, those responsible for this matter would not receive a sufficient kickback for them. So they are mucking about this project, quite clearly hinting to representatives of Uralvagonzavod about what they need to do in order for their brainchild to receive funding from the Russian defense department.

By the way, the situation with BMPTs very much reminds me of the situation with armored personnel carriers on the eve of the war. Then, too, the military did not find a use for the new technology. For which, then, our soldiers paid with millions of their lives.

PS. Just before the publication of the material, I came across, so to speak, an alternative view of the BMPT online. Or more precisely, on what the combat module should be, taking into account the elimination of the claims of the Russian military. First of all, instead of a pair of two 30 mm guns, it is proposed to install a 30 mm six-barreled automatic rifle AO-18, used in the navy, adapted for installation in the fighting compartment of a tank and provided with two-belt power.

Next, in the combat module, to the left and right of the 30-mm machine gun, it is proposed to install two PKT machine guns and two AG-17 grenade launchers, assembled into two PKT + grenade launcher blocks. Nine ATGMs should be placed in the stern of the fighting compartment, and the launcher for them should be placed in the center of the fighting compartment, slightly shifted towards the stern of the combat module. Ammunition for all weapons of the combat module must be placed on the bottom of the fighting compartment, in place of the rotating tank automatic loader.

TANK SUPPORT COMBAT VEHICLE

BMPT "TERMINATOR" AND "TERMINATOR-2"

24.02.2015
The fighting in the Donbass has once again revived the military's interest in BMPTs, or, as they are now renamed, fire support combat vehicles. The fact is that during the battles, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers demonstrated very low survivability, and main battle tanks showed that they have mediocre capabilities in combating enemy personnel armed with man-portable anti-tank weapons.
In conflicts of this kind, the Terminator BMPT, rejected by former officials of the Ministry of Defense, would definitely come in handy. This combat vehicle has high firepower (thanks to the presence of small-caliber guns, guided missiles, automatic grenade launchers and machine guns) and a perfect all-day fire control system. Another one important detail: The Terminator is much better protected than the T-90A tank, not to mention the T-72B3.
According to military experts, in terms of its combat potential, this vehicle is capable of replacing up to a platoon of infantrymen, 2-2.5 infantry fighting vehicles or 3-4 armored personnel carriers. This is very important at the present time, when there is a certain shortage in the conscription contingent.
"Terminator" is criticized for some shortcomings, for example, some military experts think the caliber of the guns is small, perhaps this is so. But the process of developing and testing a new version of the BMPT, which is radically different in armament from the existing vehicle, can last for many years. As a result, such a vehicle may not reach the troops at all, but in order to fend off existing threats, it was needed, as they say, “yesterday.”
Bulletin of Mordovia

24.06.2015
ARMY-2015: TANK SUPPORT COMBAT VEHICLE BMPT72

The Uralvagonzavod Corporation presented the BMPT-72 fire support combat vehicle, known as Terminator-2, at the Army-2015 forum.
The fire support combat vehicle (BMPT), made on the basis of the T-72 tank chassis, has high level security, firepower and controllability. It is capable of effectively fighting tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other armored enemy targets, destroying enemy fire installations, and also hitting infantry using grenade launchers and anti-tank systems.

19.06.2017


As Alexey Khlopotov (Gur Khan) reports in his blog, the Nizhny Tagil Uralvagonzavod is preparing to launch mass production of BMPT fire support combat vehicles, also known as the Terminator. Currently, about a dozen military personnel have arrived at the enterprise to train in the operation of these new machines. For two weeks, the sergeants took a theoretical course on the design of the BMPT, and are now familiarizing themselves with the material part of the vehicle directly at the design bureau.
Procurement is expected to begin in 2018. Currently, the number of purchased vehicles is not yet known, however, most likely, it will be at least 10 units.
The configuration of the BMPT will correspond to that in which these vehicles have already been supplied to Kazakhstan. The crew of the BMPT is 5 people. Armament composition: 4 Ataka-T (Shturm-SM) missiles, 2 automatic 30 mm 2A42 cannons, a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun and 2 automatic 30 mm AG-17D grenade launchers on the fenders.
The choice of this option is due to the fact that in this form the BMPT has passed state tests and all the necessary design documentation with the appropriate letter has been properly completed for it, in contrast to the more modern and cheaper BMPT-72 “Terminator-2”, which is not yet ready for serial production production. At the same time, the BMPT control system can be modernized by installing a commander’s panorama with a thermal imaging channel.
http://bmpd.livejournal.com

