Army-2019: New UMZ-G multipurpose tracked minelayer vehicle based on tank chassis.

New Russian-made multipurpose tracked minelayer vehicle called UMZ-G unveiled at Army-2019, the International Military Technical Forum in Russia. The UMZ-G can be based on T-72 or T-90 main battle chassis without any turret but fitted with 3 rows of 3 multiple payload rotary launchers with fixed elevation mechanisms able to lay anti-personnel, anti-paratrooper or anti-tank mines.

New Russian-made UMZ-G multipurpose tracked minelayer vehicle based on T-72 or T-90 main battle tank chassis at Army-2019, International Military Technical Forum and Defense Exhibition in Patriotic Park, Moscow Region, Russia. (Picture source Army Recognition)

The UMZ-G (multipurpose tracked minelayer vehicle) is based on main battle tank chassis T-72 or T-90, but the layout of the vehicle is very different as a standard main battle tank. There is no glacis, the hull is rectangular with a crew of two, driver located at the front left side and one operator at the right.

In the middle, the top part of the UMZ-G is fitted with three rows of three multiple payload rotary launchers, each with 30 dispensers able to launch anti-personnel, anti-paratrooper or anti-tank mines.

The UMZ-G has a weight of 43,500 kg and the hull of the vehicle provides protection against firing of small arms and artillery shell splinters. The rear part of the hull is also fitted with wire cage armor to increase the protection of the vehicle against RPG (Rocket-Propelled Grenade) threats.

The UMZ-G is motorized with a Diesel engine V-84MS developing 840 hp. It can run at a maximum road speed of 60 km/h. For its self-protection, the UMZ-G is armed with one 12.7mm 6P49AA (Anti-Aircraft) Kord machine gun and a bank of four smoke grenade dischargers are mounted on each side at the front of the hull.

The vehicle is designed to remotely lay anti-tank, anti-personnel and mixed minefields from cluster dispenser unit with recording the minefield coordinates and the possibility of setting the mine self-destruction time from the mining control. The minelayer's mine control system provides automatic input of the self-destruction time into mines in the cluster dispenser units, control spent ammunition and minelayer component state assessment.

The UMZ-G can operate as part of a combat unit or independently. The commander of the UMZ-G receives a command to lay a minefield from the unified tactical management system (ESU TZ), a minefield chart is generated upon completion of the mining mission and transmitted automatically to a command post via electronic data through the ESU TZ.

The maximum length of the minefield being laid with the use of one basic mine load: antipersonnel mines (PFM) – 3,200 meters; antipersonnel mines (POM) – 5,000 meters; antitank mines (PTM) – 600 meters. It can launch the mine at a maximum range of 40 m with a mining speed of 40 km/h. The minefields it creates are 15 meters deep and 240 meters wide. Its mine-laying speed is up to 40 km per hour.