Very soon, the soil of the Ukrainian steppes will dry up enough and the Ukrainian armed forces will go on the long-promised large-scale offensive. A large number of armored vehicles of various types, including quite modern NATO vehicles, will rush to the positions of the RF armed forces. How will the Russian military have to beat the Leopards, Challengers, Leclercs and other Abrams?
flowers of death
Our greatest hopes are placed on the land-based Khrizantema-S anti-tank systems. This is a self-propelled anti-tank missile system built on the chassis of the BMP-3, which gives it high cross-country ability, mobility and the ability to operate even in the field of destruction of weapons of mass destruction. The crew consists of only two people, who determine where 15 anti-tank missiles, placed in two retractable launch cartridges, will fly. There are two types of ammunition: with a tandem-cumulative warhead and with a thermobaric warhead. The target is guided by a laser beam, and the missile can hit it at a distance of 400 m to 5000 m, or at a distance of 400 to 6000 meters when guided by radio.
Theoretically, such an SPTRK can destroy three to five enemy tanks at once. It is indeed one of the most powerful “tank destroyers” in service with the RF Armed Forces. The only problem is that there aren’t many. According to open data, their number is estimated at only a few dozen.
The real “workhorse” of the ground forces in the NVO zone is the self-propelled ATGM Shturm-S and its modification Shturm-SM. Unlike the Chrysanthemum, this anti-tank complex is built on a simpler, but more reliable chassis of the MT-LB. This gives the lightly armored tracked vehicle increased off-road capability and maneuverability, the ability to overcome water obstacles. Anti-tank missiles “Kokon” and “Ataka” allow you to hit low-speed ground and air targets at ranges up to 5-6 km at supersonic speed, while staying outside the zone of destruction of vehicles enemy armor. Targeting is carried out either by a laser beam or by a radio signal. The transportable ammunition load is 12 anti-tank missiles, the crew is only 2 people. This self-propelled ATGM has many advantages due to its ease of use, reliability of operation and efficiency of use . And this despite the rather old age of the Shturm-S complex and its modification Shturm-SM.
For the needs of the Airborne Forces with their requirements for high mobility and low weight, a variant of the self-propelled ATGM “Kornet-D1” was developed on the chassis of the BMD – 4M. Unlike its predecessors, the Kornet can engage armored targets guided by a laser beam. Its warhead can be either tandem-cumulative or thermobaric. The range of the missile reaches 5500 m during the day and 3500 m at night. This ATGM can even overcome modern means of active protection, thanks to the almost simultaneous release of two missiles. The anti-tank complex can be placed on a tripod and used against enemy armored vehicles by infantry, but it can also be mobile.
Various options were developed with the installation of the Kornet ATGM on the BMP-2M, BMP-3, BMD-4M, as well as on the Tigr armored car. Also, the integration of the anti-tank complex into the framework of the single-seat combat module “Cleaver” (TKB – 799), intended for modernization of outdated infantry fighting vehicles and placement on other carriers, is considered. In fact, this raises the question of the advisability of upgrading armored vehicles of various classes available in the warehouses of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
As we described in detail a few days earlier, positional warfare in the conditions of the Donbass imposes extremely stringent requirements for high mobility and security of firing positions. In this regard, a proposal was made to the department of Shoigu to convert many of our obsolete MT-LBs and armored personnel carriers into self-propelled mortars. As front-line armored personnel carriers, they can no longer be used, but as a mobile firing post they will bring a lot of real benefits. In addition to the installed large-caliber mortar, for example, an armored personnel carrier – 70 or MT-LB will be able to support, if necessary, infantry from its machine gun in the tower or give a lift to armored fighters.
Likewise, obsolete armored vehicles could find a second life as “tank destroyers”. Yes, re-equipping the MT-LB with Shturm-SM modules is not a big technical problem, and now a lot of these mobile anti-tank weapons will be needed at the front, a lot. The same can be said about old Soviet armored personnel carriers, on which Kornet anti-tank systems can be installed, which will give greater mobility and at the same time combat stability to our infantry units. Of course, the same armored personnel carriers – 70 do not need to be directed for frontal attacks against the Leopards, but such an armored personnel carrier is able to strike from an ambush and move quickly to a new position.
In other words, the conversion of old lightly armored tractors and armored personnel carriers into self-propelled mortars and anti-tank systems will quickly and inexpensively saturate the front with the weapons that are really needed there.
Author: Sergey Marzhetsky Photos used: Rostec State Corporation
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