Russian Ground Forces: News #2

I seem to remember under the CFE agreement that European Russia was allowed to have a total of 6,000 tanks, of which 2,000 or so were deployed and the remaining 4,000 were in storage at any one time.

There were no limits on the tanks in the far east that was not considered Europe.

These levels were said to be pretty normal for the Russian Army but there were limits to certain areas that were not imposed on any other country that signed the CFE treaty as the fear was that if the CFE treaty reduced pressure in central europe that Russia might move armour to the north and south, which would be destabilising in those areas so there was a lot of fine print regarding deployment.

The real problem was that the Russians were the only side that actually signed the CFE treaty... the rest of NATO have not signed because they claimed peacekeeping Russian forces in South Ossetia and Nagorni Karabach violated the letter of the CFE treaty about basing armour in Europe.

With Russia being the only country to have signed it was pretty unfair that the rules only applied to them so Putin unilaterally declared that Russia would only be bound by the rules of the CFE treaty when the other parties all signed it too.

I very much doubt the CFE will ever come into effect as I doubt the Russians will accept all the rules regarding their internal placement of armour... no other CFE member has any limits on where they can place armour in their own country.

More importantly it was supposed to be about balance but as most members of the warsaw pact and even parts of the former soviet union are now part of NATO it really is not about balance at all.

Prospective work of LLC "Military-Industrial Company"

On August 24, 2017, TASS agency published an interesting interview with the General Director of the Military Industrial Company (MIC) Alexander Krasovitsky.

The largest manufacturer of wheeled armored personnel carriers in Russia The military industrial company (VPK) continues to create new cars in the interests of the military. The experimental design work (ROC) for the new generation of Tigers has already been opened, a medical version of the armored "beast" has been created, and a prototype of the modernized BTR-87 has been presented. General director of the company Alexander Krasovitsky told about these and other projects in the field of wheeled armored vehicles, as well as about deliveries of "Tigers" abroad and results of the company's activity last year in an interview with TASS on the fields of the International Military Technical Forum "Army-2017".

- Please tell us about the novelty of the forum - BTR-87.

- This is an enterprising pilot-design work, which the military-industrial complex has made on an initiative basis at its own expense. There may be a stern exit for paratroopers with a swinging door, as presented in the sample at the exhibition, or we can make a very comfortable folding ramp again in the stern. This is the main difference between the BTR-87 and the BTR-82A, where the landing is disembarked through hatches that are located in the sides of the hull.

Plus, the fact that the engine is in front, also increases the safety of the crew. In addition, there is a more "toothy" combat module: anti-tank guided missiles are added and our traditional 30-millimeter cannon is used. The machine should first of all be interested in our native Ministry of Defense, and after that we will deduce it to foreign markets. BTR-87 has already passed a number of tests, now we represent the first sample of the Ministry of Defense of Russia in order to open an experimental design work in the interests of the military department.

- What about the "Tiger" project with a 30-millimeter gun?

- We showed it in 2016, already fired from this car. This, again, is an initiative development, which we and our colleagues from the "766 UPTK" did quickly enough.

The combat module of this machine can be controlled remotely within a radius of up to one kilometer, or it can work in standalone mode according to the program. Nobody believed that we could put a 30mm cannon on a four-axle machine weighing up to 8 tons, but we showed that it is feasible and that it works. In principle, we are ready to make such machines, now we are looking for customers.

- The Ministry of Defense announced that they are interested in this sample. Is there an arrangement?

- I told about this machine to Sergey Kuzhugetovich (Shoigu - TASS comment) in Sochi during a meeting with the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. He said that we are ready to begin production of this sample.

Today, I know, KamAZ makes a Typhoon with a 30mm cannon, but it's heavier and almost twice as expensive. I believe that the potential of our car is very large. Arrangements with the Defense Ministry on procurement yet, but we are in the process of opening up a pilot project in the military. It will be called "Leopard". There is already a decision by Yuri Ivanovich Borisov to open this ROC. Now we go through all the stages.

"Will you open this year?"

- I think yes. A couple of months, and we'll open it.

- How did the scraped-off Tigers go through the tests? Will there be supplies to the Airborne Forces?

- We threw this car at different angles, from different heights. The paratroopers deliberately turned over to the roof, then put them on the wheels, the car started and went. Now we are at the stage of finding a counterparty, who will make us a special platform for the landing of the Tiger.

- What are the prospects for the new machine "Bear"?

