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2020-11-10

Global Demand for Russian Armoured Vehicles Remains High

Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec State Corporation) has supplied over 3,000 tanks and vehicles, including artillery, military equipment, and other weapon systems, for over 20 years in the international defence market.

“The equipment designed by the Russian school of tank building, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year, receives acclaim of foreign specialists every year. The latest products from Rostec holding companies – Armata and T-90MS MBTs, BMPT Terminator tank support fighting vehicles, Sprut-SDM1 light amphibious tanks, TOS-1A heavy flamethrower systems, Msta-S self-propelled howitzers, a broad line-up of engineer vehicles based on tank chassis and many other domestic armoured vehicles – are in high demand around the world. In a number of countries, armoured units equipped predominantly with Russian vehicles became the backbone of the national armed forces,” said Alexander Mikheev, Director General of Rosoboronexport and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Engineering Union.

T-90MS MBT: Robust Engine

The T-90MS MBT is equipped with powerful weapon systems, modern automatic fire control systems, cutting-edge protection, robust and powerful engine, and reliable transmission. The 125mm cannon allow engaging targets at long distances with high accuracy and keep the MBT from the enemy Anti-Tank Assets effective area. Modern Machine Gun Mount is extremely efficient against various light targets due to a stabiliser. While the Fire Control System provides sustained target search, detection, identification and tracking under any weather conditions, day and night, from a halt position or on the move. The Т-90MS MBT offers comprehensive protection against conventional ammunition, precision guided weapons (guided artillery projectiles, ATGMs) and anti-tank rockets.

SPRUT-SDM1: State-of-the-art Armour Protection

SPRUT-SDM1 has powerful weapon systems, modern automated fire control system, state-of-the-art armour protection, robust engine and transmission, and efficient chassis. It is intended for fire support of units fighting against heavily armoured materiel, destruction of enemy strongholds and fortifications, battle reconnaissance and combat security. The 125mm 2A75 cannon can fire guided missiles, APFSDS, HEAT, and HEF projectiles. For smaller targets, there is a Remote Controlled Weapon Station with 7.62mm MG and a 7.62mm coaxial MG. The tank is equipped with all necessities to successfully accomplish tasks in any climate and terrain. Thanks to its combat capabilities and performance, the SPRUT-SDM1 Light Amphibious Tank can be efficiently used by the Marines and Land Forces.

TOS-1A: Lethal Weapon

TOS-1A is a unique fire support system based on an extremely reliable T-90S platform. The TOS-1A Heavy Flamethrower System is designed to suppress a whole variety of covered and open targets with thermobaric rockets. The shortest firing range of 600m, well-protected and highly reliable T-90S MBT Platform, and short deployment (combat readiness) time of 90 seconds allow TOS-1A to be an extremely lethal weapon with great combat capabilities. The shortest range of engagement allows suppressing targets while excluding friendly fire. The total coverage area at a longer distance with the full salvo is not less than 40,000m². The main damage on the enemy manpower is inflicted by thermobaric (temperature and pressure) effect. High combat efficiency of the system has been tested on the battlefield and in various climatic and geographical zones.

MSTA-S: Offering High Survivability

The 152mm MSTA-S self-propelled howitzer with an automated laying and fire control system (ALFCS) is designed to engage enemy artillery and mortar batteries; tanks, anti-tank and other armoured vehicles; manpower and fire means, control points, air defence, missile defence and electronic weaponry; destroy field fortifications and other defensive structures; deny the enemy’s ability to manoeuvre its infantry and armoured reserves. The self-propelled howitzer gun can be loaded at any angle of elevation and can traverse through 360 degrees as it has the capability to cross water obstacles up to five metres deep and up to 1,000 metres wide. The original mechanisms feeding projectiles and charges from the ground provide high-rate firing without using the carried ammunition load. It is capable of automatic laying and laying recovery after each shot.

The automated laying and fire control system installed on the self-propelled howitzer, combined with artillery fire control vehicles, provides highly effective counter-battery fire. The use of the ALFCS reduces the emplacement time 1.5-2 times, shortens the time to open fire by 25-30 per cent, and doubles the survivability of the self-propelled howitzer on the battlefield.

The self-propelled howitzer can deliver both indirect and direct fire only at the halt without the preliminary preparation of firing positions.

Vehicles of Choice

Today, more than 40 countries are actively operating not only state-of-the-art Russian armoured vehicles, but even those supplied decades ago during the Soviet period. Moreover, during the past 20 years, more than half of these countries have signed contracts with Rosoboronexport for the supply of new batches of armoured vehicles or the modernisation of their tank fleets to radically increase the operational readiness and fighting capacity of their armies.

The high operational effectiveness and capability to handle a wide range of tasks, including through a gun capable of firing both standard tank ammunition and guided missiles and ease of use (the equipment is easily mastered by personnel, easy to maintain and repair, even in the field), make these vehicles popular.

Also, qualities such as automation of operations and control, increased mobility, good crew protection, operability in the widest range of geographic and climatic conditions, from polar ice to the equator; reliability of armoured vehicles, platform and component commonality, their high maintainability on the battlefield; and compliance with the claimed performance characteristics, have made these vehicles an asset.

Success in exporting Russian armoured vehicles is linked with the quality training of foreign specialists, setting up joint venture productions abroad, and carrying out various R&D projects.

Foreign customers pay great attention to the preliminary evaluation of equipment before making a decision on its procurement. Therefore, for instance, the tests of T-90 tanks in the Thar Desert and the Arabian sands became an effective showcase for these vehicles. As a result, a plant was built in India for the licensed production of T-90S MBTs and a number of countries adopted them for service.

Currently, the world tank export market is steadily dominated by T-72, T-80 and T-90 MBTs, which have received the latest configuration as a result of Russian modernisation.

Reference Text/Photo: www.roe.ru

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