Russian Ground Forces: News #2

Lobaev manufactuer's new rifle, the DVL-10:

TACTICAL SNIPER RIFLE DVL-10

TR1 wrote:http://codename-it.livejournal.com/930112.html

Some interesting photos.

For a moment I tought those pictures are from Novorussia... :-) But just for a moment... :-)

Russian Military Prepares for Shooting Exercises in East – Defense Ministry

The Russia's Defense Ministry announced that the military personnel of the country's Eastern Military District were preparing for shooting activities as part of snap drills.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The servicemen of Russia's Eastern Military District on the island of Sakhalin are preparing for shooting activities as part of exercises, the country's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Mechanized infantry and tank troops are preparing military hardware for exercises and shooting activities with T-72B3 tanks and MT-LB [multipurpose light-armored towing vehicles]," the statement said.

The ministry also said that these preparations began after the troops had already completed marches that were also part of the exercise.

On March 16, the Eastern Military District's press service said that Russian signals troops had started large-scale communications drills in nine regions of the district.

Prior to that, on March 12, the district's press head Col. Alexander Gordeyev said that a military exercise involving anti-air defense troops had begun in the region.

On March 3, the district's press service said that more than 2,500 artillerymen were participating in a major military exercise in Russia's Far East, completing long-distance marches and practicing inter-unit coordination.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20150319/1019696738.html#ixzz3UpKUsSA8

What will the Russian Army receive in 2015?
http://tvzvezda.ru/news/krasnaya_zvezda/content/201503181455-i3x4.htm (Original Russian)

http://fortruss.blogspot.ru/2015/03/3182015-normal-0-false-false-false-en.html (English translation)

...

Not much new info, *except* the following speculation:

Motorized Rifle and Tank Brigades will receive more than 700 tanks, BMPs, and BTRs.

Most of the tanks will be the newest T-90AM variant.

Its distinguishing features include a new turret with a combat information and command system, new autoloader, and a modernized 125mm gun-launcher. The driver will have an automatic transmission and a steering wheel instead of the old lever controls. The modernization of the well-known T-72B tanks to the T-90 level [T-72B3 variant] will continue. Infantry will ride on modernized BMP-3s and BTR-82s. Both will receive the Bakhcha combat module. But the BMP-3 turret includes a 100mm gun-launcher, a 30mm automatic cannon, while the BTR-82 an automatic cannon and a machine gun.

The translator at the english version believes they will be upgrading existing T-90A's

I strongly suspect that the T-90AM is not going to be a newly built vehicle but rather the T-90A upgraded with subsystems originally developed for the T-14.

Kamaz is going heavy developing unmanned ground vehicles:

KAMAZ plans to build a testing ground for unmanned vehicles

Nice

Russian Defense Ministry will purchase 191 stations tropospheric communication type P-423-P

http://cs613419.vk.me/v613419507/13353/BKaxeHb-5AI.jpg

Some new BREM-1Ms, apparently.

To answer people's questions of what happened to original T-90s in Russian Army, they are still kicking around, and not just in training units:

http://cs614728.vk.me/v614728719/105e9/EThxVYWZyX4.jpg

27th OMSBR. Apparently they serve alongside....T-80Bs...and T-80Us? The pics on their VK page show a real tank zoo.

EDIT: And T-72s? Jesus, no idea whats going on with their tank park.

http://prokhor-tebin.livejournal.com/859115.html

Radar on top of a machine gun.

TR1 wrote:http://prokhor-tebin.livejournal.com/859115.html

Radar on top of a machine gun.

What the....

Cyberspec wrote:

TR1 wrote:http://prokhor-tebin.livejournal.com/859115.html

Radar on top of a machine gun.

What the....

What I don't understand is, what does radar like this offer that thermal imaging doesn't?

Looks like a replacement for the FARA-1 that was used on heavy weapons like MGs, HMGs, and auto grenade launchers.

For perimeter protection they could detect movement of people and vehicles out to 6-10km depending on the target, but is mainly intended to help direct fire in poor visibility conditions... ie at night in snow... detects group of people in front of base where people shouldn't be... fire a flare and a few warning shots and if they continue to approach in war time... well I am sure they will have rules and instructions to prevent friendly fire... this radar would of course work perfectly when the enemy attacks knowing you have grenade launchers and HMGs and launches smoke grenades to blind your heavy guns...

radar can see through any type of smoke and is not effected by rain or air temperature... in extreme cold enemy soldiers wearing clothing offering good insulation don't look hot from the outside and therefore don't appear well on thermal sights.

GarryB wrote:Looks like a replacement for the FARA-1 that was used on heavy weapons like MGs, HMGs, and auto grenade launchers.

It's max range is significantly less than FARA-1. 2km for personell and up to 3km for vehicles but it can pick up targets in ANY conditions (as opposed to thermal sights).

Vympel wrote:

TR1 wrote:To answer people's questions of what happened to original T-90s in Russian Army, they are still kicking around, and not just in training units:

http://cs614728.vk.me/v614728719/105e9/EThxVYWZyX4.jpg

27th OMSBR. Apparently they serve alongside....T-80Bs...and T-80Us? The pics on their VK page show a real tank zoo.

EDIT: And T-72s? Jesus, no idea whats going on with their tank park.

Got a link to their VK page? Thanks

http://vk.com/albums-32748567

It's max range is significantly less than FARA-1. 2km for personell and up to 3km for vehicles but it can pick up targets in ANY conditions (as opposed to thermal sights).

AFAIK FARA was also used for artillery spotting... detecting infantry in any weather at 10km is pretty pointless when fitted to a PKM or AGS-30 or even Kord...

Vympel wrote:

TR1 wrote:
http://vk.com/albums-32748567

Thanks muchly!

I wonder why they have an eclectic mix - maybe the photos are years apart?

Might be also visits to training units.

GarryB wrote:AFAIK FARA was also used for artillery spotting... detecting infantry in any weather at 10km is pretty pointless when fitted to a PKM or AGS-30 or even Kord...

Obviously....my response was to the remark about it being a replacement for FARA

Results- Rapira shooting from 1500meters, 2-3 shots per minute, clear weather and rainy conditions.

TR1 wrote:

Results- Rapira shooting from 1500meters, 2-3 shots per minute, clear weather and rainy conditions.

That comes from distortion from optics through rainy weather or through what exactly?

I think because of lack of thermal shroud.

Obviously....my response was to the remark about it being a replacement for FARA

FARA was intended for use on heavy weapons... there is actually nothing wrong with being able to see rather farther than you can shoot... in good conditions the Catherine XP thermals can reportedly detect tank sized targets to about 8km...

I think because of lack of thermal shroud.

Lack of a thermal shroud should result in a long unbroken string of shots as the barrel gets hotter with each shot its shape should change leading to widely spread impacts.

these two images... an amateur will look at the points of impact and claim the gun is useless... but anyone with shooting experience would say it was clearly an inaccurate initial zero and a fire control system that does not properly compensate for the different conditions.

Very simply shifting the point of aim to the left by about a metre and down about half a metre and the hits will be all around the aim point... shift the aim point to the centre of the target tank and the left image has perfectly adequate accuracy with 5 solid centre body hits.

The right hand image seems to have one flyer and the rest of the impacts are high and to the left... so assuming the same aim point compensation for the left hand photo in sunny weather move the aim point another metre to the left and raise it about 3 metres to compensate for the weather conditions and you will have four hits in the centre of mass and one flyer.