The Russian army will for the first time purchase tank support combat vehicles (BMPT) “Terminator” and modernized BMP-3 with the “Epoch” combat module, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said on Thursday during the signing of agreements.
“For the first time, the Ministry of Defense will receive combat vehicles supporting Terminator tanks and modernized BMP-3 with the Epoch combat module,” Borisov said, opening the ceremony of signing government contracts at the Army-2017 forum.
Previously, the Terminator BMPT was supplied exclusively for export.
RIA News

09.09.2017


Syria and Israel simultaneously showed interest in purchasing Russian tank support combat vehicles (BMPT) of the Terminator type, Alexander Shevchenko, head of the Main Armored Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, told reporters on Thursday.
Earlier, during the military-technical forum "Army-2017", the Russian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Uralvagonzavod for the supply of a batch of these vehicles; before this, BMPTs of the "Terminator" type were produced exclusively for export.
“This year, a fundamentally new class of vehicle will be adopted by the Russian Armed Forces - a tank support combat vehicle, in which many countries have already shown interest, primarily Israel and Syria,” Shevchenko said.
The Terminator BMPT, which in many ways has no analogues in the world, is designed to protect tanks from enemy infantry. These vehicles are armed with two 30-mm 2A42 automatic cannons with a firing range of up to four kilometers and an ammunition load of 850 rounds. In addition, the weapons also include four supersonic guided missiles of the Ataka-T complex, two 30-mm AG-17D automatic grenade launchers and a 7.62-mm machine gun coaxial with cannons.
Terminators are equipped with all-aspect ballistic protection against weapons, highly effective target detection means, and an automated fire control system.
RIA News

TANK SUPPORT COMBAT VEHICLE

BMPT "TERMINATOR" AND "TERMINATOR-2"

Work on tank support combat vehicles began back in the days Soviet Union. Several variants of such a vehicle were developed, including on the chassis of an experimental light tank. The idea seemed reasonable at the time: the vehicle was to be manufactured at armored tank repair factories by converting obsolete models with minimal alterations if possible.
One of the main implementers of the theme was the Kiev Technical Center. The vehicle should be made on the basis of early models of the T-72 tank with the installation of a new 45-mm automatic cannon. However, it did not come together - the idea was not embodied in metal. After the “great and mighty” ceased to exist, the BMPT was forgotten for some time.
The second stage began at the end Afghan war. At the very end of the 1980s, the Chelyabinsk GSKB-2, under the leadership of Vershinsky, received an order to develop a vehicle known as a “mountain tank” or “tank for border guards.” Considering that the borders of the Union were getting hotter and hotter, the border guards needed a car with good characteristics mobility and high level of protection.
However, the weapons of the main battle tank was too much for them. Based on this idea and its technological capabilities and production and economic interests, the Chelyabinsk Design Bureau consistently produced 4 versions of such a machine.
The first was closest to the previous concept and was probably based on the developments of the Kiev people. The 2 samples that followed were essentially independent vehicles - only the chassis and mechanical parts remained from the basic design of the T-72.
Everything else, including the body, they had their own. Their crew consisted of 7 people. A 40-mm automatic grenade launcher was installed in the bow, and 2 Utes heavy machine guns were located in the sponsons behind the turret. Sample N2 was armed with two 30-mm small-caliber 2A72 cannons, and sample N3 received the BMP-3 weapon system, but in a much better protected turret. Both cars had original and quite serious body protection, made according to a modular principle.
Next on the drawings appeared sample N4, its body was lengthened by 1 roller. Work was stopped in the second half of the 1990s due to the fact that all work on defense topics in Chelyabinsk was curtailed altogether. The developments were transferred to Nizhny Tagil.
But soon events in Chechnya forced a return to this development. The construction of the BMPT began in Nizhny Tagil. At one of the exhibitions in this city, the first version of this machine was demonstrated for the first time. A turret with a 30-mm cannon was installed on a well-protected tank chassis, as well as the latest Kornet anti-tank missiles. In addition, two automatic grenade launchers were installed to combat manpower.
As it turned out, the first version was, in fact, a running prototype, and a few years later the final version was presented. He already had two 30mm automatic guns. For some reason, the “Cornets” were replaced with “Ataka-T” ATGMs, which, to the surprise of many, were completely openly placed on a rotating turret.

