Russia's Terminator-2: 'Terminator' on T-72 chassis
The Terminator-2 developed on the T-72 tank chassis is a unique Russian product, and there is no similar vehicle model in the world today.
BMPT Terminator-2 will parade on Red Square
According to Russian military leaders, up to 7 Terminator-2 armored tank support vehicles (BMPT) are expected to participate in the Victory Parade on Red Square on May 9.
The Terminator-2 armored tank support vehicle is a product of the Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) corporation; it is built on the chassis of the T-72 main battle tank. The first vehicles of this series began to be supplied to the Russian army in the spring of 2018.
According to expert Ruslan Pukhov, Director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), “Terminator” does not only provide fire support for other tanks, but is essentially a completely new and independent tank, combining the advantages of both tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. It is capable of much better protection against infantry weapons, and can also engage enemy tanks on its own.
According to experts, no matter how well protected they are, modern tanks are still vulnerable; that is why tracked armored vehicles have appeared to provide fire support for tanks. In Russia, this type of vehicle is called “tank version 2.0”.
Currently, the Soviet Union/Russia has manufactured two versions of BMPT, Terminator-1 and Terminator-2, based on the T-72 tank chassis. In addition, Russia has also developed Terminator 3 based on the chassis of the new generation super tank T-14 Armata.
The Terminator-2 was originally intended for export, but its features convinced the Russian Defense Ministry to consider equipping the Russian Army. In September 2017, the Uralvagonzavod company was awarded a contract to supply a batch of these vehicles.
As Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin noted earlier, Terminator-2 has been successfully used in Syria, thanks to which this combat vehicle model has been chosen by the Russian Army; at the same time, increasing its export potential.
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| BMPT Terminator-2 receives attention from Israel and Syria |
Terminator-2 is a highly protected armored tank support vehicle mounted on the tracked chassis of the T-72 tank. It is intended to provide fire support to tanks, destroy lightly armored targets, and can engage low-speed aircraft and helicopters, if these enemy vehicles fly at low enough altitudes.
The design concept and mission of this vehicle is to ensure the safety of tank combat on the battlefield, in conditions where the enemy has a large number of anti-tank weapons. Therefore, the Terminator-2 series of vehicles has completely different basic features and missions.
Terminator-2 is equipped with anti-tank weapons, medium-range weapons and close-range lethal means, including automatic cannons, guided supersonic missiles and automatic grenade launchers, along with twin-barreled machine guns.
It can destroy both armored targets as well as mobile anti-tank weapons or anti-infantry fire nests; allowing tanks to focus on their primary mission of destroying large enemy targets such as main battle tanks or targets.
Thus, the most core task of “Terminator-2” is to solve the problem of protecting the safety of the tank crew, the tank itself as well as its combat capabilities, so that the tank can carry out greater attack purposes.
“Terminator-2” is suitable for use primarily in conflicts where there are many types of small arms, such as in Syria, and in wars with armed groups that do not possess heavy weapons of conventional warfare.
Therefore, according to experts, for countries in the Middle East or North Africa, the Russian "Terminator" model is really worth paying attention to, because it possesses impressive technical and tactical characteristics that no other armored vehicle in the world can match.
Not only Russia, but also the Syrian and Israeli armies are asking Russia to buy this type of combat vehicle. According to defense analysts from Tel Avip, “Terminator-2” 2 has excellent mobility, high firepower, and is very well protected. Therefore, the Israeli Army (IDF) has chosen to order this type of vehicle from Russia.
The fact that even a country with a world-famous tank/armor manufacturing industry like Israel is interested in purchasing Terminator-2 shows its superiority.
