Russian army airborne troops ordered new 125mm self-propelled gun to replace 2S25 Sprut-SD 2605133

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Defence & Security News - Russia

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Sunday, May 26, 2013 02:08 PM
 
Russian army airborne troops ordered new 125mm self-propelled gun to replace 2S25 Sprut-SD.
Russian army airborne troops ordered a new 125mm tracked self-propelled gun to Kurgan factory, which can be unloaded from a plane without any platform. Airborne troops of Russian army have indeed need a new vehicle to replace the 2S25 Sprut-SD that the "paras" have abandoned in 2010 after a fire on the vehicle after the military parade on Red Square, due to a fuel leakage. The Russian airborne troops will be equipped with a new vehicle able to fight the main battle tanks U.S. Abrams M1 and Israeli Merkava, wrote the newspaper Izvestia.
     
Russian army airborne troops ordered a new 125mm tracked self-propelled gun to Kurgan factory, which can be unloaded from a plane without any platform. Airborne troops of Russian army have indeed need a new vehicle to replace the 2S25 Sprut-SD that the "paras" have abandoned in 2010 after a fire on the vehicle after the military parade on Red Square, due to a fuel leakage. The Russian airborne troops will be equipped with a new vehicle able to fight the main battle tanks U.S. Abrams M1 and Israeli Merkava, wrote the newspaper Izvestia.
2S25 Sprud-SD 125mm self-propelled gun for airborne troops based on the chassis of BMD-3 armoured infantry fighting vehicle.
     

A representative of the airborne troops said that the main armament is mounted on the chassis of the armored infantry fighting vehicle BMD-4. The standard 100 mm gun is replaced by the 2A46M-5 125 mm gun, the same uses on the main battle tank T-90.

A source close to the program said that the new vehicle must have weighed about 18 tons (a classic main battle tank weighs more than 40 tons) with a gun length around 7 meters. It can be easily transported by military transport aircraft Il-76 and Mi-26 helicopters.

Moreover, thanks to the chassis of BMD-4, the new self-propelled gun can climb up to 35° slopes and is completely amphibious. The gun can fire the new armor piercing shells 5-2A46M and anti-tank missiles.

The sight will be equipped with a thermal and automatic target tracking systems, able to measure the distance of the target, calculate the trajectory of the shell.

Military expert Alexei Khlopotov explained that light tanks, including the new self-propelled gun, became very popular in the world's armies.

"This is a global trend, Sweden, Poland and China build such light tank. That type of vehicle is essential in mountains and swamps regions, where heavy equipment cannot travel. It can be transported quickly on combat areas by airplane or helicopter to provide an infantry fighting vehicle with high firepower", said Khlopotov.

This new airborne self-propelled gun will be used not only to fight tanks but also against enemy shelter, buildings, etc. In case of long-range artillery could not reach that type of target, the new vehicle is able to destroy that type of targets with direct hit.

The decision to manufacture a new artillery gun was taken by the Russian Defense Minister Deputy Yuri Borisov in February 2013, during a meeting on the development of airborne troops. It will replace the self-propelled antitank gun Sprut-SD 2S25.

In mid-2001, Volgograd Tractor Plant started the development of the 2S25, this one lasted several years. The 2S25 is also known under the denomination of Sprut-SD. On May 9, 2010, immediately after the military parade on the Red Square, the engine of a Sprut-SD caught fire. The same year the former Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has canceled the purchase of these vehicles.