At the beginning of the 2000s, Uralvagonzavod demonstrated its new development - Object 199. When creating this vehicle, the goal was to provide fire support for tank formations in various combat conditions. For this reason, "Object 199" received the alternative designation BMPT (Tank Support Fighting Vehicle). The theme on which the project was created bore the code “Frame,” which over time became the name of the machine itself.
By its design, the BMPT is a kind of “hybrid” of a main tank and an infantry fighting vehicle: a turret with relatively weak armament for heavy armored vehicles is mounted on a tank chassis. At the same time, the complex of 7.62 mm machine guns, 30 mm automatic cannons, automatic grenade launchers and anti-tank guided missiles is not inferior in some respects tank guns. The main purpose of the BMPT is to escort tanks, detect and destroy tank-dangerous targets, light enemy fortifications, as well as tanks. According to the designers’ calculations, one “Frame”, thanks to its varied armament, is capable of replacing six infantry fighting vehicles and 40 motorized rifle troops. Due to such high calculated efficiency indicators, the unofficial nickname “Terminator” was stuck to the combat vehicle.
The BMPT received the most modern fire control system. For example, the commander's 360-degree rotating panoramic sight had a television channel and automatic target tracking. The operator's gunner's sight was no less modern.
Development of the BMPT ended at the end of 2006. Despite official statements that by 2010 one company of ground forces will be created, fully equipped with new vehicles, in 2009 the BMPT was put into service Armed Forces Russia did not take place, mass production was not started. At the beginning of 2010, it was officially announced that the purchase of new BMPTs and the conversion of obsolete tanks under this project would be abandoned.

The tank support combat vehicle developed by Uralvagonzavod on the basis of the T-72 is distinguished by a very high level of security. BMPT, being directly in the battle formations of tanks, can effectively suppress enemy infantry equipped with grenade launchers, anti-tank systems, small arms, as well as hit tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, repel attacks by helicopters and low-flying enemy aircraft.
The BMPT has multi-channel weapons, consisting of two main modules. The first is located in the turret and is controlled by the gunner and commander. It includes two twin 30-mm 2A42 automatic cannons, a 7.62-mm PKTM machine gun with an electromechanical drive and a PNK sight, and launchers with four supersonic laser-guided Ataka-T anti-tank missiles that penetrate any armor, concrete fortifications and command posts.
The second is a hull weapons module, consisting of two AG-17D course automatic grenade launchers in a thermal casing, controlled remotely by two operators. AG-17D ensures destruction of targets in the near zone (up to 1,000 - 1,200 meters). The BMPT is also capable of hitting air targets. Missiles can be fired at hovering helicopters at a range of up to 5 km.
Multi-channel weapons allow you to suppress and destroy simultaneously a large number of goals. All three systems - grenade launcher, rocket and cannon-machine gun - have independent control systems. The BMPT fires nine hundred 30-mm shells, six hundred 30-mm grenades and two thousand 7.62-mm bullets per minute.
But the main novelty of the BMPT is the on-board information and control system (BIUS). In it, the computer not only diagnoses the condition of all components of the tank, but can also receive real-time information from helicopters, UAVs and even A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and, using this data, “manages” the actions of the crew on the march and in battle.
The Terminator BMPT has a modern, advanced automatic fire control system (FCS) "Frame". The gunner's sight includes:
- thermal imaging channel,
- optical channel,
- ground control equipment for the laser beam guidance channel for ATGMs,
- laser rangefinder.
The body of the BMPT is the same as that of the T-72 tank - with built-in dynamic protection (ER) on the frontal armor, screens with ERA to protect the side, as well as lattice screens to protect the rear projections. A low-profile, welded, filled and built-in remote sensing turret is installed on the base of the tank, which has modern weapons capable of effectively hitting both lightly armored ground and air targets, as well as heavily armored ground targets of the “tank” type.
The commander and gunner are equipped with PNK rangefinder sights, allowing effective firing of all types of main weapons.
The BMPT is equipped with built-in bulldozer equipment for self-digging; it can also be equipped with a KMT-8 rutted knife trawl with an EMT electromagnetic attachment.
In the armored compartment on the right fender there is a 5 kW diesel generator set.
The habitable compartment is equipped with a system collective defense from exposure to shock waves, toxic and bacteriological agents, as well as an automatic, fast-acting, double-action fire extinguishing system.
The Sistema-902A automatic smoke grenade launch system is used as a camouflage agent.