- In my opinion, this is one of the most secure machines our company makes. "Bear" holds under the bottom seven kilograms of TNT. We hope that sales of this car will go. She is already interested in foreign customers, and "Bear" is accepted for the supply of Rosgvardia, which plans to continue purchasing this machine.

- It was reported that Egypt wants to buy from Russia armored vehicles "Tiger". Are there arrangements?

- Yes, we are working, we are talking about 50 machines, and, probably, in the near future we will sign a contract.

- What about the project of a new generation of "Tigers", and how will it be called?

- We opened the OCD in the interests of the Ministry of Defense, whose name is "Athlete". It's no secret that the Tiger is 10 years old, and during this time we made about 700 changes to the design. Now we understand that it is necessary to increase mine resistance and ballistic resistance. It will be a more powerful car, designed for 10 people, it will be much more comfortable for the crew.

- Are there any new contracts for the supply of your cars abroad?

- Yes, but I would not like to disclose the details, so as not to frighten them away, as they say.

- At what stage is the work on the project "Boomerang"?

- Today the car passes preliminary tests, every day we pass the tests, we are shooting. In addition, we will shoot at the dynamic display, and in the dynamics we will show the BTR-82A with a thermal imaging sight.

- By the way, from what year will the deliveries to the troops of BTR-82A with a thermal imaging sight begin?

- Since 2019, all APCs will be supplied with a thermal imaging sight. If necessary, we are ready to make overhaul and put these sights on the armored personnel carriers in service.

- Tell me more about your new medical "Tiger".

- We made this machine in an initiative six months ago. This car can be made in both armored and unarmored versions.

We plan to do it on the basis of the 136th "Tiger", this is the fifth class of protection that keeps the hit of a bullet with a heat-strengthened core from a 7.62 mm caliber Kalashnikov assault rifle. The car became taller, there can be placed four wounded soldiers in a horizontal position or four in a sitting position, plus a driver, a doctor or a paramedic and another medical worker. The horizon of sales is also good, today foreign colleagues are beginning to be interested.

- How did the year 2016 end for the company?

- For today, I position the company at a good level, we are developing, our products are in demand, despite the difficult political situation. Moreover, another plant, the Bryansk Arsenal, entered the company, and now we are on the way to joining the Zavolzhsky plant of caterpillar tractors, a decision on which has already been taken, this will happen in January-February. We are becoming a large holding company that produces armored vehicles.

- How is the import substitution program carried out?

- The current situation only helped us to develop. Today, many things have mastered themselves, and those pieces of iron that we previously bought from the countries of NATO or Ukraine, we have mastered in production. We have built up new competencies and are independent of anyone.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2808662.html

Works of JSC "Special Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering"

On August 25, 2017, the TASS news agency published an interview with Sergey Abdulov, chief designer of the JSC "Special Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering" (Kurgan).

Designed by the design bureau of the Kharkov Tractor Plant, the MT-LB caterpillar armored personnel carrier is obsolete and needs to be replaced. It will be replaced by the newest BT-3F machine, which is developed under the code "Armor". Sergey Abdulov, Chief Designer of the Special Machine-Building Design Bureau of Machine Building, told TASS on the fields of the International Military Technical Forum "Army-2017" how the new armored personnel carrier for the Russian army will be, as the "Kurganets-25" test and what will change in the modernized BMP- 3.

- Let's start with BT-3F, this is a new project, so tell us more about it.

- The main direction of application of the new machine is the replacement of MT-LB and MT-LBU. BT-3F is a more advanced and more protected armored personnel carrier. Initially, the issue of creating such a machine was supplied by a foreign customer to replace the BTR-50s in service.

Nevertheless, one must understand that in our country there are potential customers for this machine. For example, there are a number of enterprises that want to create different types of weapons on the basis of BT-3F - in particular, communications and control technology, command and staff cars and so on.

- What is the status of this car? Is OCD open?

- We carry out a full-scale experimental design work commissioned by the Ministry of Defense under the code "Armor".

- It is known that Indonesia wants to buy such an armored personnel carrier, are they negotiating with them?

- Negotiations are under way. By the way, cooperation with this country has been carried out for a long time. For example, our Indonesian partners have been using BMP-3F for several years in our production and are very satisfied.

