The first nine ‘Terminator’ tank support fighting vehicles will enter service with armored units of the Russian Central Military District’s 90th Guards Tank Division stationed in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk Regions from December 1 after successful trials. The tank support fighting vehicle is very effective and unrivaled by its firepower in this class of vehicles. The 90th Guards Tank Division will now make a company of nine tank support combat vehicles operational in a tank regiment of the 90th Tank Division before the end of this year In June next year, the Russian Central Military District will hold a larger operational evaluation exercise to explore the potential of employing a battalion of tank support combat vehicles.
The introduction of such a vehicle makes urban fighting less stressful on main battle tank (MBT) and can relieve them of some of the workload so that they can concentrate on their main objective of engaging other MBT and hardened targets. The BMPT’s armor protection is equal to that of an MBT and its powerful armaments allow it to engage virtually every enemy formation while operating in a common battle formation. Due to the multiple weapons systems found on the BMPT, this vehicle is able to fire at multiple targets simultaneously. These features significantly help increase the combat effectiveness of tank units and decrease their losses from enemy close-combat assets.
The BMPT “Terminator” (Tank Support Fighting Vehicle) is an armored fighting vehicle (AFV), designed and manufactured by the Russian company Uralvagonzavod. This vehicle was designed for supporting tanks and other AFVs in urban areas. The BMPT is unofficially named the “Terminator” by the manufacturers. It is heavily armed and armored to survive in urban combat. This AFV is armed with Ataka-T Guided Weapon System armed with four 9M120 Ataka missile launchers, two 30 mm 2A42 autocannons, two AG-17D grenade launchers, and one coaxial 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun. This results from the complexity of fighting in urban terrain and the need for a versatile anti-personnel platform that can engage multiple targets at once and on different height levels.
The BMPT is built on the chassis of the widely-used T-72 main battle tank. The BMPT was designed based on combat experience gained during the Soviet–Afghan War and the First Chechen War. The maximum speed of the vehicle is 60 km/h over highways and a cruising range of 550 km with external fuel tanks. The upper part of the suspension is protected by armor plates towards the front and slat armor towards the rear. Additional slat armor is fitted on the rear and sides of the chassis to increase protection against rocket propelled grenades. Missile launchers for the Ataka missiles are fitted with extra armor to provide protection against splinters and small arms fire. CBRN protection is provided for the crew members and is collective.