The expression means making great efforts to solve problems that do not justify oneself. This fully applies to the use of tanks for work on small targets.

No doubt, a large main caliber is a good thing. But there is also back side medals: the more solid the tank gun, the less ammunition it carries and the lower the rate of fire. For example, our T-90 tank takes on board a little more than forty rounds, of which only 22 are in the automatic loader. The rate of fire of its 125 mm 2A46M-5 cannon is no higher than eight rounds per minute. Similar indicators for, say, the ammunition load for the 120-mm Rheinmetall cannon of the Leopard II tank is 42 rounds. This means that during combat use you have to “count the cartridges.”

It is not very prudent to use main calibers to suppress enemy personnel with grenade launchers and mobile anti-tank systems, small firing points, and lightly armored vehicles, and the capabilities of 7.62 mm machine guns coaxial with a cannon are often not enough. How to save tank ammunition for large targets and, in general, provide them with cover?

The most common option is to include in the battle formations infantry fighting vehicles such as Bradley, Patria or, say, our Kurganets with high-speed small-caliber guns and missile systems on the tower. They will take care of the “small things”. But in this case, not everything is smooth. Any armored personnel carrier and any infantry fighting vehicle is inferior in protection to a tank. It’s not for nothing that such equipment is called lightly armored. If there is strong enemy opposition, tanks may find themselves without cover.

Now is the time for our Terminator to take the stage - this is the name of the fire support combat vehicle (FSCV), created on the chassis of the T-90 tank. In terms of armor strength, supplemented by Relikt dynamic protection, the Terminator is not inferior to the T-90 tank. Identical maneuverability, speed, and range inspire confidence in the trouble-free teamwork of tanks and BMOPs in the same battle formations.

The Terminator's main armament is mounted in a lightweight and mobile uninhabited turret. It is also important that the ammunition is moved beyond the reserved volume, which corresponds to modern trends in terms of crew invulnerability.

So, what does the Terminator have in its arsenal? Two rapid-fire guns, four guided missiles, a 7.62 machine gun in the combat module and two AGS-17 grenade launchers in the fender niches.

The main calibers are 30 mm 2A42 guns. Capable of hitting lightly armored vehicles at a distance of up to one and a half kilometers and manpower at a distance of up to four kilometers. An ideal tool for “shooting sparrows.” Moreover, the guns' ammunition capacity is 900 high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing shells, and the total rate of fire is no less than 600 rounds per minute. But that's not all.

Add here two more AGS-17D course grenade launchers. They are stabilized in two planes, which allows targeted fire on the move. Ammunition - 300 rounds in a single belt for each grenade launcher. Rate of fire of AGS-17: 50–100 rounds per minute single, 350 rounds per minute burst. Range is about one and a half kilometers. Agree, a good weapon against enemy manpower with mobile anti-tank systems.