Representatives of KSCM and Kurganmashzavod went to the territory of the customer, where they represented this car. It is worth noting that we are not the only players in this market - there is a competitive struggle, since Indonesians are also considering machines produced by other states. But our armored personnel carrier has certain advantages over its competitors. This is due to the fact that our machines are subjected to more rigorous factory tests.

- Given that the OCD is in the military's interest, when is it planned to complete preliminary tests of BT-3F?

- Factory testing is planned to be completed next year.

- The combat module "Tit", which you installed on BMD-4M - is the one from which Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov fired at the time?

- Not certainly in that way. He shot a prototype, which was made, you can say, "on the knee." "Titmouse" was created from scratch - the technical assignment of the Ministry of Defense was issued to it, the product is now being pre-tested.

- What are the main differences from the module "Bakhcha-U", which is now on BMD-4M?

- The main difference is, of course, unification with BMP-3. Unified power block and undercarriage of the car, now we unify the fighting compartment. In addition, our module is cheaper than "Bahci" and has the ability to fire on air targets through the commander's sight.

- Are there any further plans for upgrading the BMP-3?

- We do not share these products, since the further direction of unification simultaneously determines the direction of modernization. Roughly speaking, having installed the commander's panoramic sight on the "Tit", we automatically plan to install it on BMP-3.

Foreign customers are interested in such modernization, first of all the UAE, who evaluated such a possibility of modernization, and this will be useful for our army.

- What are the tests of "Kurganets-25"?

- As you know, now we are conducting preliminary tests. The fact is that the machine is new, so every node and element requires its own kind of tests. Road trials are under way, the next stage is firing, then special tests.

- What is it?

- This test determines the security of the product.

"So they'll shoot at her?"

- Without fail.

- What is the line of cars on the platform "Kurganets-25"?

- In the future, it is planned to install on this platform all types of weapons that are suitable for carrying capacity and type, as well as in accordance with the wishes of the customer. This will be a large line, so it's difficult to limit the list to a specific one.

The idea of ​​the Ministry of Defense is to make unified platforms of all classes. Speaking of wheeled vehicles, this is "Boomerang", if the light and medium tracked - "Kurganets", and if it's heavy, then it's "Armata".

- What other OCD do you lead?

- In principle, these are the machines we are talking about

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2809949.html

Russian Arms Expo from 2018 may be returned to Nizhny Tagil in Urals - Deputy PM Rogozin

The Staratel Training Area is situated in the Sverdlovsk Region near the city of Nizhny Tagil, the center of Russia’s tank industry

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. The Russian Arms Expo from 2018 may again be hosted in the Urals' Nizhny Tagil, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday at events devoted to marking of the Tankman Day.

"This Tankman Day lacks the traditional exhibition, which formerly used to be in Nizhny Tagil, and I do not think this is correct," he said. "I think, Nizhny Tagil deserves hosting this event with a big, serious international program."

"I promise to you that next year here besides a tank show we shall organize an exhibition and a big military-industrial conference," he added

The government has made this decision already, he added. "We have decided so and will correct the mistake."

The Staratel Training Area is situated in the Sverdlovsk Region near the city of Nizhny Tagil, the center of Russia’s tank industry. From 1999 to 2015, the tank driving range had hosted 25 national and international exhibitions, including 10 Russian Arms Expo - Nizhny Tagil (RAE) international arms shows, with RAE to move to the Patriot Park in the Moscow Region in future.


More:
http://tass.com/defense/964802

Demonstration of samples of the T-90M tank and the BMPT combat vehicle during the joint strategic exercises "West-2017" of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus at the 33rd combined-arms range near Luga in the Leningrad Region




https://bmpd.livejournal.com/2849936.html

Restored the 45th Separate Engineering and Masking Regiment

As Izvestiya newspaper writes in the article by Alexei Ramm and Yevgeny Andreev, "The Defense Ministry has regained the inflatable regiment, the new military unit will hide the troops from enemy satellites, drones and reconnaissance aircraft, and build fictitious airfields and missile positions," the Russian military department again formed a unique military unit. The 45th separate engineering and camouflage regiment (WWIS) will make important military and social facilities invisible to satellites, reconnaissance aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. Also, in just a few minutes, servicemen can deploy false artillery positions, missile systems and even build a fictitious airfield. For this purpose, in the arsenal of the regiment there are inflatable models of tanks, guns, infantry fighting vehicles, air defense complexes and other weapons systems. For such an unusual equipment, the 45th regiment received a nickname from the military "inflatable" regiment.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/2861999.html