Boyevaya Mashina Podderzhki Tankov (BMPT), also called the Terminator, is a tank support fighting vehicle developed in Russia. It was developed by Uralvagonzavod Production Association State Unitary Enterprise and Urals Transport Machinery Design Bureau Federal State Unitary Enterprise. The vehicle has a crew of five soldiers.
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The BMPT was unveiled at the Ural Second Exhibition of Armaments and Military Equipment held in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Nizhny Tagil, Russia, in July 2000. It entered into service with the Russian Army in 2005.
The armoured vehicle increases the efficiency of a tank in urban warfare, peace-keeping and counter-terrorist operations. It allows the tank to advance by destroying antitank targets such as manpower, and lightly and heavily armoured ground targets, such as tanks, as well as aerial targets. The vehicle can also operate independently to support infantry, defeat terrorist groups and escort convoys.
BMPT tank support combat vehicle design
The 47t tank support combat vehicle is based on the chassis of T-72 battle tank. The driver and the two aimers of the front grenade launchers are placed in the front of the vehicle. The two main and secondary armament gunner seats and the vehicle commander seat are placed in a power-operated turret on the hull.
The vehicle has a turret with externally mounted weapon station. The operator positions, external armament with drives, ammunition chain are built in the turret module. It can be mounted on all types of tank chassis.
The turret has single-piece hatch covers for the crew. The BMPT series production is planned with the chassis of T-90 tank.
The vehicle has a built-in self-entrenching blade that can be used for mine ploughing. It can also be equipped with electromagnetic devices.
Armament
The BMPT is armed with two 30mm 2A42 automatic cannons that can fire AP and HE projectiles. The two magazines can load ammunition of 850 rounds. Two coaxially mounted AGS-17A or AG-30 30mm grenade launchers stabilised in two planes and four supersonic Ataka-T anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers form the primary armament. The ATGMs are loaded with thermobaric, HE-FRAG and HEAT warheads and have a maximum range of 5km.
Two 30mm AG-17D automatic grenade launchers are armed on the two sides of the armoured compartments that form the secondary armament of the BMPT. They have an ammunition load of 300 grenades each. Firing of the AG-17D can be vertically stabilised and remotely controlled. A turret-mounted 7.62mm machine gun attached to the 30mm cannons with PNK ranging sight and electromechanical drive acts as an ancillary armament. The three vehicle operators can thus target different threats in 360° in the battlefield. The commander can also engage independently in duplicate control mode.
Observation
The driver has a single wide-angle day periscope, replaceable with a night-mode passive periscope. The 30mm grenade operator is provided with an Arat-MP day/night sight periscope. The workstations of the commander and gunner are equipped with PNK ranging sights.
The main armament system is equipped with thermal and optical channel sights and a panoramic low-level TV sight. It can detect and fire at the targets 24/7 and in all weather conditions from long ranges.
Fire control
A computerised fire-control system allows the vehicle to engage moving and stationary targets in all weather and day/night conditions. The BMPT has an automatic two-discharge detection and fire-extinguishing system. It also has laser-detection system.
Protection
The vehicle has a hull the same as that of a T-72 tank. The upper front plate of the hull is strengthened by a dynamic protection replaceable block. The armour protection includes add-on explosive reactive armour (ERA) on the frontal armour plate, grilled shields for the hull rear and ERA-applied screens for side plates. The welded turret mounted on the vehicle has built-in ERA and filler. The ERA protects the crew against APFSDS projectiles and single-charge HEAT warheads.
The fuel tanks and heater are located in the armoured compartments for increasing safety against explosion and fire. The hull and the turret are fitted with Kevlar lining in the interiors for anti-spall against secondary fragments. The 2A42 cannons magazine rounds are placed below the turret in the hull.
Engine
The BMPT is powered by a V-92S2 diesel, four-stroke 12-cylinder, multi, supercharged diesel engine. It produces 1,000hp (736kW) at 2,000rpm. The power-to-weight ratio of the vehicle is 21.2hp/t. The right fender of the armoured compartment is also installed with a 5kW diesel generator to allow the operations of electrical equipment on board during shut-down of the main engine.
Mobility
The BMPT has six road wheels with idlers and torsion bar suspension system. Three return rollers and the rear-drive sprocket support the inside of the track. It has a maximum road speed of 65km/h and a range of 550km.