So, the first big plus of the Terminator is the high density of fire, the ability to work against manpower, firing points, lightly armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons of the enemy.

Further than the projectile

The idea of ​​​​creating purely missile tanks did not take root. Today, the dominant compromise option is launching missiles through the barrel of the main smoothbore gun. That is, the gun’s ammunition contains guided missiles. The advantage over a conventional projectile is a significantly longer range and an almost one hundred percent probability of hitting the target. Including moving ones.

This launch option, of course, does not work with the Terminator’s small-caliber rifled guns. But it has its own strong point - the Ataka-T guided weapons complex with four installations for Ataka-type missiles controlled by a laser-beam guidance system is mounted on the tower. The BMOP can fire 9M120-1 model ATGMs with a cumulative tandem warhead. They provide penetration of dynamic protection and armor up to 800 mm thick. Range up to 6000 meters. For comparison, tank guns with sub-caliber projectiles against armored targets are effective at a distance of up to 2500 meters (with cumulative projectiles the figure is even less), and the range of the widely used American TOW ATGMs of recent modifications (they are mounted on the turrets of light armored vehicles) is 3750 meters.

The Terminator has other guided missiles in its arsenal. High-explosive 9M120-1F with a volumetric detonating composition in the warhead and high-explosive fragmentation 9M120-1F-1 with a proximity fuse.

This leads to the second advantage of the domestic fire support vehicle - the ability to destroy tanks, armored vehicles, engineering structures, infantry at a distance of 4–6 kilometers, and even have a lethal effect when the missile flies at a relatively a short distance from the goal.

Cover from flying

Tanks have a weakness - not too much effective means for reflection. But what about the anti-aircraft heavy machine gun that sticks out on the turret of domestic tanks next to the commander’s hatch? Theoretically, he is capable of shooting from a standstill, from short stops, on the move. Almost... Once, while watching the qualifying competitions for tank biathlon, I was amazed at how much time it took to prepare this heavy machine gun for firing and then return it to its transport position. And, which is typical, the crew commander performs all the manipulations by leaning out with the hatch open. It will do for biathlon. What if in real combat conditions under enemy fire? The conclusion suggests itself - a heavy machine gun is effective if it is already ready to fire. That is, tankers have long been expecting an attack from the air. In the event of a sudden raid, there will not be enough time to repel the attack, and the commander sticking out of the open hatch is an excellent target. It seems that the time of manually controlled anti-aircraft machine guns has already passed. And that's why.

The military definition of “low-flying targets at subsonic speed” can in our case be interpreted as anti-tank helicopters. And it’s only in bad movies that they soar over the battlefield like hawks. In fact, the “turntables” actively use the terrain and act from a jump. He jumped out low above the tops of the trees, fired missiles at the tanks and “sat down” again behind the forest. With such tactics, military air defense systems have very little time to respond. And the class of low-flying drones has recently expanded to include unmanned drones. A reason to think about it.

What about the Terminator? Its guns are capable of firing at air targets moving at subsonic speeds at a distance of up to 2000 meters. Moreover, the missiles of the KUV Ataka-T complex operate day and night against low-flying objects at speeds of up to 400 km/h. The rate of fire of rockets is 3–4 rounds per minute. Preparing the complex for shooting? The so-called reaction time (the interval from switching to the AHF mode to the missile launch) is 1.2 seconds. Here it is appropriate to talk about quickly repelling a surprise attack from the air.

The obvious third advantage of a fire support combat vehicle is the ability to protect itself and tanks from air threats.

The military claims that today the Terminator has no direct analogues. This is true. It was born as a tank support combat vehicle, but it turned out to be quite versatile and is quite capable of operating autonomously as an independent combat unit. After all, in essence, the Terminator is a well-protected tank with missile and cannon weapons.

Characteristics of BMPT Terminator