Russian army to receive majority of the Terminator 2 in 2018.

The majority of the Terminator 2 tank support combat vehicles will be delivered to the Russian army in 2018, Uralvagonzavod’s Director General Alexander Potapov said on Tuesday.

The BMPT-72 is an extensive modernization of the world-famous T-72 main battle tank, also produced by Uralvagonzavod.

"We intend to send the bulk of the vehicles (the Terminator 2 - TASS) in 2018," he stated. The Russian Defense Ministry’s Tank-Automation Commander Alexander Shevchenko said earlier that the Terminator combat vehicles would be put into service in the Russian army this year. He noted that this is "a vehicle of a brand-new class" that "has already attracted many countries, chiefly Israel and Syria." The tank support fighting vehicle has successfully passed all types of tests, the general specified. The Russian Defense Ministry inked a contract to deliver the Terminators at the Army 2017 forum. The total sum of the agreements sealed between the Defense Ministry and Uralvagonzavod back then had surpassed 24 bln rubles ($417 mln).

The BMPT-72 or Terminator 2 is fitted with a new unmanned redesigned fully stabilized electromechanical turret, with lower profile and better protection. The main armament of the BMPT-72 turret consists of two 30mm automatic guns 2A42 and one PKTM 7.62mm coaxial machine gun which can be used against light armoured vehicles and soldiers. The guns can fire a wide range of ammunitions such as APERS-T (Anti-Personnel ammunitions), HEF-I (High-explosive Fragmentation Incendiary), AP-T (Armour Piercing), and KE (Kinetic Energy). Two anti-tank guided missile Ataka-T launcher units are mounted on each side of the turret. The anti-tank missile can engage a target up to a maximum distance of 6,000 m while the cannons have a maximum range of 2,500 against light armoured vehicles and 4,000 against light tactical vehicles and troops.

© Copyright 2017 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.